if i die tomorrow - permanent hiatus

sword

     I ran through the rain, my boots splashing through the mud puddles. 

     I had to hurry. Take advantage of the mess the Queen's "death" while I still could. 

     My mind was a mess too.

     Voices clashed against each other in my head, screaming on top of each other. Opinions and thoughts and judgements all contradicted each other, and I no longer had a grasp on how to think, how to feel. A headache was starting to pound in my temples. 

     However, I had time aplenty to try and sort through this confusion later. The Master Sword was my goal now.

     I couldn't get sidetracked. The quest was about to reach critical point.

     I steeled myself and pushed on.

     I skidded across a corner and finally reached the mound of dirt that marked where I had stored my weapons, my equipment. I shoved aside the soggy soil on top and retrieved my knife and everything else. Glancing furtively around to make sure I wasn't seen, I slipped away.

     It was easy for me to sneak into the main entrance of the Castle, because in the confusion, nobody was guarding it. I held my breath as I wove through the rush of people. A few eyes were turned in my direction as I pushed past, but I escaped notice for the most part. I turned a corner and looked out from behind a wall at the ocean of heads swarming the halls, whirling right by me. 

     I was out of the current of people, for now. The dark hallway I was in was deserted because it lead away from the third floor.

     I listened to my own breathing for a few moments. 

     Keep moving.

     I ran down the hall, moving in such a way that it completely blended in with the chaos within the Castle walls. I randomly shoved people out of the way, adding my own voice to the shouts ringing in my ears over and over again. I slid through like a fish swimming downriver. 

     Okay. Time to plan. 

     The most likely place for the Master Sword to be in was the Sanctum. However, I knew it couldn't be out in the open in the main room or else it would never be tightly kept secret like it was now. The Sanctum was old enough that it was nearly impossible for any given spot to be hidden and kept from the public eye for so long, especially because the widely broadcast ceremonies were always held here. 

     I racked my brains. Given how devout the Royal family was, that was the only place they'd keep a weapon as sacred as this one. So...

     The it came to me.

     A foggy memory, clouded over by layer after layer of grief, fought its way to the top of my mind. Zelda's mischievous smile as she raised a finger to her lips, passing her hands over the wall, pressing a button hidden within a crevice of cracked bricks. The wall opening into a dark hole. 

     We explored the underground of the Sanctum for a while that day until she was due for another trip to the Springs, and we didn't find anything other than a few bats, a couple million insects, and an unholy amount of dust. However, that was the only place within the Castle I could think of that could possibly hold the Master Sword.

     We must have missed something. 

     I branched off to veer to the right. I dashed into a servant closet on the way to the Sanctum, closed the door, and quickly changed in the absolute darkness. I stuffed the field clothes into my pouch.

     I recognized the gray cuffs as soon as I stepped back into the light and noise of the hallway. Cleaning staff.

     Set. Let's go.