The castle’s great hall, usually a bastion of solemn quiet, pulsed with a rhythm alien to its ancient stones. A pulsating, violet glow spilled from the throne platform, staining the tapestries in unnatural hues. Link burst through the massive doors, sword drawn, the clang echoing. His eyes, wide with alarm, swept the chamber. Ganondorf, a monstrous silhouette against the arcane light, stood before a trembling figure. “You are too late, Link!” he boomed, a cruel smile splitting his face. “Zelda!” Link’s voice tore from his throat. He saw her, not as the regal princess he knew, but something… twisted. Her blonde hair, usually meticulously braided, cascaded around shoulders bared by a skimpy, azure and gold top. A heavy, golden collar circled her throat. Her eyes, once pools of intelligent blue, now burned with an unnatural magenta, ringed by a thick, shimmering makeup that seemed to glow. Her lips, painted a glossy rose, curved into a smirk Link had never seen. “I’ve already brainwashed Princess Zelda into the perfect NPC TikTok babe!” Ganondorf crowed, his laughter rattling the very foundations. Link’s grip tightened on his sword. “What have you done to her?” Zelda swayed, her hips performing a slow, hypnotic swivel. Her fingers, tipped with long, shimmering blue nails, traced the edge of her collar. “Mhmm- whip hurts so good~” The words purred, not from Zelda, but from some distorted echo of her voice. She wasn't speaking to him, or to Ganondorf; she was speaking to an unseen audience. Ganondorf gestured with a clawed hand. “Observe, hero. The pinnacle of modern degradation.” A disembodied clink echoed through the hall. Zelda’s magenta eyes darted around, then fixed on a point just beyond Link’s shoulder. “Rupees! Kuin Kuin!” Her hand extended, palm open, as if expecting payment for her performance. Her smile widened, devoid of warmth. Link stared, his mind reeling. This wasn't combat. This was… a horror he hadn't anticipated. “Zelda, snap out of it!” he pleaded, taking a hesitant step forward. She giggled, a sound that grated on his ears. “Popcorn! Popcorn!” she trilled, her body swaying again, a strange, disjointed dance. She reached down, her movements fluid and unnatural, to pick up an invisible object. “Aaaah!” she cried out, though no pain registered on her face, only that vacant, alluring grin. “She’s not here, boy,” Ganondorf mocked. “Only the avatar remains. A puppet for the masses.” Link felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. He saw the empty adoration in her eyes, the practiced poses, the endless, meaningless repetition. This wasn't just brainwashing; it was an erasure. His Zelda, the wise, fierce protector of Hyrule, was gone, replaced by a hollow shell. The enemy wasn't just Ganondorf; it was the insidious force that had consumed her very essence, turning her into a spectacle. He had to break through. He had to.