"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, as he rested his chin lightly upon my shoulder, his nose brushing against my cheek. His hot breath tickled my ear as I struggled to comprehend his words. I felt his other hand come up and gently encircle my waist for a moment before brushing up my chest. "It's bound to hurt.." He cooed as those fingers dragged my broken form back further onto the sharp blade that had sunk through my right side.
Shock kept me from answering, as I felt the steel drag through my flesh and rip into it further, my hot blood tricking down the wound and making a soft splash in the water beneath my feet. My eyes were wide and unfocused as I struggled to control my body and pull myself away from the blade and the insane shadow of myself.
"Too much pain huh? It's not fun when you don't talk to me..." The Shadow said as he let his hand fall and then pulled the blade free abruptly from the wound and backed off a few steps, his feet splashing in the bloody water.
I pitched forward, unable to hold myself up, but before I hit the water that ice cold hand of my shadow scooped me up and pulled me close to his body. He knelt down and cradled me against his chest his fingers brushing through my hair. "Stubborn..really..you keep coming back..hoping you will beat me..but you fail and you fail.." His lips brushed against my cheek. "I hope you do better next time.." He whispered in my ear before everything went black and all there was for me was the pounding of my heart..and soon enough that ended as well.
The next thing I knew I was standing whole again outside the room, the faint glow from a fairy pulsing behind my eyelids. I groaned and opened my eyes before brushing myself off, my hand straying to the hole in my tunic where the sword had been. My hand shifted to the hilt of my sword and fingers curled tightly around it as I set my jaw and gazed bleakly at the door before me. One last fairy..one last chance. This time I would do it for certain!
I opened the door and trudged inside, slogging through the shallow water to the center island where my doppelganger stood, a twisted smile set upon his lips. "Back so soon?" He asked me brightly, obvious delight in his dark red eyes. "How wonderful!"He flexed his fingers and stretched a bit. "Shall we?" He asked as I pulled free my sword and he did the same.
The sound of steel against steel filled the room alongside my cries as I used my magic and wits to fight against the shadow. Finally I got the upper hand and drove him to the floor with my sword pierced through his shoulder. I knelt down and gazed deep into his shocked eyes and whispered in his ear. "Does it hurt?"