The rise of a Hero

Chapter 26

As long as there's hope, we'll never leave without a fight. Until my last breath, I'll fight to preserve it, even if it runs dry, for it will always be within us.

Quietly, I see this hope shining in you, enveloping us with your light.

You are the key to our salvation. You are my salvation... I see it clearly, you are the one who will save us. Who will save me...

As long as there's hope, I'll fight tirelessly, invigorated by the strength your presence gives me by my side.

I'll fight for that future we all yearn for. And if my destiny is to perish, then I only wish for one thing.

I want you to live.

oOo

"Link, save yourself! Please!" Zelda panicked when she saw him in a weak position. "You will never defeat the Guardians..."

In his nightmare, the Hero had plunged the Master Sword in the ground to support it, haunting under fatigue and because of his injuries. Resist... That was the only word that resonated in his mind. It was necessary to resist and protect the princess.

"Run away, Link!" she begged him, taking him by the shoulders. "The kingdom needs you more than me!!"

The young man clenched his teeth, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. About fifteen meters ahead of them, a few Guardian heads emerged beyond the carcasses of their fallen comrades, a grim reminder of the fierce battle they had fought.

"I will not abandon you!" he replied with determination despite his fatigue.

With tears in her eyes, the princess felt despair take control of her. She shook her head vigorously, her breathing noisy.

"For Hylia's sake, don't die now!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking, which tore at the Hero's heart.

He turned his head towards her, looking at her with sorrow, then glanced back at their enemies, torn between his duty and his feelings. Escape... He knew that staying here would cost him his life. But Link couldn't leave his beloved. It was unthinkable! In a swift motion, he grabbed Zelda's hand and pulled her towards the woods behind them, attempting to hide from the sight of the Guardians, but to no avail. The only sounds accompanying them were their breaths, their feet sinking into the mud, and the screeching of the machines chasing after them. They were surrounded... Suddenly, they emerged from the woods and came to an abrupt stop when a chasm lay before them; below their feet was the tumultuous Hylia river with its deadly current.

"We're trapped!" Link panicked, taking a step back.

Zelda could never escape such a torrent... She let out a cry as four Guardians appeared before them, ready to annihilate them. The blood of the Champion ran cold as he realized there were no possible escapes left for them. Nevertheless, he drew his sword once more and prepared to dash towards the machines when Zelda pushed him backward with such force that he lost his balance and began to tip over the edge. Among the last images of this nightmare, Link would never forget the terrified look on his beloved's cheeks wet with rain and tears. Before he hit the water, the Hero was blinded by a bright white light followed by a warm reddish-orange glow.

It was only much later that Link regained consciousness, half of his body washed up on a shore he struggled to recognize. A violent fit of coughing seized him, the air he breathed painfully burned his throat. Slowly, he opened his eyes with a sad groan. His vision remained blurry, his ears were ringing, and he suffered from terrible headaches. When the Hero tried to get up, his right arm hurt so much that he had to bite the inside of his cheek to refrain from crying out. It must have broken when he hit a rock under the water as he was swept away by the currents. Link managed to stand up, grimacing with the effort, then he looked around him, hunched over due to his injuries.