ADAN GONZALEZ22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXn7jtIMXg
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInzleHRcam
I didn’t want to be that guy again.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftBSyhq1eb
Not today.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaVlLr0NrF
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDu2arZeGI
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdRQYHD5gP
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmpVUO3g8C
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSqBNCWTom
WHUD!22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfjX0SbHjs
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDuvj51SeZ
“Ow. That actually hurt.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QqngeHBD9
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXg6S9xB8S
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7liHwrz8zx
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhpdrT6opE
We were back at it. Blow for blow.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbzk2DXkOv
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUrZxV18lf
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFOGIrR13A
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvfwIRtz69
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iw0vFiH7r
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCMJJ3bjRb
No. I wasn’t slowing down.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3avEsF8QB
He was speeding up.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX17Ni5iZPs
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWR6ecAbzM
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQtTHiMS7S
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBQ53sooet
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX41ovUmWkB
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkfZqiKpZS
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7wMcJzenF
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QiXrWkIVS
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpxyWIfq1X
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleGxiU9DDU
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP8s4TWGbp
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—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl8Bnyw7kM
Julian leapt toward me.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGoo2gWIZQ
And the earth moved.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MdWPDzVLR
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wHqV9SXNZ
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldvonzypQG
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXkDa3gsTp
