They reached the Gerudo Desert by evening.
The sand had turned black.
Lightning crawled silently across the sky, striking a massive floating structure above the dunes — a fortress made of dark stone and malice. The air hummed with ancient hatred.
At the entrance stood Ganondorf.
Not the beast. Not the puppet.
The man.
Tall. Calm. Almost regal. His cloak did not move in the wind.
"So," he said, voice carrying effortlessly across the dunes. "Wisdom and Courage arrive together."
Link drew the Master Sword.
Ganondorf smiled faintly.
"Do you finally understand?" he asked Zelda. "This world condemns you to endless suffering. You will never live full lives. You will always be reborn only to fight me again."
Zelda raised her hand, light gathering around it.
"And you?" she replied. "Are you not bound as well?"
His smile faded.
"For eternity," he said, "I am hatred given form."
The ground split open. Malice erupted into the sky.
"Then today," Zelda said, stepping beside Link, "we free all of us."