Alex's stomach dropped.
Two red cracks now pulsated in front of him.
One behind the figure.
One slightly to the left.
Everything—the street, the lampposts, stray trash, pigeons, even distant cars—twisted unnaturally, caught between time distortions.
"…Okay… Alex," he muttered,
"…you wanted chaos? Congratulations. You got double chaos."
Immediate Problem
A trash can floated straight toward him.
Alex rolled to the side.
A streetlight wobbled and spun.
Alex ducked again.
A pigeon flew through a small crack—then reappeared wearing a tiny paper crown, balancing perfectly on a fire hydrant.
"…Yep… pigeons are now royalty. Great," Alex muttered.
"…This is officially absurd."
The two red cracks pulsed violently.
Objects flew toward both of them, twisting unpredictably.
Alex realized:
"…I can't dodge both at once… I have to outsmart them."
Clever Improvisation
Alex grabbed everything he could find:
Two trash cans
A traffic cone
A skateboard
A stray umbrella
Three rocks
He focused on all small cracks simultaneously.
Pulling them toward him,
He redirected the debris between the cracks, hoping to overload them.
The cracks pulsed, flickered.
One object—an umbrella—was sucked halfway, then bounced back unpredictably.
Alex laughed nervously. "…Perfect! Chaos works for me… for now!"
Comedy Amid Chaos
A cat meandered near the second crack.
It froze mid-step.
Then… its tail twitched.
The cat vanished.
Alex blinked. "…Nope. Definitely not my cat. Probably a time cat now."
A street vendor shouted: "What the—"
And vanished mid-sentence.
Alex whispered: "…Yep… this is officially a time circus. I'm the ringmaster."
Villain's Subtle Guidance
The figure at the end of the street spoke, calm but mechanical:
"Interesting. You adapt quickly. But adaptation alone will not save you. Understanding… is required."
Alex gulped. "…Understanding? Great… I'm supposed to survive and get a PhD in chaos."
The cracks pulsed violently again.
Alex felt a pressure in his chest—as if time itself were folding around him.
"…Okay… small cracks can distract… but double red cracks? That's insane."
Testing Limits
Alex focused deeply.
He pulled all small cracks at once, moving objects strategically between the two big cracks.
Trash cans, papers, a stray skateboard… all collided with chaotic timing.
The cracks pulsed violently, then flickered.
The objects stopped mid-air.
The two cracks seemed… momentarily confused.
"…Yes! Confused cracks! Victory!" Alex muttered.
Cliffhanger
Suddenly—a third crack appeared, smaller but glowing violet, forming behind the first two.
Alex froze. "…Uh… three? Seriously? Who even allows three?"
The figure tilted its head, voice calm:
"Phase 3, Level 3. Survival alone is no longer enough. Only creativity and courage will matter now."
Alex gulped. "…Creativity and courage… Check. Let's do this… I hope."
Objects started spinning faster.
Wind twisted unnaturally.
The street seemed to bend in impossible ways.
Alex muttered: "…Yep. Officially in deep trouble. Again."
End of Chapter 10