ADAN GONZALEZ27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyCesSBDzi
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzX5gK8mBbC
I didn’t want to be that guy again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqfVlh2hx7
Not today.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrFIZ9PAlR
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85ikCWEqol
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkWFvgHMYa
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1e4HslcilX
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpbcw0npAt
WHUD!27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JJ0xi1KiI
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHr9SKEdkA
“Ow. That actually hurt.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjSKzlcs1s
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtfAgXTBq1
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0MwrW3YXG
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PHNFWlx3o
We were back at it. Blow for blow.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAjdtpK41t
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ972bvSzFqz
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLxOXNsaS6
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eafNgQzci
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczQVjxalFB
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEBysnLdfK
No. I wasn’t slowing down.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPhGZIYwQr
He was speeding up.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJyIO7yCAS
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZJNxXldkC
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSxdTXT7kE
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7YVZehNPV
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq8PZGA4oh
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWesB6Ee0U
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzureQsPeY5
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2R4GRbMTD
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8uTtMJy2h
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhm0VcfYRax
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JnsRIy2uu
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—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AYLom766K
Julian leapt toward me.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM0UgIQmG6
And the earth moved.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWLmjwC4YT
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnZF3WNtRh
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDxsDO45Xn
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhQVTcb6yq
