Fractured Reality

A few days had passed since Link's vision had begun to blur, and at first, he seemed to be improving. The double vision had receded, and he had even managed to take a few steps without assistance. But as the hours ticked by, a growing sense of agitation began to build inside him. He paced back and forth in his room, his eyes fixed on some invisible point in the distance. Zelda and Elara tried to calm him down, but Link was beyond reason. He lashed out at them, his words sharp and bitter. "I don't know what's happening to me!" he exclaimed, his voice rising to a shout. "I don't know what's wrong!" Elara tried to approach him, but Link backed away, his eyes flashing with anger. "Just leave me alone!" he snarled, his hands clenched into fists. Zelda stepped forward, her voice soft and soothing. "Link, please. We're trying to help you." But Link was beyond consolation. He spun around, his eyes wild and unfocused. "Help me?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You can't help me. Nobody can help me." As the agitation continued to build, Link's words began to slur and his movements became more erratic. His eyes took on a wild, haunted look, and his breathing grew shallow and rapid. Elara and Zelda exchanged a worried glance, and then Elara quickly grabbed a nearby chair, holding it at the ready in case Link's behavior escalated further. Slowly but surely, Link's agitation gave way to confusion. He looked around the room, his eyes darting from one thing to another. "Where...where am I?" he stammered. Zelda rushed to his side, taking his hand in hers. "You're in the castle, Link. You're safe." But Link shook his head, his eyes filled with fear. "No," he whispered. "I'm not safe. I'm not safe at all." As the confusion deepened, Link's fear began to focus on a single thing: water. He looked at the glass of water on his bedside table, and his face contorted in horror. "No," he whispered, backing away from the glass. "No water. I don't want any water." Elara and Zelda exchanged a worried glance. What was happening to Link? Why was he so afraid of water? "Link, it's okay," Zelda said softly. "You can drink the water. It's safe." But Link shook his head, his eyes wild with fear. "No," he repeated, his voice rising to a shout. "I won't drink it. I won't touch it." As the fear of water took hold, Link's behavior became more and more erratic. He backed away from the glass, his eyes fixed on it with a mixture of horror and fascination. Elara and Zelda tried to calm him down, but Link was beyond reason. He was trapped in a nightmare of his own making, and he didn't know how to escape.