Hypnotic | {Master Kohga x Fem! Reader!}

Chapter 46: The Final Curtain Call

The original sin is the fairest. Everyone sinks, far beneath the depths of the waves.

Make the most of the final feast, because for the sinners, the curtain call has finally come.

*

Kohga and Sooga held onto each other in an effort to guard their friends from the whizzing fragments of glass. A large, crystal-clear gateway gaped before them, imitating a semi-transparent wormhole. Zelda tentatively opened her eyes to witness other paths curving alongside them. Unfortunately, Urbosa, Daruk, Revali, and Mipha were all hurled into their own passages, leaving them speechless as they descended into the abyss.

They were engulfed by the swift-moving water, their breaths seized up. Down below, a great abyss spread out, each of its passages snaking towards a mysterious tree that hovered in the night sky. It was as if they'd been transported into a completely different world, one that had witnessed the furious might of numerous gods. The group surveyed their surroundings with fascination, attempting to stifle their breathing. It was as if the wormholes were interconnected, all leading to the same destination: the core of your mind.

Gazing at the withered tree in shock, Zelda felt a wave of unease wash over her. The branches were completely blackened, and the petals of the sakura blossoms were charred like a wild inferno had just swept through. The whole area reverberated with sorrowful wails, and in front of the tree was an enormous floating circle.

Every ley line extended deep into the chasm, appearing to have no end in sight - its roots seemed boundless, just like the ruler of the roots. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of old, undisturbed kitsune statues hovered in the vicinity; they appeared ancient, almost as if time had forgotten them.

Zelda glanced towards Kohga and Sooga with curiosity, hoping they'd possess more knowledge about the unknown realm than anyone else present. It would be a surprise to her if even they hadn't set foot in the place before.

"...come, gather around, ladies and gentlemen!"

A strange noise caught Zelda's attention and, when she looked in the direction it was coming from, she saw a playing card floating in the water, radiating a bright red hue. She could have sworn the figure depicted on it had winked at her, before it flew off and disappeared into the depths. The wormholes had started spinning rapidly and faster and faster by the second. Despite trying to maintain his composure, Link was having difficulty not getting nauseous from all the twisting and turning.

"...in your opinion, do you think it's right to treat a trial like it's an opera?" A feminine voice this time, and a familiar one at that. The words echoed in the space, like more memories lost to time.

"...to the people of this world, the line between a trial and a performance can be a little...blurred."

Another different voice. How strange.

"Welcome one and all, to the Opera of Eternity!"

Zelda let out an audible gasp as she inhaled the salty water, and her vision was obscured by an intense, white light. Shielding her eyes, she clung to Link as Kohga and Sooga grasped them firmly. All around, the bleak sakura tree steamed with an oppressive aura, before they were abruptly wrapped in a radiant glow.

"And...music!"

*

Cushioned, velvety chairs supported the group as they sunk slowly into the unknown dimension. Shining rays of gold spilled across the partition, while a giant platform stood magnificently before them. The group cleared the water from their throats and wiped the wetness from their eyes, attempting to understand their environment.