Alex's grin vanished.
The red crack behind the figure wasn't like the others.
It pulsed violently.
Vibrating with a sound that felt like metal grinding against glass.
"…Okay," Alex muttered, heart racing,
"…this is no joke. This is… Phase 3."
The air shimmered unnaturally.
Objects around the crack—cars, streetlights, even trash bins—began slowly floating.
"…Uh… floating isn't normal," Alex whispered.
"…Yeah… that's really not normal."
Immediate Danger
The figure at the end of the street tilted its head, almost like a teacher observing a student.
"Phase 3 is designed to… test your limits. Control is optional. Survival is mandatory."
Alex blinked. "…Survival is mandatory? Sounds… fair."
The red crack pulled harder, sucking small objects toward it.
A bicycle rolled into the air, spinning.
A trash can lifted like a balloon.
Even a streetlight wobbled dangerously.
"…Okay," Alex muttered.
"…I need a plan. Fast. Think, think, think!"
Comedy in Chaos
Alex grabbed a traffic cone.
"…This is my only weapon," he muttered.
He tossed it toward the crack.
It stopped mid-air, then slowly floated back at him, spinning wildly.
Alex jumped. "…Yep! Definitely coming back to haunt me. Perfect."
A pigeon swooped by.
Alex instinctively dodged.
The pigeon… landed perfectly on the crack itself.
For a second, it looked like it was judging him.
"…Even the pigeons are chaotic now. Great," he muttered, running.
Quick Thinking
Alex noticed something.
The red crack's pull wasn't random.
It seemed to respond to mass and focus.
"…So… I need to distract it," he whispered.
"…Think small objects. Keep distance. Focused energy. Simple."
He grabbed nearby loose trash—cans, papers, a fallen sign.
Tossed them strategically toward the crack.
The crack pulsed, hesitated, then absorbed the objects slowly, giving Alex a few critical seconds to move further away.
"…Okay… little victories," he muttered.
First Hint of Villain's Plan
The figure at the end of the street spoke again, voice calm but eerie:
"Impressive. Adaptive. But do you understand the rules? This is not chaos. This is… curriculum. You are the student."
Alex froze. "…Curriculum? Are you… grading me?"
The figure's head tilted. A faint mechanical chuckle escaped:
"A test… yes. Survival, adaptation, resourcefulness. All recorded."
Alex's jaw dropped. "…Recorded? Like… You're… watching me?"
"Observing. Learning. Preparing."
The red crack pulsed harder.
Alex noticed smaller cracks forming near him, all connected to the big one.
"…Connected… like a network," he whispered.
"…So every move I make… they know it?"
Escalation
Suddenly—a car lifted completely off the ground.
A streetlight swirled like a tornado.
The red crack expanded even faster.
Alex ducked behind a dumpster.
"…Okay… think! I need a plan. Fast. Something bold. Something… clever."
He noticed the smaller cracks reacting to his movement and focus.
"…I can influence them… maybe… distract the big one?"
Alex grabbed every small object he could find.
Trash cans, signs, a stray skateboard.
He focused. Pulled the smaller cracks toward him, using them like magnets.
The red crack pulsed violently.
The figure's head tilted slightly.
"…Interesting," the voice echoed.
"…Very interesting indeed."
Cliffhanger
Then, everything froze for a split second.
Alex felt a hand—cold, intangible—on his shoulder.
He turned.
Nobody was there.
The red crack pulsed brighter than ever.
A new message appeared on his phone:
PHASE 3: DIRECT ENGAGEMENT.
Alex gulped. "…Direct… engagement? Oh no. This is… bad. Really bad."
The wind picked up.
Objects began spinning toward him.
And the figure at the end of the street… smiled.
"…Yep," Alex muttered, heart pounding,
"…I'm officially in deep trouble."
End of Chapter 7