I slow my breathing.

I lift my eyelids.

I stare him down,

the final time.

He grins at me.

"I did love you."

"Stop it," I snarl at him,

at his games.

In the palm of my hand,

a ball of fire.

From my arm,

a streak of lightning.

They mix into toxic.

I hurl it.

He counters with a mirror,

he has not forgotten how to fight.

I wield my sword,

left, right, he counters.

He has not forgotten how to fight.

But,

he has been weakened.

Years of living in the dungeon of my castle

have weakened him,

tortured him mentally,

he is weak.

What he made me do,

had me think,

I make myself remember,

I rain balls of fire on his head,

he counters with water.

I push the sand in his eyes,

throw salt water at him from the ocean,

the wind carries pebbles that hurt him— 

my victories.

What he made me do,

had me think,

brainwashed me,

I make myself remember,

even though it hurts,

even though tears sting my eyes,

at the thought of all the death I caused

believing he was right.

He counters but he is weak,

I feel him falter,

this is my chance,

I switch my blade to my left,

and swing full circle,

I lash and he

stumbles,

slow motion,

falls

to

the

ground.

With no last words,

but only a smile,

his body,

weakened by his evil,

immediately wastes away.

The ashes of him,

my decade-long enemy,

is swept away on the breeze.

Panting, I turn around to see my friends,

cheering my victory and,

I know I should feel that way but,

instead, I feel sadness

I couldn't turn him around,

no matter how hard I tried.

And I know his family,

who is not evil,

and I have to tell them,

I killed him.

They know he is evil,

they hate him but,

do they wish his death?

Immediately I wonder if I should've let him live.

Immediately I begin to regret it all but then,

I make myself remember,

even though it hurts,

at the thought of all the death I caused

believing he was right

because,

he said,

he loved me every day.

I turn to see my friends,

cheering me for my victory,

and I hide my true emotions,

and state a feast must be held

and invite everyone to join,

but when I get home,

I cry into my pillow because,

I really,

really,

once loved him.