Chapter 23: "The Impossible Choice"
The moment the strange man extended his hand to Kyle, a heavy silence fell. Time froze, and the air became dense, as if carrying an unbearable burden. There was something in the man's eyes; no mercy, no compassion... only unwavering certainty.
Kyle didn't move. Conflicting emotions surged in his mind, as if thousands of voices were screaming inside him. But he didn't understand. He couldn't understand why he felt that this moment was not just a choice, but a judgment on his very existence.
"The First Shock"
"Kyle..." said the man in a calm voice, yet it carried the weight of eternity. "You know the truth. Deep inside, you know."
Kyle took a step back, then two. "No... you're lying. I... I'm just an ordinary boy. I have a family, I have friends..."
The man smiled, but his smile was like a tear in the fabric of the world. "Friends? Family? Do you mean those people who were conjured from thin air to keep your broken mind stable?"
At that moment, the scene before Kyle collapsed. The village he knew, the people he loved... all of them began to fade away like mist in the morning sun.
"What's happening?!" Kyle screamed, but his voice was nothing more than a lost echo in an empty void.
"A Painful Truth"
The man approached, his steps soundless. "Azar... or Kyle, or whatever name you want to call yourself. You're not really here. You're a fragment of a greater existence. You're only a shadow."
Then, in a swift motion, the man raised his hand and presented to Kyle a scene from the past. A scene of worlds collapsing, of screams and unbearable pain. And Azar, in his old form, was at the heart of this destruction.
"This... this isn't me!" Kyle screamed. But deep inside, he knew, with a terrifying familiarity, that this scene was all too familiar.
"The True Test"
The man bent down to meet Kyle's eyes. "Now, it's time to choose. Return to your previous truth, with the unbearable pain and responsibility... or remain in this void, a meaningless shadow."
But this time, the man didn't wait for an answer. He raised his hand, and an immense void opened behind him. From this void, sounds emerged—sounds that could not be described, like the screams of millions of souls.
Kyle felt pain surge through him. His head felt like it was about to explode from the pressure. But amidst this chaos, another voice appeared... a soft, familiar voice, like a mother's whisper calling to her child.
"Kyle... don't be afraid. This isn't the end."
"A New Rebirth"
Suddenly, in the heart of the pain and confusion, Kyle felt a flash of power within him. A power that wasn't part of his previous memories, but it was purer.
"You are not just Azar, and you are not just Kyle. You are more than that. You are the fabric between universes, the bridge between truth and illusion."
The strange man stepped back, his expression for the first time showing shock. "Impossible... you cannot reach this realization now!"
But Kyle was no longer just Kyle. He was no longer merely a shadow. He stood firm, his eyes glowing with a new light, and said:
"The choice is not between my past or this void. The choice is to be more than I was."
"The Final Transformation"
The void around him began to collapse. The strange man screamed, but his scream wasn't one of anger, but of fear. "You're playing with fire, Azar! You don't understand what you're doing!"
But Kyle, or the new Azar, didn't listen. He grasped the man's hand and looked into his eyes deeply.
"You are nothing but a reflection of me. But I no longer need you."
With those words, light exploded, and everything collapsed.
"The True Beginning"
When he regained consciousness, he was standing in a new world. No village, no void, no mysterious men. Just him, and light stretching beyond limits.
For the first time in a long while, he smiled. "If this was a test... I'm ready for the next stage."