Ganon's POV

I lay on my bunk, staring at the cracked ceiling. Eight months in this hellhole and nothing's changed.

Every sound echoes, bouncing off the concrete walls. It's the same damn routine, day in, day out. First the clinking of keys, then the shuffling of boots down the corridor. Sometimes, some guy shouts at the guards, other times it's dead quiet.

I try to block it out, focus on the cold metal or empty stares of my cellmate, but for some reason I just can't stay still.

The guard's movin' slower than usual, like he's dreading what's about to happen.

After a stretch of silence, the guard's voice hollers down the hallway. "Ganon!"

I stand, muscles tight. Every step's calculated. When he arrives at my cell, he takes a long look of disgust at me. "You're up," he says, his voice flat and bored. 

He unlocks the cell door—metal scraping against metal—and gestures for me to step out.

"Up for what?" I ask skeptical.

Yellow crooked teeth; he grins a fake smile. "You're getting released. Your bail's been paid."

My eyes widen, brows stiff from the shock. "By who?"

"Shut it and get moving already. I ain't got all day."

I don't say nothin' at first, just let the words sink in. Bail was at a million dollars, if I remember correctly, so there's only one man who could've paid that much money. And he's never done me a favor unless he wanted somethin' in return... 

I walk past the other cells, the fluorescent lights buzzin' above. Some guys nod at me. Others just watch. I keep my eyes straight ahead. Eight months instead of ten years. Who woulda thought.

We reach the front, where the guard hands me a bag with my belongings as if it's a fucking Christmas present. This is literally all the shit they took from me when I got here, and yet this asshole looks at me like he's expecting a thank you.

I get dressed in the same clothes I was wearing during the arrest. The different fabric don't feel right. It's kinda strange after all this time in orange jumpsuits. And the guard's not making this any less weird. He's watching me, waiting for me to say somethin', but I ain't givin' him the satisfaction. I keep my eyes and thoughts to myself.

"Sign here," he says, shoving a clipboard in my face. I scribble my name with a stiff hand, the pen scratching against the paper. "You're all set to go. Don't come back," he snorts at his own joke. I don't even bother responding. No point. "Happy Thanksgiving, Ganon."

I'm not sure if it's actually Thanksgiving or if it's just another joke of his, and my phone's dead so I can't even check the date. 

It don't matter anyways. Once I've stepped outside, I've already forgotten about the guard. The setting sun's blinding me, seagulls squeak up above somewhere in the bright sky, and a gust of wind slaps me across the face. I blink, adjusting. The air smells like sweat, grime, and pollution. But I take a deep breath. 

Wish I could call an Uber or somethin', but I got no charger for my phone with me. 

"Yo, Ganon!" a familiar voice calls out. My eyes slide into its direction. Karusa's leaning against the hood of his car in the parking lot. He flicks his cig away and lifts his hand halfway to get my attention with an awkward wave, but lowers it again when I spot him against the bright sunset.

I walk over and toss my small plastic bag of junk through the open backseat window of his old, rusty Nissan. The silver paint's peeling away at its sides, and with its cracked rear view mirror and gunshot hole in the back, it looks like it's seen better days. Just like us.

Karusa daps me up and pulls me into a quick hug. "Missed you, bro."

"I could tell," I answer sarcastically. Not once did this son of a bitch visit me in jail.

"I meant to swing by, but... life's been rough lately."

"We good," I tell him, not smiling. My eyes are already scanning the horizon, old habits. Can't trust nobody.

When I look back at him, I notice the black brace around his knee. "Baseball?" I ask him.

"Nah, man. This was done by the one and only: Link." Karusa pulls a face as if that name left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

Surprised, I raise an eyebrow. "Link's still around?"

Karusa nods annoyed. "Yeah, he broke my leg back in August."

"Can you even drive like that?"

"I made it here somehow, didn't I?" He laughs. I don't. Then he gestures towards his car and we get in.

When Karusa pulls out a pack of cigs, I don't hide how much I itch for one. He hands me a smoke and lights it for me. The smoke hits my lungs. Man, it's been way too long.

"Where to?" Karusa asks.

"Anywhere but here," I reply, leaning back in my seat, muscles still all tight.

"Hideout?" He suggests, but I shake my head. He thinks of other places. "My dorm?"

I look out the window, squinting against the setting sun to take a last look at the county jail. "Fuck it, why not."

"Bet," he nods and starts the engine. "I got somewhere to be tonight, but you're welcome to stay in my room while I'm gone. Shouldn't take long."

As we drive, the familiar streets of Karusa's old hood come into view. Which he doesn't seem to notice because he keeps glancing at me like he's checking to see if I'm still the same guy who went in. I clear my throat to fill the silence and get his eyes off of me.

"Where's Malice?" I ask just as we pass Sixth Street. I remember they used to live near here somewhere. My eyes skip over the rundown houses, trash-strewn streets, and homeless folks, and then jump back to Karusa. "She stopped coming around a few months ago. Didn't say a word. Kinda figured she'd be there when I get released."

"About that," Karusa hesitates and I can already sense that something must've happened to her.

"Did he lock her up again?" I ask through my teeth. "Last time I spoke to her, she said she was going to finally take care of Link and Zelda. But clearly Link's still out there, so... Did she get punished or somethin'?"

"Actually..." Karusa's face darkens. "She ran away. Couldn't take it anymore."

Mind's racing. For a sec, nobody says shit, but I snap out of it quick. "Where's she now?"

"I'll fill you in on everything. Shit's kinda fucked at the moment."

By the time we roll up to the dorms, the sky's gone pitch black. The moon's just a sliver, and moths are swarming under the streetlights. Lorule's campus looks dead. Bet everyone's home for Thanksgiving break.

"What day is it?" I ask, stepping onto the curb as we head up to his dorm.

Karusa's phone buzzes, and he glances at it before stuffing it back in his pocket, straight up ignoring me. "Let's go inside," he mutters, leading the way.

Once we get to his room, I stretch my arms, trying to shake off the tension.

"You hungry?" Karusa asks, and opens the mini-fridge. "Got some leftovers from last night."

I shake my head, leaning against the wall. "I'm good. Just wanna know what's been going on."

Karusa comes back with a couple of beers, handing one to me. "Alright," he says after he pops the cap off his bottle. "Where do I start?"

"Malice," I say impatient and take a sip. The bitter bite of the beer chases down the smoke in my throat. "Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Is she okay?"

"She is." He nods, then stops. "I think."

I narrow my eyes. "You think?"

"She went off the grid for a while," he explains, "and then yesterday, she suddenly called me up from Kiroh's phone."

"And you didn't ask where she is or where she's headin'?"

"I didn't get the chance. I ignored the call 'cause I didn't know it was her."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me."

"But she left a voicemail," he says quickly, trying to cover his ass.

"Hold up..." I pause to think. "Did you say she called you from Kiroh's phone?"

"Yeah." Karusa sighs, running a nervous hand through his hair. "After you got locked up, things got worse for Mal. She tried to stick around. But..." Karusa pushes away some unpleasant thoughts. I know better than to ask for details. "Anyway, she took off about 5 months ago."

"Damn," I mutter, gripping the cold bottle tighter. "Ganondorf hasn't done anything?"

"He has people looking for her, but so far no luck."

"Does he know she's with Kiroh?"

"Fuck no," Karusa huffs. "And she's not with Kiroh."

"Huh?" I squint at him in confusion. "You just said she called from his phone though."

"Yeah, but she's not with him," he says again, this time with some weird hand motion that looks like he's trying to catch a fly. "You know?" He does it one more time.

"I wasn't thinking that," I say.

"Good."

"But now I am. Did she mention Kiroh?"

"I don't think so."

"Then how'd you know she's not with him?"

Karusa shrugs. "I'm pretty sure Kiroh has a girlfriend."

"Having a girl don't mean he's faithful."

Karusa waves it off. "Kiroh doesn't strike me as a homewrecker or cheater. I really wouldn't worry too much about him."

"He's not the one I'm worried about." I place the beer down on his dresser. "Where the hell is Malice? What's her plan?"

"She didn't seem to want to talk about her... arrangements."

"Arrangements? The fuck you talkin' about?"

"Her living situation. I don't know where she's staying..."

I throw my head back and grunt. "Just let me hear the voicemail."

Karusa pulls out two phones: one is black and cracked, the other rose gold with a polaroid and dried up wildflower taped to its back.

"Nice phone you got there," I mock, no laugh, no smile.

"It's Zelda's," he admits.

"Shit," my brows arch up in surprise. "You killed her?"

"Man, chill. She's still alive," he snaps back.

"Then how you got her phone?"

"I took it 'bout a year ago... During your soccer game against Hyrule."

"Why?"

He smirks a little and shrugs. "Accident."

"Right. It accidentally slipped into your pocket all by itself."

"Yep."

"Do you even know her passcode?"

"Nah," Karusa chuckles to himself, "but I can read incoming notifications, which comes in handy sometimes."

I stay quiet and let him do his thing, tapping the screen until he finds the voicemail. He hands me his phone and presses play. Malice's voice comes through, shaky and rushed but far from scared.

"K, it's me. Not sure how much time I've got, so I'ma make this quick. I ran away from the Hideout. I know, it's crazy, but I'm safe. I probably shouldn't even be calling you, but I needed you to know that my disappearance had nothing to do with you. I never meant to ghost you after we spent the night together at your dorm."

I glance at Karusa who's quick to avoid eye contact. He probably forgot that the voicemail mentions their night together. Guess Karusa was right about Kiroh; he's not the one I should be worried about. 

"Truth is, I was already living on the streets," the voicemail continues, "and, well, I'm sorry for not telling you. And for sneaking out in the morning. I was scared that if I'd waited for you to wake up, you wouldn't have let me run away. And then I'd probably be dead now. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is to let you know that I'm safe, and that I found the documents of the lawsuit against you."

I bring the phone closer to my ear. There is an echo, as if she's standing in a hollow room or big hall or somethin', and there's a rippling noise in the background. Water, I think.

"Don't ask how, but I found the papers in the Hyrule Mansion," she says in the message. "I'm not there, if that's what you're thinking. I'm already far away from the city and coast, I just want to let you know what I saw, okay? So listen... The university's strategy is to pin the baseball fight on you. They'll argue that you attempted murder, and that you tainted the reputation of the school. The worst part is, they have some kind of security footage of you harassing Zelda on campus! You fucking asshole! First of all, you lied to me! You said nothing happened between you two. Secondly, how could you do that to her? You of all people should know how much that stuff can haunt you! God, you're such an idiot... Now they're planning to use that to paint you as a monster!"

Karusa lights a joint next to me and pushes the window open, showing no reaction to her words. Knowing him, he's probably listened to this voicemail a bunch of times already. 

"Even though Link threw the first punch, the video footage makes him the hero, and you the villain. Especially since he's Zelda's boyfriend. It kind of gives him an excuse for hitting you that day, y'know? I wish I had some good news for you, but I hope that this info can at least help you prepare for what's coming. I know it's bad, but you need to be ready for whatever they throw at you.  My only advise is to behave in court. Be lovable, be remorseful. Dress nice. Sexual assault is a bitch move, K! It's worse than hitting Link, so say you're sorry when the judge asks, and apologize to Zelda if you see her in court. And mean it! Mean it, or don't talk to her at all! And stay away from her moving forward! I don't care what Ganondorf says, you don't touch her again, you hear me? Don't put a hand on another girl without permission! And don't go to jail, K! Not without putting up a fight first! I mean that figuratively, you jerk! Don't actually fight anyone! That includes Link. Just stay away from both of them from now on. I don't want you to get locked up like Ganon, okay? I need you. I need you to stay alive."

I roll my eyes. Sounds like she's tearing up and getting all emotional, 'bout to break down just thinking about Karusa going to jail, but when I got arrested she kept quiet.

"Oh also, Ganondorf is probably looking for me, so please don't tell him I called. If he asks, you haven't heard from me. For all you know, I'm dead. Delete this voicemail if you have to. And don't call back at this number either."

"Malice!" A female voice interrupts the message.

There's a short pause, then Malice rushes the words, "I'm sorry, please stay safe!"

The message ends in a loud splash, and I'm left staring at the phone. Anger and worry spike my veins, a toxic mix.

I hand the phone back and take a deep breath, unsure where to begin. "I had no idea you were getting sued."

"It's a fucking shitshow," Karusa sighs again, rubbing his temples. "They're coming at me with everything they've got. Witness statements, character assassinations... And now this goddamn video of me and Zelda. If that gets out, I'm screwed, Ganon. I only did that to help you guys out, but it's not like I can tell that to the court and walk away alive. So either I go to prison for staying quiet, or the Clan kills me for talking! I'm so fucked. Shit, man, I don't wanna go to jail! It's bad, right? I mean, I'm sure you handled yourself just fine in jail, but you're built different—look at me! I won't last a week!"

When he's done whining, I take a couple of sips from my beer and push away from the wall. "What was that about Malice spending the night with you?"

Karusa shifts, all quiet suddenly, eyes looking anywhere but my direction. "It's not what you think."

"What'm I thinking?"

He takes a hit from his joint as if it's his last one. "Malice asked if she could crash at my place for the night. By morning, she was gone."

I rest my eyes on him for a moment. Something else must've happened between them. He looks way too guilty to be telling the truth. If he looks like this in court, he's definitely screwed. Ain't nobody buying that he's innocent.

"I swear," he nervously pleads, which only makes him look more guilty. "I wouldn't," he keeps digging. "Not with her."

"Why not?" I ask.

Karusa hesitates, slowly tiptoeing through the minefield. "'Cause," his shoulders twitch, "she's your girl."

"That's the only reason? So if she wasn't dating me you'd...?"

I pause. Karusa looks scared shitless at my question. Lucky for him I don't really give a damn about any of that right now. I'm more worried about Malice's well-being.

"My father's going to kill her," I think out loud.

Karusa blows out all the smoke he's been holding in his lungs and visibly calms down. "She said she's safe." He flicks the ash into an old beer can, then continues in a neutral tone. "There's more you need to know."

I cross my arms, waiting.

"Ganondorf," he starts, "he's got a new task ready."

I nod, my mind racing. "So that's why he suddenly decided to pay bail. Figured it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart." I can't keep the bitterness out of my voice.

I look at Karusa, who shakes his head. "Actually, the job's for me."

"Oh."

"It's more of a deal, really," he says. "Ganondorf agreed to hook me up with his best lawyers and help me make that video of me and Zelda disappear. In exchange, I—"

"Wait up, how does my father know about the video? Did you seriously tell him that Malice contacted you?"

"No, I'd never put Malice in danger like that! I just told Ganondorf I found out during a fight with Link."

My clenched fists relax. "So what's the plan? How you gonna get rid of that tape?"

"A fire," he tells me. "Burn down Hyrule's mansion. If the videotape is there, it'll go up in flames with any other evidence."

I nod. "When's it all going down?"

He pulls out Zelda's phone again, checks some notifications. "In a few hours."

"So that's what you got planned for tonight. Here I thought you had dinner plans for Thanksgiving."

"With what family?" A cold, dead laugh slips out.

"Speaking of family," I say, "Isn't Zelda's whole family gonna be home since it's the holidays?"

"Not according to her dad's text."

I lean closer to look at Zelda's phone.

Father: *I trust your friends will take good care of you. I really just wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from Penn's family and me. We wish you could have celebrated the holidays here with us. I am certain you would have appreciated the view; we dined on their yacht and witnessed a splendid sunset...*

Karusa's grinnin', full of that cocky-ass confidence that'll get him killed one day. "Zelda is away with some friends, and her dad's on a yacht somewhere out on the sea. Nobody's gonna be home for a while."

"What about security? Staff? Somebody's gonna call the cops on you."

K shrugs unbothered. "Ganondorf said he's got me covered. He promised I won't have to deal with any consequences."

"You're a fool for believing anything that man says."

"What choice do I have?" He barks at me. "You got any better ideas? I either do this or I go to prison." He gets up, grabs the Yiga mask from his nightstand, and slams the drawer shut. "You're welcome to stay here while I'm gone. I'll be back in a few hours."

I eye him, noticing the limp. "With that injury, you're gonna get arrested before you even set the fire."

"I'll be fine."

Stubborn, proud dumbass. "You talk about how you're fine but be whining like a baby about prison, and you ain't even been there. On the streets you can do whatever the fuck you want but once you get to jail, it's politics. Everything you do will be answered to. I don't wanna hear none of that bitchin' when they lock you up! And don't think for a second I'll come and visit your sorry ass in prison."

Karusa's face tightens, irritated and defensive. "I get it." Looking down at his brace, he huffs, insecure. "Maybe doing this with a screwed up leg is a little risky, but I don't have a choice, Ganon."

"I know." I walk up to the door, back turned at him. "So let's  just get this over with..."

"You're coming?"

"Someone has to stay watch," I say. "But let's be quick. I didn't really plan on spending my first day out doing tasks for the Clan."