ADAN GONZALEZ369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPmwkbrWqZ
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxb36HQv31
I didn’t want to be that guy again.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIMs8wVihq
Not today.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkwrrLoKgZ
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEUqQUyHAW
Then he raised his arms—defensive, panicked.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWxGHhQRyt
A swirling purple portal bloomed in the air between us.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlVagleMDm
My fist—and the rest of me—shot through.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL6s1bD63T
WHUD!369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7ZU2pAJkx
I tumbled out the other end and landed face first in a patch of dirt.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE26OPSL1Px
“Ow. That actually hurt.”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoswqcGOv0S
Behind me, I heard Julian shout, “Whoa! Did I do that?!”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fh0CkI7YU
I groaned and peeled myself off the ground. “Congrats, you just succeeded in ruining my freakin underdog story.”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjcMJuzQt4
He didn’t even respond—just blinked again, appearing right next to me with a wild jab. I barely dodged it.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcOqOcpBNb
We were back at it. Blow for blow.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3wvot9zZu
Except this time… he was sharper. Faster.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwqFkHXqRY
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1O2y97MYS
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFZANeW6SO
“Okay—ow—that one hurts,” I gasped.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYTwKjC6SO
“You’re slowing down,” Julian grinned, panting.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ToXPQRjZ1
No. I wasn’t slowing down.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1fAqxempL
He was speeding up.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERTh9fDCU1
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQiKMvOJP2
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOWTBe6UKz
“Seriously?!” I rolled away as his foot slammed into the ground.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WyBzj3UqY
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvZcCCbmpa
He just laughed, landing solid footing again.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4dXlNBNL6
“Still got more in the tank, hothead?”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZvC0sh7eq
I panted. “You’re lucky I like you.”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3NlXGJpFn
“You’d like me more if you stopped punching me.”369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XFMu9buwp
Another quick combo from him. I blocked most of it, but not all. My jaw stung. My eyes watered.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifgrwA1Bz1
He was winning. Not by much—but enough.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTkQhHeAQY
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—369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP31gFSXbJ
Julian leapt toward me.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWzreNMsyM
And the earth moved.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsNsl1uzXH
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.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBWYV1uQvf
Before either of us could blink again, we were sealed in a tight, claustrophobic stone shell.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtsgItkt8d
369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Tpy3Ofbzj
and then Add to home screen.