[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Mini Boss 20 - Guardian of Monsters Echid

...and onto the platform. There was a rumble, a small jerk as the gate locked shut behind him, and then it began to drop on a slow elevator rail down. Channels of water outline the passage outside.

Link adjusted his bracers as the platform continued to descend. He felt the affects of Princess's magic fading again, with only a hint of rage in the back of his mind. Even with the effects of the mirror gone, he felt a loathing directed at himself, a barb towards his own weakness in comparison. It didn't take root as it might have with the mirror still active, but it was still disconcerting to hold that intrusive thought in his mind.

He was tired of all of these mixed emotions. He'd only just been able to sort through his own only to have magic muddling the new status quo he'd set for himself.

Almost there, he reminded himself as the platform came to a rest. Almost there.

The gate spun around again to let Link out into a new room. Water passed through a narrow crack in the floor as Link stepped onto a new platform, half of the water clear, the other half filled with the clots he had seen floating out of the tunnel. Whatever else was in the chamber though was impossible to make out, as Link stared up at what appeared to be the source of the fog outside condensed over his head. Whatever the source of the light in this chamber, it was beyond Link's view.

However, the platform ahead was visible and that now gave Link pause. There was a chest sitting in the center of the room, a spotlight breaking through the fog to rest on it. Link's hand reached back to his hilt as he approached it.

"What're we doin' here?"

He didn't jump this time, but he was surprised to see Hack by his side. His brow tightened as he looked down at her in confusion. "What are you doing down here?"

"I came to help, Mr. Hero. Whatcha think I was doin'?" Hack asked, not in the slightest phased.

"I'm not the Hero," Link lied out of habit, the statement easy.

"Yeah, yous are. Look at yous!" Hack motioned at Link, before turning her attention on the room, her eyes lighting up. "Oi! What's that?"

Link had to look down at himself, only to remember he no longer had the mirror's illusion to hide him. This was certainly a problem, but not nearly as big of a problem as Hack rushing straight into the middle of this room for the chest. Link reached after her, but the bokoblin was significantly fast. "Hack! Wait!"

Hack was beyond stopping at this point. She'd already reached the chest and thrown it open. She reached inside, fishing around in the chest before coming back out excited. She was waving a silvery object in one hand up at Link. "Oi, oi! Look at this! What's it?"

As Hack was inspecting the piece of silver fabric in her hand, she didn't see the light wink out overhead. Link drew his sword and scanned the fog. "Hack, get away from there!"

Nothing moved, but Link knew something had to be waiting in there. "Hack! Stay close, we don't know what's in here." After another moment of stillness Link began to get worried. He looked away from the fog back to the center of the room as dread began to build in his mind. "Hack?"

Hack was unnervingly still. It wasn't until she turned her head towards him that Link saw it. His gut twisted as he looked her in the eyes, very familiar eyes looking back at him. But not Hack's.

She'd dropped the piece of fabric from the chest. She sniffed the air, her hands reaching for her daggers. Link let go of his sword and extended an open palm out instead. "Hack, it's ok."