Vadim PoV
I charged, tired of his words. My bronze sword became a blur as I closed in. He met my attack with his own, the clash of steel creating a shockwave that pushed the watery shadows away. We were evenly matched, our movements a mirror of each other. He knew my every move, my every thought. He was me, after all.
"See? You're enjoying this," he said, a smug smile on his face. "The thrill of the fight, the power coursing through your veins. This is who you are. A warrior. A killer."
"I'm a protector!" I yelled, pushing him back. Although, he was right. A part of me did enjoy a good battle. But he was no Eiro.
He laughed. "Same thing, in the end. To protect something, you have to be willing to destroy something else. You're just too much of a coward to admit it."
I gritted my teeth, my anger rising. He was getting to me, twisting my words, my beliefs, into something ugly, something monstrous. I had to end this, to silence the doubt, the fear, the regret that he represented.
