ADAN GONZALEZ337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3s5Ucbhm03
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp73PHf283s
I didn’t want to be that guy again.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJep0cc6Lt
Not today.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXnsJWTuUf
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi8MJLUJju
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZa5DTzd7C
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdHgQBmuTh
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO5DnhmrHJ
WHUD!337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QmpyUnWJk
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTsbdlXDa6
“Ow. That actually hurt.”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fSwwAJ1kh
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfFNrOX9J3
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXspFRuio5
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYObOqP3Da
We were back at it. Blow for blow.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGuaqNg7Zc
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMmmA0fraT
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxY6Jq6Wmh
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFmyHINye2
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweQQNmSwaF
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYsUAZRMmK
No. I wasn’t slowing down.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBDiWnbH9s
He was speeding up.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDHqI3hDJB
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknWs4E8eJe
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTf7YA6DLP
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKvKaNFJKu
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg88lIuLd6k
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOgWTQPxrb
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ261d3jnAoN
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3grWQYYofJ
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKAWuZmvom
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxF4BOiuel
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIJWuhwqeQ
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—337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmmt0g4669
Julian leapt toward me.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUQ0F2Tn5t
And the earth moved.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyip7tNaY0G
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.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJJf347QIz
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWwPeQ0xHt
337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyHBSI774x
and then Add to home screen.