AHHHH GUYSS!!! I GOT A 100 ON ALL MY FINALS 😭 HOW!!! I feel like I'm Zelda lol jk I think it's literally thanks to all of you who believed in me hahaha so thank you!! ❤️ I hope everyone's finals went well, for those who are in school. But let's not think of school pfft it's time to enjoy the holidays with a new chapter!
I'll post another one tomorrow as a little Christmas gift 😇🎄🎁 SO STAY TUNED OKAY?? :D
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Malice's POV
Zelda's driveway is like half a mile long. Palm trees line the way and the whole property is enclosed by tall hedges like a castle in a Disney movie. The sun is in my eyes and the cobblestone road is bumpy, giving me a headache and nausea.
Zelda's security guard opens the fancy gate for us when we reach the end of her gigantic property.
Zelda makes me duck until we pass the gate. She says her staff can't see me. She says it so casually as if we all have people in uniform working for us. I'm surprised she doesn't have a personal chauffeur taking her to school. Or maybe she does, but he's not allowed to see me either.
"Are you up for this?" Zelda asks me for the third time this morning.
I shrug.
"I can drop you off at your friend's house if you're still too ill to attend classes."
"Just drop me off at the nearest bus stop," I tell her.
"The bus stop? Why? I told you I can give you a ride. Just tell me the address."
"I don't have an address," I say.
"Then how do you know where to go?"
"You're smart. You can figure it out."
She stays quiet for a moment to think. "You have no idea where you're going, do you?"
"South," I say. "I'm going south."
"Like San Diego?"
"Like Mexico."
"You're fleeing the country?" Zelda asks in shock. "What about school?"
I lean my head against the cold glass and shut my eyes. "I dropped out."
Zelda gasps, "Dropped out?! You can't drop out!"
"I sure can."
"Why?"
"Ganondorf was the one paying for my tuition," I say. "And even if I had the money to pay for school myself, I can't risk showing my face in public. HU is probably the first place he'll look."
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the police?" She asks.
"I told you a million times already! Ganondorf has connections to the pigs. He'll find me if I go there."
"So what's your plan?"
"I have some family in Mexico. I'll probably just stay with them for a while until I figure out my next move."
"But—"
"Zelda shut up!" I interrupt her aggressively. "All your questions are giving me a migraine! I really don't feel like discussing my life, got it?"
"Got it..."
The rest of the drive is spent in silence. Zelda doesn't say another word, she doesn't even play the radio.
„Hey, you just passed a bus stop," I say but she keeps driving. "I told you to let me out at the next bus stop."
"It wasn't very clean."
"None of them are."
We pass another one.
"Hey!" I bark.
"That one didn't look safe."
"None of them do!" I say. "There's another one coming up two blocks down. Just let me out here." But Zelda keeps driving. "Hey are you deaf?"
"Sorry it's just not a great neighborhood."
"Bro, I'll jump out of the car if you don't let me out right now."
The car slows and comes to a stop on the side of the road. "It doesn't feel right to let you go like this."
"And what exactly would feel appropriate to Ms. Hyrule? A goodbye party with 70 servants, an ice sculpture, live performances, 200 guests and a dress code? Sorry, no time for tears and speeches. This is how we part ways, deal with it."
I open the door, step out, slam it shut, and walk away from her polished white Range Rover.
There's a homeless man sleeping on the bench of the bus stop so I'll have to stand until the bus arrives.
Zelda isn't leaving. She's staring at me and the homeless guy next to me. I feel watched, but not because of her. Nervously, I scan my surroundings to see if any suspicious men are nearby. I don't want any of Ganondorf's guys to follow me. I'm lucky that the Hyrule mansion was probably the last place he'd expect me to be.
It's pretty quiet since it's still 7 in the morning and there aren't any people on the streets. Still, I feel vulnerable without my knife, and Zelda's clothes on my skin feels like a target on my back. I need darker clothes, something that doesn't have high-end brand names embroidered.
Zelda is still waiting in her fancy car. I'm starting to think she'll wait until the bus arrives. I roll my eyes and try to ignore her.
Out of habit, I reach into my pocket for a smoke, but I don't have anything on me at the moment and groan in response. I wonder if she still has my drugs or if she threw them away.
The homeless guy shuffles a little on his bench. He reaches out with his hand and rasps, "Got any change?"
"No."
"Any amount will be appreciated."
"I ain't got any," I snap. He moans and coughs, and lays back down.
He continues to mumble to himself for a while and I try to ignore the lovely scents coming off his body. Next to piss and vomit, I smell nicotine and can't stop myself from asking, "You got a smoke?"
His eyes climb my body. "Sure do! What's it worth to you?"
"It's just a cig dude. It's worth less than my left sock."
"Interested in something more pricey then? Some snow maybe?" He smirks behind his frizzy beard.
"You got coke?" I ask a little dubious.
"Right in here," he grips between his legs.
"Oh fuck off," I huff, crossing my arms uncomfortably.
His hand reaches out again, but not for change. He quickly gropes me before I can slap his hand!
"Hands off you sick fuck!" I curse and he tries again.
"Malice!" Zelda shouts from her car. "Get in the car!"
"Fuck off! Why are you still here? Don't you have class?"
"Hey puppet," the old man shouts at Zelda, "Could you spare some?"
Finally the bus is arriving.
"Please don't get on that bus!" Zelda begs."You can stay at my house."
"Can I come too?" The man comments and then falls into a coughing fit.
Suddenly it hits me. This man is my future. This is going to be me if I don't turn my life around. One future is waiting on that bus, a dark abyss of addiction and violence, while the other future is waiting in that car, offering a glimmer of redemption—a chance to heal and find hope. The choice is mine, and it's a choice that could rewrite the very script of my life...
The bus driver opens the doors and waits for me to get in. I look back at the shady homeless man on his filthy bench, and at Zelda in her sparkling car.
"Shit..." I whisper to myself, shaking my head. I turn away from the bus and get back into Zelda's car. The bus drives off, the homeless man stays. And I might have just signed my death sentence by staying in SoCal.
Zelda's POV
After I smuggle Malice back into the house and tell her all the rules, like hiding from the staff, staying quiet, keeping the bedroom door shut, and refraining from drug use or illegal activities while I'm gone, I rush to campus.
Thanks to the detour, I hit rush hour and end up 20 minutes late to my first class... It's my archeology class and the lectures are held in a large auditorium with 200 students. I was hoping nobody would notice me entering the room late, but when I open the doors and find a seat right next to the entrance, the professors eyes land right on me, making him stop for a moment.
I shrink in my seat. Some eyes turn to look at me. The whispers and murmurs start, but the professor swiftly resumes his lecture and draws the attention back to him.
"Observe this statue," he says, pointing at the big screen behind him. "It's the same as the one in the manuscripts we discussed earlier."
I recognize his voice but I can't pinpoint where I've heard it before, and since I'm sitting in the far back I can't get a good look at him either.
"Take note that the inscription on this statute reads, 'Awaken us with the seal that breaks us free'," the professor says. "Perhaps, in the end, our scholarly pursuit of languages shall prove itself an invaluable key to unlocking the mysteries of bygone eras."
I quietly pull out my laptop and take as many notes as I still can before the lecture is over.
After class, when people are clearing the large lecture hall, I make my way down the narrow stairs to apologize to the professor for interrupting his lecture earlier.
Now that I can get a closer look at his amber hair and round glasses, I remember our previous encounter. His name is Shad, and he stopped to speak with me in the parking lot last year after my car got keyed. He recommended his mechanic to me, and said he was running late for his lecture. Back then, I assumed he was a student, but now I realize he was the professor of the class he was late for.
He's collecting his documents, folds his laptop shut, and pushes his glasses up. Having noticed me standing on the other side of the podium, he looks up at me, his expression changed in an instant. The way he smiles at me and raises his eyebrows in surprise reveals that, indeed, he remembers me as well.
"It's you," he says, his voice warm and curious. "Were you able to get your car fixed?"
A flush of embarrassment heats my cheeks. I can't believe he witnessed that dreadful message keyed across my car's side that day. "Lying Bitch." What terrible impression he must have of me.
"Yes," I say. "And—just so you know—the girl who keyed my car was mistaken. I'm not a lier and I'm not a... you know. But everything got resolved and your mechanic did a great job at fixing the mistake."
"I'm relieved to hear that the situation has been rectified," he nods sympathetically. "It's unfortunate that you were affected by someone else's mistake."
"Speaking of mistakes, I wanted to apologize for being late to your lecture today. I hope it didn't disrupt the flow of your class too much."
"No need to worry at all. I was a few minutes late myself because I was tweaking the Syllabus right before class and lost track of time."
I'm glad that he's not as strict as some of my other professors. "What did I miss during the first half of class?" I ask.
"We just went over the syllabus and a short introduction to the course. You didn't miss much really. But if you have any questions about the course, you can stop by my office during the hours I provided on the syllabus."
"Thank you for your understanding, Doctor..." Shoot, what is his last name?
"I don't have my PhD yet," he tells me modestly. "I actually working on my dissertation right now."
"I see. How do you prefer to be addressed?" I ask.
"Just call me Shad. I don't really do titles."
"Shad it is," I nod in agreement.
"And you are?"
"Zelda," I say.
"As in Hyrule?"
Shaking my head, I attempt a joke: "I don't really do titles."
"Fair enough." He picks up his briefcase and book, ready to leave. "I have to get going now, you have a great rest of your day."
"You as well, Shad," I reply. "I look forward to your next lecture."
The professor leaves and I, too, start heading to my next class with a big smile on my face. Shad is a very likable person, I remember seeing him at the scholars symposium last year where Father held him in high regard. He must be a brilliant and renowned researcher. I have a feeling I will enjoy his class the most this semester, especially since he teaches a subject I'm highly passionate about.
...
After my Molecular Biology class, I meet Impa for lunch, the bustling campus cafeteria our chosen destination.
"Should we go backstage like last year?" She asks me as she pays for a Sandwich. "Or should we embark on a quest for a new lunch spot?"
"How about we eat lunch at the cafeteria today?" I suggest instead.
"Lame!" Impa playfully protests.
"It's just for today. I'm not in the right mindset to go on an adventure right now..."
We secure a table and settle into our seats, Impa's curiosity getting the better of her.
"So... What's up?" she asks caringly.
A sigh slips past my lips as I lean back.
Impa's brow arches in suspicion, her gaze fixed on me. "Come on, you can tell me."
I mull it over briefly, considering telling her about Malice. "Okay," I nod in agreement. "Something happened that I should probably tell you about."
"It's about Link, right?" Intrigued, Impa leans forward and lowers her volume. "He's been acting crazy lately."
"How do you know about Link's recent behavior?"
"Kiroh and I stopped by Saturday morning," she reveals. "You didn't know?"
"No, I had no idea."
"How else did you think you got your phone back?" Impa lets out a knowing chuckle. "Pfft, why am I not surprised that Link didn't tell ya." I shake my head, confused and eager to know what happened on Saturday morning. "Kiroh and I literally just stopped by your house to drop off your phone, but we ran into Link at the gate and he refused to let us in. That, plus the phone call on Friday—I don't know but Link's been acting kinda possessive."
"Possessive?"
"Yeah like nobody else is allowed to be with you..."
"Possessive is not the right word to describe Link. He's just been trying to be protective. There is something you don't know about that might shed some light on the situation."
Impa shrugs, taking another bite of her sandwich. "Whatever it is, he's still acting out of line." Her gaze shifts, and her tone takes on a cooler edge. "Speaking of the devil."
Instinctively, I turn around and scan the area. My heart sinks in my chest when I spot Link, his face still bearing the marks of bruising. His expression is full of bitterness. Locking eyes with me, his eyes soften slightly, but the hint of guilt and resentment remains as he approaches our table.
My eyes don't dare leave his gaze. He stops in front of me, hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie.
"Can we talk?" are the first words Link says to me after having disappeared for 3 full days.
"Link," I breathe, still staring in shock. "Where have you been?"
Link's eyes momentarily escape mine to glance at Impa. "I've been staying with Kafei and Anju."
His voice carries a weariness that hints at long, sleepless nights, or nights spent sleeping illy. Whichever the case, a single glance into his fatigued eyes reveals the telltale signs of a soul plagued by sad thoughts and bad dreams.
"Can we please talk?" He asks once more.