ADAN GONZALEZ340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGN6qt7cO1
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTJ68kYAaZ
I didn’t want to be that guy again.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu0UEWlZhz
Not today.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBzA8Ozuv4
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxykk595jL
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EBvoELSuK
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEA39YI72b
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrR8HInLTTP
WHUD!340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtwyErlA5y
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDF0NlZFXP
“Ow. That actually hurt.”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMSFs6t4Cr
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9ME6gSLUP
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nedPVXUAn
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYAtUmARQw
We were back at it. Blow for blow.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1sqW6BPc1
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc8M77sS9r
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvcqcTQCgt
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9hNsKlcXr
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm7LxLwqH8
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVjIjnULDV
No. I wasn’t slowing down.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPQ3NqIRH8
He was speeding up.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3xeXtwJiy
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHGggmJDBG
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaMqNBxCdL
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbpisaajaS
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWpioRZqZd
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9lyqcNR30
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuRd6bn8Ba
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rvrhB9XEG
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqvrJIxF8H
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1NHEQUTws
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlPPqGhGag
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—340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllobnwPFEg
Julian leapt toward me.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPajQNzRTk
And the earth moved.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIbEs6vFPh
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.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJExcTiOKb
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL3ifZ8MzP
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG3A08JY39
and then Add to home screen.