✧ The Light Between Us ✧ ☆•° Chapter 3 °•☆ I rushed into the bathroom, my face flushed and streaked with shameful tears. I angrily rubbed my eyes, smudging my makeup even further. I glared at the mirror. "Why?!" I yelled and pounded the sink. "I'm so stupid!" I shook my head and my hair flew into my face. "I barely know this guy and I'm already hugging him and taking pics and-" I groaned in frustration, leaning forward. My elbow hit the faucet and frigid water gushed out. I took the opportunity to splash my face, washing off the last of all the blush, lipstick, and eyeliner I had so meticulously applied that morning. At least the shock of the cold water cooled me down a bit. My own Sheikah Slate + pinged. I pulled it out of my pocket. Purah was texting me. ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ?? ʏᴏᴜ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ! A moan escaped my lips. The peace from working here was an illusion. Even when I was away from all the bodyguards and cameras, Purah was responsible for me. Father had strictly instructed her to keep me safe. As a princess, I was a target. ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛʜʀᴏᴏᴍ, I typed back. I ran my fingers through my hair, flinging it back violently. I took a few calming breaths, straightened out my wrinkled, damp hoodie, and walked out of the bathroom like nothing had happened. I made my way to the back of the store, where all the stuff in development was kept. Purah was sitting at a lone desk in the midst of- probably a thousand boxes. Blueprints, notebooks, and random circuit boards were scattered around the desk. Purah herself looked a bit frantic. Her glasses were askew on her nose, and half of her hair hung over one eye. It was nothing compared to my appearance, though. "Hey," I said. Purah turned around and squeaked. "What happened to you?!" "Nothing," I sighed. "Just made some poor life choices and messed up big time." "I'm sure it's not that bad," Purah said, but a mask of concern appeared on her face. "So-o-o... what'd you do?" I swept away some papers off of Purah's desk and plopped down on top of it. "Happy news first," I said. "Your new Sheikah Slate + is starting to sell." Purah perked up and a proud grin appeared on her face. "Yay! Now the bad news." I covered my face with my hands. "This boy... um... I was trying to show him how to use the new Slate... then I- uh..." Purah leaned forward, curious. "You what?" "I hugged him and took a picture of it," I whispered. "And he's probably gonna keep it and show his friends and either claim that the princess is his girlfriend, or use it to blackmail me, or-" "Hold up," Purah interrupted. "How is this bad?" "It was so embarrassing!" I cried. "And I was wearing my ratty work clothes too! He must think that the princess is some sort of weirdo!" "That's not that horrible," Purah comforted me. "When I first met Robbie, I literally crashed into him and fell down on top of him." "Yea, but he actually likes you! This guy'll hate me now!" I sobbed. Purah patted my shoulder. "It's okay. He'll forget about it. You're really overreacting right now. You're too self-conscious in general. If I know anything about boys your age, he'll just delete the pictures. I don't think he really cares." Somehow that made me feel even worse, but for Purah's sake, who was trying her best to calm me down, I nodded. "Y-yea," I said sadly. "He- doesn't care." Purah smiled and nodded back. "Ready for school?" she asked, changing the subject. School was usually something I looked forward to, but deep down, I was anxious- what if the boy was going to the same school as me? This would be my first year in an actual school. Before, I had been homeschooled. I didn't want my first year to be full of embarrassing moments and cringey memories. "I guess," I said. "At least you'll be there." "Oh, by the way," Purah commented, "what was the boy's name? If you found out," she added hastily. "His name? It- it was Link," I replied. Purah paled. "Link? As in- the Link who's saved Hyrule countless times?" "I'm sure he was just named after the hero," I tried. "After all, parents can name their kids after famous historical figures." "No, no, no," Purah muttered. "Can't be that." She pulled one of her computers closer and typed frantically. I glanced over her shoulder. "You... a boy named Link... there must be a connection." "See her?" she said, turning the screen towards me. "It's the Cycle of the Three, initiated by the Triforce at the creation of Hyrule. The Triforces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage would forever go to the princess, her knight- most often referred to as Link- and the threat to Hyrule, at the time when the kingdom would be at its darkest time. Unless one with a balanced heart could unite the Triforce, the kingdom would crumble and fall into ruin." "So... what does that mean?" I asked. Purah turned to me with wide, desperate eyes. "The return of the Calamity," she whispered. ☆•° Chapter 2 °•☆ ☆•° Chapter 4 °•☆
