From inside the Castleship, the others were growing worried.
“How long has it been?” Allura asked.
“Roughly ten vargas,” Coran responded.
“We cannot just wait here. I have to know what’s going on,” said Allura. She pulled up a map, hoping to find out more information.
“There’s no way to get a read on their base. Too much interference from the solar flares and the black holes,” Pidge announced.
Hunk had an idea. If they could bypass the gravitational pull, they could connect with the Red Lion’s sensors.
“Get on it,” Allura commanded.
Keith entered an arena with seven Marmora fighters. His right arm was injured. He held it with his opposite hand, breathing hard.
Keith didn’t have the energy to battle this next batch of fighters, but he did have another idea. He needed to see where they were coming from. As the fighters rose from underground, Keith hurled his knife at one of their platforms, preventing it from closing. He then leaped off the shoulders of a Marmora fighter and onto the platform just before it closed, taking his knife with him.
Underground, Keith entered a new room. No Marmora fighters appeared. He held on to his side, injured but alive.
“Guess I really wasn’t meant to go through that door,” Keith muttered to himself.
Still, Keith was in pain, and his vision became blurry. He fell to the ground.
A few moments later, a shadowy figure came toward him. For a second, Keith thought it might be another Marmora fighter—but then he realized it was Shiro. Shiro knelt down and held out his hand.
“Hey, man. You did it,” Shiro said.
Keith took his friend’s hand and stood up.
From the observation room, the real Shiro turned to Kolivan. The Shiro helping Keith wasn’t real—he was a hologram, another part of the trials. Shiro asked what was going on.
“His suit has the ability to create a virtual mindscape,” Kolivan explained. “And at this moment, your friend desperately wants to see you.”
“Kolivan told me you lasted longer than anyone has in those battles,” holo-Shiro told Keith. “You don’t have to keep this up. Just give them the knife, and let’s get out of here.”
But Keith wouldn’t surrender the knife.
“What is it with you and that thing?” holo-Shiro asked.
“It’s the only connection I have to my past,” Keith replied. “It’s my chance to learn who I really am.”
Holo-Shiro said, “You know exactly who you are—a Paladin of Voltron. We’re all the family you need.”
Keith looked down. “Shiro, you’re like a brother to me, but I have to do this.”
“No, you don’t,” holo-Shiro said angrily. “Just give them the knife.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Just give up the knife, Keith!” Holo-Shiro’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re only thinking of yourself, as usual!”
This wasn’t something the real Shiro would ever say, but Keith didn’t seem to realize this.
“I’ve made my choice,” Keith said, avoiding eye contact with his friend.
“Then you’ve chosen to be alone,” said holo-Shiro sharply. Then he turned and walked away.
Keith unsheathed his knife and held it up. His friend’s words had gotten to him.
“Shiro! Wait!” Keith called out, but it was too late. Holo-Shiro was gone.