ADAN GONZALEZ16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB6yoJVj9I
I never wanted to be the guy who ruined everything. But it always felt like it was always me. A mistake here, a misunderstanding there—and boom. People hurt. People angry. People with no trust. People looking at me like I was the reason things fell apart. I didn’t even have to be responsible. I was always the first suspect.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOBgA74KhS
I didn’t want to be that guy again.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvP9usDXRZA
Not today.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0DoFyxZqt
But right now, I was mid-swing, flames pouring off my fist, eyes locked on Julian, who was flat on his back and wide-eyed. My body moved faster than my brain.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskInoUr0HC
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9xO6kcUJc
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtLPDdbfdJ
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND5cYFjyFD
WHUD!16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyFr0u0l5R
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNCTsm6wno
“Ow. That actually hurt.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTFnV4ArZc
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2UtQfY1p9
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdFrWOKS9Q
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcyxZcZRWj
We were back at it. Blow for blow.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG3o3Y4vlb
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4DygXdT17
I landed a low kick. He blinked behind me and nailed a quick combo to my shoulder. My head snapped sideways. I stumbled, blinking stars out of my eyes.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJyzcQJvyF
I retaliated with a burst of air from my palm—he grunted and stumbled but blinked through it and caught me in the side with his knee.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2krayVeW9
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUY17qgCp1
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3bX0MTEJm
No. I wasn’t slowing down.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxNgqgeJBF
He was speeding up.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcekYnpHzR
My breath burned in my chest. The goo on my arm had crept to my whole face now. I could feel it feeding my instincts. My body was learning—adapting. But Julian was already a step ahead.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRliqkJOfB
I reached out, and water lashed out from my fingers, hitting his legs. He slipped but blinked mid-fall and opened a portal above me, boot ready to drop.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVaQ2MHST9
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡianPFFcYOB
We clashed again, fire sparking from my fist and vanishing into one of his portals. His elbow cracked against my ribs. I swung high, missed, then blasted wind to push him back.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzH2Tjqlj8
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKowWKm3xpI
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5ei9Ao9bs
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FDLPEqYMK
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90oFU5EGlg
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qWWMDtKNs
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z4Oyl1OJe
I backed up. My legs felt heavy. My arm burned. I raised my fist again, trying to focus. Maybe if I timed the wind right, or—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Nbh54oirf
Julian leapt toward me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdh7SMGjnFN
And the earth moved.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVEcQIatez
Stone erupted from the ground beneath us—not wild, not violent. It just rose, calm and firm, like it had been waiting. Arcs curled up and around. Walls folded in.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YRMFL8i8o
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXI5Sp7RZL
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AHxId1gYy
