Lord of The Stars

"I will not give it to you."

"So then. You see that I was right? Do you see now? Listen, you wretch, do you know what I was going to do? I was going to give you the real key, and I speak no nonsense in this matter. I had grown weary of this absurdity and lost all purpose for remaining among the living. Nothing remains in my memory save my name. I recall nothing else, thus I harbor no regrets should death claim me. But you have proven yourself a wretch unworthy of the sacrifice I was prepared to offer."

Noor gestured with furious contempt and said:

"You lie. I witnessed your gaze upon the key before time expired. You would have chosen it, but restrained yourself, and what followed, followed. Furthermore, you made no attempt to save me this time. You had no knowledge of what would transpire when the countdown ended. What if I had been cast into this pool of predators? Would that have brought you satisfaction? To possess the key and absolve your conscience of all guilt? Consider this—had you selected the counterfeit key and allowed me to plunge into the waters, taking the genuine key with me into the depths, your demise would have been equally certain. I know with absolute clarity that given the choice, you would have selected the key over my salvation."

Akira regarded Noor with anguish emanating from his eyes, speaking in a hollow, desolate tone:

"Fine, take my key. I no longer harbor concern. Perhaps my life remains a void in my memory, but deep within resides the conviction that I have already lost everything of value, and I have learned to trust these instincts. Perhaps oblivion would prove more merciful than confronting a truth that might cut beyond endurance. Take my key. My indifference is complete."

Akira hurled the key toward the false Noor, who raised his right hand to intercept it. In that moment, Akira detected something peculiar he had previously overlooked. His eyes widened with revelation as he roared in a voice roughened by realization:

"You wretch. You are not Noor!"

The counterfeit Noor's features shifted, betraying increasing agitation. He responded with mockery:

"Hah. I am Noor, you fool. What nonsense do you speak? Has blindness claimed you? Or have these ordeals damaged your faculties?"

Akira spoke, his expression hardening with certainty despite the exhausting conflict raging within him, banishing all doubt and anguish:

"Recite the password we established."

The false Noor sighed nervously, perspiration forming on his brow, then spoke while shaking his head dismissively:

"I have merely forgotten it. These trials have taken their toll."

"What is the password? Its memory could never fade from your mind if you were genuine, and you know this with perfect clarity!"

The impostor realized his deception had been exposed and responded with cold indifference:

"Curse you and this infernal password. Very well, I am an imposter, but you have committed a grievous error in surrendering the keys to me, and now—"

A small aperture materialized in the floor before the false Noor, revealing the menacing pool below. He suspended the keys above this opening, his face contorted with malevolent satisfaction:

"Which one holds authenticity? You must select but one, while the other shall plummet into the waters. Choose with utmost care."

Akira fell silent, contemplating his decision, then shattered the stillness with resolute conviction:

"It is the one in your right hand."

"And what grants you such certainty?"

"The purpose of this test was merely to distract me and to examine whether I would favor myself or prioritize another over my own interests! This represents the most profound sacrifice, requiring someone with a magnanimous heart to perform it. Had I known from the beginning you were an impostor, I would have chosen the key without the slightest hesitation. But I remained ignorant of this fact, so I hesitated greatly and became confused. Yet here you stand, completely unharmed. Therefore, the genuine key must be the one in your possession, for it carries significance far beyond a mere object that unlocks a gate.

It is a key to the human soul and to the inherent goodness residing within each person. Whoever selects this key obtains something far more precious than reaching the finish line. They have discovered the truth of their own nature, which is what we spend our entire lives seeking to understand. Who are we? Are we virtuous or wicked? Perhaps I wavered in my choice, necessitating another test more challenging than before. But I succeeded when I ultimately surrendered my key to you without concern. And I wish to tell you, whoever you may be, that I would have chosen you, had the idea not occurred to me to withhold my decision until time expired. I discovered the truth about myself amidst the endless torrent of emotions and thoughts within me, and I recognized what I would choose. Therefore, the key you possessed from the beginning is the gateway key. The matter was exceedingly simple, but I was a fool. Had I selected the key instead of you, I would have lost myself and forfeited the path to escape as well, rendering me undeserving of departure from this place."

The false Noor smiled and said:

"If I possessed emotions, I would be moved by these words. Now you may claim the genuine key, for you have comprehended the purpose of this test."

The false Noor tossed him the key, which Akira caught as the room's door opened before him. He departed, bidding farewell, choosing not to inquire about the other's true nature; some matters are best left unanswered.

Everyone exited and reunited at the starting point once more, greeting each other joyfully and congratulating themselves on succeeding in this difficult test. However, they were surprised to find another person among them who had emerged from the first corridor, which none of them had entered. He regarded them silently, with wavy, long hair and features permanently fixed in derision. Noor remembered seeing him before and said:

"You! I saw you at the starting point, sitting indifferent to the race, observing us with mocking glances. How did you arrive here so quickly?"

The stranger looked at him with arrogant, confident eyes, saying:

"Because I am exceedingly fast. Thus, reaching this point was not difficult. In truth, this test you just completed is the most challenging thing I have encountered in the race. I passed through all obstacles with great ease, but this. this was entirely different from anything I have witnessed before. I never expected anyone else would choose the rugged path as I did. How strange."

"So you obtained the key and succeeded here as well?"

"Yes, I acquired it. Now I have no time to spare; there is a race I must finish."

The boy vanished before them with tremendous speed, leaving behind a powerful gust from his velocity. They hurried after him, striving to reach the finish line and accumulate the highest points to secure victory.