ADAN GONZALEZ14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFIqytMIGX
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrsf0vTUCr
I didn’t want to be that guy again.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiomooXECO
Not today.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPcgwxSNAR
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEztqBFbxn
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDxoqhJEWl
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymQvYX7HcG
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokpk0E2POC
WHUD!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspfBLzsArp
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKi8VeStth
“Ow. That actually hurt.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3mBvzk22z
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RRpMzdFEK
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNdQX9ptdH
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4sGCuIdk8
We were back at it. Blow for blow.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wUtb9gFq4
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMKEIf9h0i
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfTU3j8KzV
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcj0LTUkLU6
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR3UNxu4Pq
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhm9pHbRyr
No. I wasn’t slowing down.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXZMqcULUq
He was speeding up.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vhjUBH8VM
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSysInj8af
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGchRDdf5v
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RNbFarYoe
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKyxkif3Yi
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAwCLyTiQU
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVa2e92a7Lr
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM49JYzCTdk
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVQvMwwDcE
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VUmM5A3jH
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7KrHVoWAl
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—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqGFo8Mm5s
Julian leapt toward me.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrMZBRKIB3
And the earth moved.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAnb2ge3MO
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDPwIGlxM0
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zas2oZcWv
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WcGwZOhgV
