'Favoured by the gods or not, we are naught but mortal.'

—Sheikah proverb

In The Shadows

~O~

Chapter 10: Critical

The next few hours are a blur.

Between the shock of everything that's happened in the past hour or so and the sight of my bloodstained hands, my brain goes into autopilot as the medics attend to the cuts and scratches on my head and arm. My eyes stay on Link long after they moved him away to tend to him, even if I can only see his feet. The ones who look after me try to coax me into talking but their voices sound so distant that I can't make out what they're saying, nor do I really want to know. I instinctively wince at their poking and prodding, although it's hard to process what pain is new and what pain was there already with how numb I feel.

I only snap out from my daze when the medics step aside and my hazy vision lands on the empty spot where Link used to be. Someone starts breathing loudly and erratic nearby, blood pounding in my ears as my eyes dart around the chamber in search of him.

Where is he? My mind asks over and over. Where is he?!

Something grabs a hold of my arms before I can do anything else, a sound akin to my name repeating until my hearing clears enough for me to realise that someone's trying to get my attention. I struggle in their grasp until their arms come around my shoulders and gently but effectively restrict me. A familiar presence washes over me, but it's not the one I was searching for. The breathing in my ears gets louder, though it soon dawns on me that it's my own breathing—I'm the one hyperventilating.

"Where is he?" I demand hoarsely.

"Th… they're taking him to the hospital," Paya's muffled voice reassures me. I feel someone wiping away tears from my cold cheeks—when did I start crying? "He's… he's in shock… b-but he's holding on."

That's when her words drift back into my awareness, "To ensure that the bond is completely destroyed, the body must reach a point where it falls into shock and is unable to retain its piece any longer. It's my job to push them over that threshold."

My mind's eye reminds me of Link being pushed over that threshold, his usually bright irises clouded over with pain as his eyes fluttered shut. I choke on my breathing, making my chest constrict awfully. I told him that I wasn't going to leave him, but I let him go. Paya holds me tighter when I furiously shake my head.

"He asked me not to leave him," I whisper in a daze. My body latches onto Paya's arms as I register my own words. "I promised I wouldn't leave him. I can't break my promise, Paya! I can't!"

She hushes me, though it isn't comforting, "It's going to be alright… w-we'll find a way th… through this." Two pairs of shoes appear in my line of fuzzy vision. I slowly crane my neck to find two police officers looking down at me with looks of pity.

One of them swallows loudly before daring to say, "We'll, uh, need your testimony as soon as you're ready."

I vaguely hear Paya saying that I'm not ready to answer that sort of question, that they saw what I was going through and had no right to make me relive it again so soon. My mind mentally replays the events in my mind, the adrenaline seeping away and rendering me a shaking mess as I remember my failed attempts at stopping Cia, my failed attempts to protect Link from more harm, my failed attempts to keep him awake, my…

"Ask her ." The three of them fall silent at my sudden growl. I twist my head towards the priestess in the corner who's now conscious and handcuffed but being attended to by medics, purposely raising my voice as I add, "Ask her about how she tortured him beyond recognition just to fuel her delusions. Ask her about how she took a knife and stabbed him in the leg just to reenact a damn story. Ask her why she took the one thing I truly cared about and broke him right in front of me."

Cia merely smirks at me.

Paya gasps, "Oh, Zelda…"

"Why are you even helping her?!" I cry at the medics. "Do you think she deserves it? Do you think you should ease her pain after everything she's done here?!" I would lunge at them if Paya wasn't holding me back.

"Come on," she murmurs into my ear. "Can… can you stand?"

I force myself to take a deep breath and find her eyes, using it as an anchor to stop myself from losing it at anyone else. Once the medics confirm that I'm physically well enough to leave and some photos are taken of my pitiful state for evidence, I nod and allow Paya to be my crutch as she wraps one of those emergency foil blanket around me and steers me away from the prying officers and out of the chamber. The anger aimed at Cia still bubbles beneath the surface, but with each step I take away from her, the more that anger's swept away by crippling fear.

"Where were you?" I whisper into the darkness, unable to take the hiss out of my tone completely.

"The… the media were hounding the Temple of Time," she says softly. "Gr… Grandma stayed to control the f-frenzy. W-We got there as soon as we could b-but… I-I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

Me too…

"She…" I swallow thickly, failing to unsee the memories echoing in my mind's eye. "She was going to kill him. S-She wanted to…" I twist out of the Sheikah's hold and brace myself against the tunnel wall. I refuse to look at her as I mutter under my breath, "She's going to get her wish…"

"Don't… don't think like that," she says strongly. "Don't let her win the fight be… before it's even over."

I sigh. She's right.

But there was so much blood…

I follow her out of the tunnels and back into the night, the wind cold as it blows against my bloodstained clothes and makes it cling to my body uncomfortably. I wrap the blanket tighter around myself despite the blood and ignore how marred my arms are as I reclaim my phone. We slide into Paya's car and any other attempts at conversation fall on deaf ears as I slump against the window and blankly stare out into the darkness.

The world passes by as nothing more than a blur. The last time I was in a car, Kotake was demanding to know what sort of trouble Link and I had gotten ourselves into, her sarcasm frustrating yet somewhat of a welcome distraction from the storm in my mind. But now it's different. Now it's hard to feel anything other than cold and numb.

Please be alright, I'd pray if I had the energy to speak. Please be alright…

The next thing I know, Paya's lightly shaking my shoulder to wake me up. I blearily blink my vision clear and frown when I realise where we are, "Why are we home?"

"I'm… I'm not letting you sit in a hospital waiting room all night c-covered in blood," she says simply. I can tell from her voice that she won't take no for an answer, but I try and argue anyway.

"I'll be fine. I need to be there."

"We'll only be here for a few minutes."

A part of me desperately wants to toss back a retort, to tell her that I'm not the person we should be fretting over right now. But my fight's already left me and, deep down, she knows that too. With how poor of a state Link was in, it's not like a few minutes will change anything.

My body burns as I open the door and force myself outside, uncaring for the couple who look at me with wide eyes as they pass by. I leave Paya behind and make my way towards the block of flats, only to freeze when I realise what I've left behind.

"My keys," I breathe. I turn to the Sheikah, "My keys were in my coat—"

She catches up to me and holds out her open hand to reveal my keys. I part my lips to speak but she replies before I can say anything, "The medics took them out when they got there."

I guess I'll need a new coat…

Even if I managed to salvage it, I don't think I could cope looking at it ever again.

I mutter my thanks and take them before heading inside, the foyer lights flickering on as soon as we enter. Two pairs of beady eyes appear in the office window off to the side, but I pay them no mind as I focus on the stairway ahead of me. I hear their footsteps moments before I hear their squawking voices.

"There you are!"

"You're back!"

Realising I really should thank them for getting me to the temple ruins, I slowly turn to them and watch as their questions die in their throats at the sight of my bloody clothes and hands. Their voices trail off before they can say anything, eyes widening in a display of concern for me that I've never seen from them before.

"Thank you for helping me," I whisper. "I found him…"

I turn on my heel and start towards the stairs before I break down in front of them, hearing their muffled voices instantly talking to Paya. They'll get their gossip and be done with it, I tell myself as I drag my feet up the stairs. They seemed worried… probably in case I scare off their tenants…

I reach my flat with ease. I can't bring myself to care about any potential threats in my flat, partially because threats like Cia and Astor have been dealt with and partially because I wouldn't be surprised if anything else were to go wrong tonight. I wander into the bathroom first and tug off my bloody clothes, uncaring when I hear some of the stitching pop. They fall to the tiled floor in a heap, making me feel vulnerable as I look in the mirror. I stuff the clothes into a plastic bag in case they're needed for evidence.

What a mess.

The blood on my face looks hauntingly like watercolour, my skin pale and my eyes bloodshot. But after all I've seen tonight, I'm not surprised at the horror-filled expression staring back at me. I turn on the tap and wait for the water to warm up, hissing when the water's heat makes my skin sting. I slowly start to wash away the blood from my hands and arms, feeling sick at the sight of so much red staining my sink.

It's an achingly long progress, but the figure in the mirror soon starts to resemble me again; a broken version of me, but at least she's recognisable. I change into a simple blue top and jeans, not bothering to move my loose hair out of my face when some strands cling to my damp cheeks. My mind turns to Link then, as if it ever stopped, and my body takes matters into its own hands, grabbing my keys and half-charged phone before heading back downstairs.

Paya, Koume and Kotake are still talking in hushed tones when I return, forcing smiles at my improved appearance before disappearing back into their office without saying a word. They can't express much other than anger, I remind myself as the two of us head back to Paya's car. I doubt they would've known what to say to me…

I soon forget about them as we finally drive to the hospital, my mind fogging over again as the orange glow of the street lamps fly by. Thankfully it doesn't take too long for us to get there but my energy is still far from renewed so I trail behind Paya as we walk inside and let her do the talking.

I've always hated hospitals. I mean, I haven't met anyone who actually likes hospitals anyway and I doubt I ever will. These "houses of healing" cause little else other than pain, acting as reminders of such bad memories for everyone. Either I've been here in a daze of pain or I've been waiting for someone to recover enough to talk to them about what happened. Fortunately, I don't have to come here often, but when I do it's nothing but sadness that echoes between these walls.

And now I have a new memory to add to the list.

Following the receptionist's directions, I follow the young Sheikah through the maze of corridors to a secluded waiting room, its off white walls feeling like they're closing in on me as we take a seat in the corner. Paya sighs and tries to rub some feeling back into her tired features as I let my head rest against the wall, unwilling to start up a conversation.

I can't shake the awful feeling that mine and Link's roles could've been reversed right now. Cia had her eye on the both of us, but she chose him in the end. But if things were different, if she hadn't taken advantage of his kindness to get him isolated, then it could've been me in the temple. It could've been me fighting for my life…

But no. If our roles were switched, Link wouldn't have made the mistakes that I did. He would've stopped Astor before he got a concussion, he wouldn't have got a concussion in the first place, he wouldn't have wasted a day to recover before finally figuring out where Cia was.

He would've saved me from Cia long before I saved him.

"Zelda?"

I open my eyes, suddenly aware of the hot tears running down my cheeks. "I wish it was me," I tell her. "I wish I was him sitting here instead of me. He shouldn't be the one in pain…"

"Neither of you de… deserve it, Zelda," Paya assures me. "No one does."

And yet, I can't seem to shake the guilt.

It should be him here. It should be him waiting for the news. It should be him telling my family—

I straighten suddenly, "His family—"

They still don't know what's happened.

"I… I can do it," she says when I take my phone out of my pocket, shaking her head when I go to protest. "You aren't in th… the right headspace to tell them. Just…" She sighs. "Let me help you…"

Her words paralyse me and I hand her my phone without a word, watching as she stands and makes her way back towards the hospital entrance to get a better signal. Now that I'm alone with my thoughts again, the dark guilt festering in my head rears its ugly head. I curl up in the uncomfortable chair and let the tears stream down my face, a dark voice in the back of my mind reminding me of when I did the same in my car hours after Link first went missing.

Another failure. I drove around until my car broke when I could've been doing something.

A few doctors and nurses pass by, some too busy to acknowledge me whilst others kneel down and ask if I'm okay. All I can do is force myself to nod numbly until they leave so I can go back to wallowing in my own guilt. I'm not sure how much time passes before a familiar figure comes down the corridor. I acknowledge her with a glance and hope that my silent question is plastered on my face.

"How did they take it?"

Paya sinks back into her chair before saying, "They were… very upset. They… they seemed angry that we didn't tell them earlier… b-but his sister seemed to understand at least. They… they asked about you too…" I lower my head at the thought of them being angry at me. "They're on their way. It's al… almost midnight here so they probably won't get here until morning now."

I'm glad that someone understands why I didn't tell them, but it doesn't change the fact that they're rightfully angry for not knowing. Not only were they told that their son and brother was fighting for his life in hospital, but also that he'd been in trouble for the past few days and I was stupid enough not to tell them the truth to protect my own feelings. If I were them, I'd be mad at me too.

But I wanted to protect them, my inner voice protests. I didn't want to worry them…

"We'll get through it, Zelda… whatever happens."

But she isn't promising that Link will be alright—that's probably for the best.

The hours drag by as we wait for news. People come and go from the waiting room until it's early morning and it's just me and Paya. A couple of police officers arrive to stand guard, but I've never felt more exposed and vulnerable than at this moment. The clock ticking above my head makes my ears ache until I can't hear it anymore.

I mean, if it was taking this long then it must mean that they're looking after him, right? But the longer we wait for news, the more I start preparing myself for the worst. I jump at every doctor or nurse that walks by, assuming that they're coming to finally tell me that they couldn't do enough, but every time they just keep walking and I sink back into my seat with a sigh.

Please… I think with my head resting against clasped hands. Please be okay…

I feel a hand on my back and snap my eyes open to find a doctor walking towards us. My heart starts to flutter anxiously as she kneels before us and asks us something, but I can't hear what she's saying. Based on the way her lips move, I guess she's asking if we're the ones waiting for the news. I hear Paya's muffled response, but my eyes are solely on the doctor.

Her green eyes are kind, and she only looks tired from how hard she's been working and not from bracing herself to give me the bad news. She has to be giving me good news, right? I start trembling when her neutral expression doesn't change. She wouldn't beat around the bush if it was bad news, right? Surely she would've apologised first or said something to build us up to the news I'm praying we won't get.

"Is he okay?" I hear myself ask shakily.

She reaches out and gives my knee a squeeze, then finally tells me the news.

I hear Paya breathe heavily, but I blink slowly as I take her words in.

"W-What?"

The doctor smiles sadly, "He's in a critical, but stable condition." I stare at her, unblinking. "The surgery was a success and although he isn't out of the woods yet, I'm optimistic that he'll make it through."

"Th… thank you," Paya breathes, then puts her arm around my shoulders. "Zelda… this is… good news."

I nod, but I don't know how to react.

My lips twitch up into a smile as I finally let go of the breath I was holding.

Then I let my head fall into my hands and burst into tears.

It's still not certain, but I haven't lost him.

Goddesses… I haven't lost him.

I hear Paya asking what the next steps are, and the doctor replies, "Well, he'll be kept under sedation for the next couple of days so we can monitor his condition, but we expect him to recover well," she explains. "If you had gotten to him, say, an hour or so later, then I expect the outcome would've been a lot different."

"You… you did it Zelda," Paya murmurs to me, though I don't want to think about what could have been.

I raise my head and ask, "Can we see him?"

The doctor nods, "You can once he's been given a room, but that shouldn't be too long."

"H-How long can I stay?"

"I believe some strings have been pulled so you can stay for the night," she says, flashing me a smile. "You were incredibly brave tonight."

It's about an hour later when someone comes to fetch us. We rise and quickly follow them down the corridor, anticipation quickly eating away at my gut. At the back of my mind, I know there's still much to do before we can finally move on from this case. As well as providing our accounts of tonight's events, there'll be countless interviews, reports, and no doubt a trial in the near future, not to mention the media attention when more of the case comes to light.

But I'm determined not to focus on that right now. The world outside these hospital walls can wait a little longer, even just a few hours. Right now, my thoughts are only on Link and anything I can do to help him. There's an officer already stationed outside the door when we arrive, turning on us when he hears our footsteps. I blink in surprise when I notice the familiar face.

"Pipit," I gasp. "You're alright?"

Pipit smiles at me, his cerulean eyes bright and his face no longer marred by blood. "I'm alright," he assures me. "But, Zelda, I'm sorry I—"

I shake my head to stop him, "There's nothing you need to be sorry about. I'm just glad you're okay." He inclines his head in thanks and visibly relaxes, stepping aside so the closed door is accessible, and for the briefest of moments I can't help but hesitate. But I quickly shove it aside and open the door, desperate for the reassurance that I've been waiting for since Link first went missing.

The room is small and sparsely furnished, the white walls somehow airy yet clinical at the same time. Apart from a table with a lamp and pitcher, as well as two plush chairs next to them, the hospital bed is the only other thing here with its occupant obscured by a dark-haired nurse. They straighten at the sound of the door opening and turn towards us, finally revealing who they were tending to.

Still pale, but not deathly so, Link sleeps peacefully and is a stark contrast to the last time I saw him. The white sheet is drawn up to his chest, though his arms lay on top so we can see the three cuts Cia made onto one of his hands in a desperate attempt to cut the Triforce of Courage free from him. All traces of blood have been cleaned away, the pain and stress once present in his features now gone too. The sound from the heart monitor next to him bounces around the small room every few seconds as a constant reminder that he's still alive and well, usually such an annoying sound now nothing but a source of relief.

Having finished whatever she was doing, the nurse passes me a comforting smile and quickly leaves. I zone out for a moment as I continue to stare at Link, praying that I'm not dreaming and he really is alright, at least for now. Paya shuffles around out of my line of sight but I pay her no mind as I perch on the edge of the bed and take Link's scarred hand with both of mine, frowning at his bandaged wrists.

After a few moments, I vaguely hear Paya say something about giving Impa the good news, so I hum absently and let her go, focusing solely on Link and his breathing. It's evened out a little since I last held him, but it's still shallow and weak—nowhere close to being normal. Even though he looks much better, the doctor was right when she said he isn't out of the woods just yet.

But here's here, and for now the Goddesses seem to be looking down on their supposed chosen one.

Pressing my forehead against our intertwined hands, I murmur, "You're going to be okay…"

Whether I'm trying to reassure him or myself, I'm not entirely sure. But now the weight of the world has eased off my shoulders a little, I finally give into the grief I've been trying to bottle up and let myself cry.

You're going to be okay…

I nod off at some point, because the next time I open my eyes, a few hours have passed and another nurse is shuffling around in the room. My body aches as I straighten, having slumped against the bed and fallen asleep on Link's arm, and the redhead nurse offers me a small smile.

"I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't," I tell him, passing him the best smile I can. "I wasn't too comfortable anyway." Making sure I'm not getting in his way, I take the two chairs and push them together so I've got some semblance of a bed. The nurse disappears for a moment before returning with a spare blanket and pillow for me to use. I thank him and turn my attention back to the sleeping form between us. "How's he doing?"

"There's not been much change," he says honestly. "How are you?"

I blink, "W-What?"

"You may not be an official patient here, but you need to be taken care of too," he says with a chuckle. "How are you feeling?"

"I…" I trail off, unsure how to word it. "I'll be happy once he's awake and well. I think I'll be processing it all in my head for a while yet. But thank you," I add after a moment. "I appreciate you asking."

He nods down to my makeshift bed, "Don't forget to get some rest yourself. Hopefully we don't keep waking you up." I laugh lightly and let him leave, comforted by him asking how I was. I settle down and reclaim Link's hand despite the awkward angle, glad to feel warmth from his hand rather than the coldness I felt at the temple.

Although I'm asleep in minutes, my sleep is far from deep and restful. Flitting between one dream and the next, my sleep is plagued by nightmares, some hazy and difficult to describe whilst others are horribly vivid and unnerving. I wake every few hours, normally when a nurse or doctor comes in to check up on Link's condition, and I can't help but worry that I'll wake up one time and realise that finding Cia at the temple was nothing more than a figment of my imagination or, worse still, it really was true but Link drifted out of reach whilst I slept.

Safe to say by the time the light of dawn comes through the lone window, I'm just as exhausted as I was before I first fell asleep.

Within half an hour of dragging myself out of my makeshift bed, my head's already drooping despite my efforts to rub some feeling back into my face. A nurse soon comes in and reassures me that Link is making slow but steady progress which is enough to lift my spirits. His breathing is certainly getting better too, though I don't dare get my hopes up too much until he's awake and back to his regular self.

But it's not like I can't hide in here forever. I can't coddle myself from doing my job no matter how much I want to stay by Link's side. Not only will I need to go in and give my testimony to what happened last night (something I'm not quite looking forward to but I know I must do), I'll need to write up some reports on the case as a whole as we prepare for what I hope will be a short trial.

The door creaks open. As I turn to see who's entering, my heart sinks. Three figures step inside, their faces illuminated by the sunlight coming in through the blinds. They all look exhausted, though I'm not sure I look any better. The first person is a young girl with short but bright blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that shine with worry, the spitting image of the woman who comes in next and the man who enters last, though his hair is slightly darker.

I swallow thickly, fear arresting my heart as I nervously meet their gazes.

Link's family don't immediately rush to the bedside, too paralysed by the sight of Link to do anything else. Knowing that I won't be wanted, especially after how rightfully frustrated they were on the phone to Paya, I untangle myself from Link's hand and rise, instantly feeling the loss of his presence. I put my blanket and pillow on the floor so they can sit down.

But they don't.

And it's not like I can just ignore them and leave.

"I hope you had a safe journey," I murmur, unsure of what else to say. His mother, Hylena, forces a tiny smile and nods, graciously taking the seat I gave up and rests her hands on her son's arm. I breathe a mental sigh of relief when I realise that Link's scarred hand is facing up so they can't see what Cia did to it, glad that his family will have some time before hearing what he's been through. "The nurse told me he's making good progress. They hope to bring him out of sedation in the next day or so."

"Good," his father, Raven, says simply as he sits on the other side of the bed. But the way he avoids my gaze makes it clear that he's annoyed at me for holding back the truth about his son for so long, though I don't have the strength in me to explain myself again; it won't do any of us good.

Aryll, Link's younger sister who's already twenty but looks a lot younger, glances over at the blanket and pillow and asks, "Did you stay here all night?" I nod slowly, my breath hitching when she crosses the gap between us and hugs me tightly. "Thank you."

I hesitate before returning the gesture, smoothing back her hair as she trembles in my arms. When she finally lets go, I step aside so she can take a seat at the foot of the hospital bed. Suddenly feeling like a third wheel, I murmur a brief, "I'll leave you be," and make my way towards the door.

"Zelda?" I stop at the sound of Hylena's voice and turn to her. But she isn't looking at me, her eyes focused solely on the bruises on her son's neck. I catch what I can only describe as desperation in her voice as she softly asks, "What happened to our son?"

Raven sighs, "Hy… don't—"

"No," she cuts in before he can finish, glancing at him for a moment before turning her attention back to me. "I'm not asking for all the details, but we only know so much… and I'd rather hear it from you than the papers."

My lips part as I consider what she's asking of me. I'm positive I'd ask the same thing if I was in her position, so it's not like I can deny her of the answers they're looking for. My eyes drift between the family members, "How much do you know already?"

"That there's been a string of murders in the capital my son was caught up right in the middle of it and we didn't know anything until last night," Raven answers instantly, unable to hold back the biting remark.

Link's mother shoots him a look before looking back at me and adding, "We know that you faced the person responsible and now they're off the streets. Apart from that, we know as much as the public."

So essentially nothing, my inner voice mutters darkly.

But I can't coddle them… I won't do that to them. I've already hidden enough from them.

I take a few moments to choose my words before wetting my lips and taking the plunge. "A woman… Cia—" My breath hitches as I say her name out loud. "She believed that she was chosen by the Goddesses to reunite the three pieces of the Triforce. To do that, she searched for people with names similar to the hero, princess, and king of evil from the legends and… hurt them in the hopes of taking their piece of the Triforce." My gaze shifts down to the sleeping form, feeling his father's sceptical eyes on me and his question coming before he even asks it.

"And how's Link related?"

I nervously fumble with my hair, my chest constricting. "His name is similar to a translation of the hero's old Hylian name. I…" I inhale a shuddering breath. "I should've realised sooner… but I was too late. I-I can't say how sorry I am. I should have realised sooner, I should have figured out where he was sooner. I…"

I force myself to look away from them and wrap my arms tightly around my stomach, unable to meet their gazes without fear of crying. I jump when a hand suddenly rests on my arm. I look up to find Aryll's tear-filled eyes watching me, her lips tugged up into a small but comforting smile. She wants to say something, but the look in her eyes speaks volumes.

"Thank you…" Aryll's expression says. "Thank you for being here when we weren't."

Swallowing thickly, I croak, "I-I'll give you all some space."

They thankfully let me go, though the horrible feeling in my gut doesn't leave even after I walk outside. The bright, sunny skies and lively streets do little to lift my spirits after such an awkward conversation. I'm sure, or at least I hope, that things will smooth over in time, but it doesn't change the fact that my attempt at protecting others only hurt them more.

Since Paya was called back to the station in the early hours of the morning and I'm not feeling the thought of being cooped up on a train, I decide to walk to the police station. The fresh air will do me good and the noise of the city might drown out any dark thoughts. It might be early, but there are still large crowds of people going about their business.

Since my phone died hours ago, I use the hospital phone to call Impa and tell her that I'm ready to do an interview. She's sceptical of my readiness but allows it, and I can't say I blame her. I'm not ready to talk about what happened, but then again I doubt I will be anytime soon. I want it over and done with so I can focus on everything else that I need to do.

Despite the dreary autumn air, the city remains alive and bustling. With my jacket gone, I rub my arms absently as I wander down the street, mentally noting down that I'll need to invest in a new one. Even though I live here, I don't really give myself the chance to really enjoy the town's beauty. It might be a concrete jungle, but it certainly has its charms.

It's mid-morning by the time I reach the station, my cheeks flushed as I clamber up the stairs and walk into the main office. Unlike the morning after Link had first gone missing, the main office is swarming with activity, though I guess there's a lot to do after Cia's arrest. I head into Impa's office and find her at her desk.

"Good morning," I greet, doing my best to sound chirpy despite my nerves.

But she gets straight to the point, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Hark?"

"No," I reply. "But it needs to be done. Then I can sleep on a bed instead of a chair and type up the reports you need."

Impa raises a brow at me as she climbs onto her feet, "They can be done another time." I shake my head and open the door, ignoring her remark as we make our way towards the nearest interview room. As I reach out for the handle, however, she rests her hand over mine and forces me to look up at her. "Don't push yourself. Do your job, but take care of yourself."

Stunned by her sincerity, I nod and let her go inside first, steeling myself for the interview that's to come.

The interview itself is mercifully short but still exhausting. Since Cia's already been interviewed, most of the questions are merely to corroborate her statements. It seems that Cia's statement is extremely similar to my own since I don't have to deny any of what she said. All I need to clarify is why I didn't call the police before setting off to the temple ruins.

"As far as I was aware, the police were investigating the Temple of Time in Castletown and wouldn't have acted on my call until they'd thoroughly investigated their line of inquiry," I explain. "That's why Paya personally went to the police on my behalf whilst I investigated the situation."

Thankfully, that's all I need to say.

So when Impa terminates the interview and leans back in her chair, she notices my shaky hands and tells me, "Thank you, Hark. We can easily charge her without your testimony, but it will certainly help the process."

"A-Already? But you haven't even taken Link's testimony and…"

"We'll need that at some point, but she's already admitted to what she's done." I blink at her, stunned. Her lip twitches at my expression but she manages to suppress it. "Even with our evidence to convict her, she told us everything—why she's been killing them, how she did it. She said that she was completely in control of her actions and wasn't influenced by anything or anyone else." Now she does smile. "Astor's got one count of assault and acting as an accomplice to murder. Cia's got three counts of torture, two counts murder, first degree, and one count of attempted murder. We got her, Hark. We got them both."

My lip quivers and it takes all my might not to burst into tears.

We stopped her.

She won't hurt anyone again.

"You did it," I murmur, evading any potential compliments. "Without you to collect the evidence, she would've been doing this for many years to come."

"But now she won't be," the Sheikah assures me, collecting the case file from the table and standing. I follow suit and leave the room with her. "And still, we wouldn't have gotten far without the both of you. You're always welcome here." I can't help but smile now, her compliment high praise for someone so naturally reserved.

My eyes roam around the office as we step out of the interview room, several familiar officers immediately snapping their gazes towards us two and nervously coming towards us. But I turn to Impa before she can excuse herself, "I know you're busy… but can you do something for me?"

"What do you need?"

"Can someone look into the cold case files?" Her eyes widen, probably because that's no small feat. "Cia mentioned a "Volga" who helped her. I'm not sure if that's his real name, but…" I don't know how to finish. It's not going to add anything to the investigation, so why am I asking?

I just need to know…

"I'll see what we can do," she says before leaving me alone as Paya and Groose walk over, the latter holding something behind his back.

I lean against the wall and muster the best smile I can, which probably isn't that great after talking over such awful things in my interview that I force myself to block out, and wait for them to reach me.

"Hey," Paya greets quietly. She nudges Groose forward, who suddenly produces a bunch of blue nightshades and swift violets. "It's not much… but we wanted to cheer you up after… well, everything. It's from everyone here; not just us. We all chipped in."

I stare at the flowers with parted lips.

They wanted to cheer me up?

Utterly flawed by the small gesture, I try my best to give them the most grateful look I can. "Thank you. I can't express how much this means."

They grin as I take the flowers and rest them in the crook of my arm. "Will you go back to the hospital now?" Groose asks. I rub the back of my neck nervously, recalling the awkward conversation I had with Link's family earlier.

"No, not yet. His family's there and I don't want to be in the way."

They nod in understanding, then Groose swears under his breath and looks back at the computer desks behind him, "I-I gotta go and finish that report before Impa has my guts for garters. I'm glad you like the flowers, Zelda. And…" The taller man shifts his weight uncomfortably. "Keep faith."

He flees before his face can go any redder, and I can't help but chuckle as I turn my attention back to Paya and hold up my flowers with my elbow, "Thank you again. It really does mean a lot for you to all think about me like this."

"W-We're one big family here. We have to take care of each other," she says simply, then, "And no offence… but you should probably get some sleep."

I laugh, the sound feeling alien and wrong after everything that's happened, and I playfully nudge her before agreeing and saying goodbye, mentally adding Paya's name to the list of people who can see just how exhausted I am. Clutching the small bouquet close to my chest, I leave the station with a weight off my shoulders and feeling the comfort of good friends.

All I need is sleep and good news from the hospital.

Everything will be fine.