The Hyrule Paradox: Worlds Collide | BOTW Isekai (Book 1)

Chapter 44: Dark Sacrifice

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The sweet smell of lush greenery hit Jordan as his consciousness came back to him. He quickly grabbed Maria before she could fall over again. She would probably be even weaker now from the feeling of fast travel. He looked around at everyone else as their figures finished forming. Matt got a hold of Allison, and he breathed a big sigh of relief, but whether it was because he caught her or that he was back Jordan couldn't tell. Maybe it was both. They picked the girls up and carried them up the steps back to the houses.

They brought them into the second house, and up to their respective rooms immediately. The night gave the moment an eerie atmosphere. They didn't go to find anyone else. They needed to tend to Maria and Allison before anyone could see them, and they were in no state to socialize regardless. Jordan was alone when he placed Maria lightly on her bed, and stood up to fetch her some water.

"No! Don't go! Please..." Maria begged, reaching out for him with a shaking arm. Jordan turned around and gestured calmly.

"I have to get you some water first."

"No! Stay here. I don't want to be alone..." she sobbed. Jordan sighed to himself and obliged. He sat down next to Maria on the bed. She crawled over to him, and she continued to cry, seemingly uncontrollably. Jordan didn't know what to say as he sat there, but he was saved when Olivia opened the door. He could see the tension in her body language and her voice.

"What should I do? What do you need?" Her eyes were wide, and she seemed to be at a loss for what to do with herself.

"Go tell everybody else that our mission was successful–"

"Link is going to do that." she blurted.

"Then go tell them that they shouldn't come here to talk to them. They are weak, and need medical assistance." Jordan and Olivia turned to look down at Maria, and then back at each other. Jordan mouthed "and mental assistance" to Olivia before they both looked back down at her, a sense of foreboding creeping up on them. What would they learn? Jordan decided now was the time to plunge in and ask the scary question. He inhaled deeply and spoke softly, trying to phrase his question as delicately as he could.

"Maria...could you please tell me...what happened to you?"

"Th-th-they..." a great shudder ran through her as she tried to sit up and she suddenly began to shake her head vigorously. "I-I c-can't..."

Her voice sounded so resigned, her eyes shut tight as she struggled with her memories. She was so pitifully weak now, like the trauma was physically sapping her strength. He knew that this would torment her and it stung him. He kept his voice level and calm, working very hard not to show the emotions that were swirling inside of him.

"I know it's hard...but this is the only way that we can figure out how to help you." Maria didn't say anything, she just kept on crying. It was breaking his heart to see her like this. Jordan decided to push her one more time. They needed her to tell them what had happened. Now that he could really see how she was doing, he understood that she was in shock, or else some other kind of mental condition. It was why she was acting like this, and it wasn't her fault. Her experiences in the last three days had caused this.

"Please, Maria. We need to know." He put a gentle hand on her back as a supportive gesture. Suddenly, Maria screamed and moved out of his reach. She threw herself to the other side of the bed and began crying even harder. Jordan looked in shock at Olivia, and then back to Maria. What had he done? But Maria spoke before Jordan could do anything else.

"Th-they...they whipped me! My back! And-and-and they-they...They c-c-cut me!" And she dissolved into tears again. Jordan didn't know how to feel. It took him a minute to regain control of his bouncing stomach. He looked down at his lap, and didn't look at Olivia when he spoke to her.