ADAN GONZALEZ24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpc9JVJm6cP
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVltMFQJIk
I didn’t want to be that guy again.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWewJqsVVd
Not today.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPE49rmwzx
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxUrxKaSgk
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtMd5n4uwT
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSf46q7UgJU
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XYoQ1NSMT
WHUD!24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5GqoNtIDH
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmjY03GrHK
“Ow. That actually hurt.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOnoAAiiyj
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWCS80UlVh
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdvdgIZt9g
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaxqpEtqeK
We were back at it. Blow for blow.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSIMzGupmE
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSozJ77AUm6
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7dTREHDwZ
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoADsjY4z6
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5a8ia2hwSD
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Zc0c1uaGD
No. I wasn’t slowing down.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlvE8jLBUw
He was speeding up.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFlVqdDYU7
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimP1I6yogm
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTC56Gmf81G
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaKjQsiJxa
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhjd2NCguN
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOU7nVwdkt
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zvo1P0wOu
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiK4bbVBbo
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgMOFwg8Qk
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhI9D68Dax
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMmsoRgiNf
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—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCr5Fczn0N
Julian leapt toward me.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ckhqQrcyc
And the earth moved.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJu9DZX877j
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qTyQVT8mY
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgAhKphecX
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM30b8RKqx4
