Chapter 13: Time Trap

Alex was awakened by the sound of his alarm clock. He opened his eyes to see sunlight streaming through the curtains into the room. He sat up, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. The calendar showed it was Tuesday, but Alex remembered yesterday was also Tuesday.

"Maybe I'm just too tired," he muttered to himself, getting up to start a new day.

When he walked out of the elevator and into the lobby, he saw Kai waiting there.

"Good morning, Alex," Kai said, "Ready for today's training?"

Alex nodded, but the feeling of unease in his heart grew stronger. This conversation, this scene, all felt like déjà vu.

They went to the rooftop garden, and Kai began to explain today's lesson. Just then, a butterfly flew by, landing on Alex's shoulder.

"Wait," Alex suddenly said, "This has all happened before. That butterfly, your words, even where we're standing."

Kai's expression suddenly turned serious, "You noticed it too? We might be stuck in a time loop."

At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and a bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the ancient tree in the center of the rooftop garden. Everything went dark.

When Alex opened his eyes again, he was back in bed, the alarm clock ringing, the calendar showing Tuesday.

"Kai!" Alex jumped out of bed, rushing straight to the roof. There he found an equally confused Kai.

"What happened?" Alex asked, gasping for breath.

Kai's expression was grim, "We're trapped in a time loop. Every time that lightning strikes, time resets. We need to find out why and break this cycle."

Over the next few "Tuesdays," Alex and Kai tried to change the course of events. They attempted to leave Silver Moon Apartments, but always mysteriously ended up back in the building. They tried to warn others, but after each reset, everyone else forgot what had happened before.

On what felt like the umpteenth Tuesday, Alex sat dejectedly on the edge of the roof. "We might be trapped here forever," he said glumly.

Kai sat down beside him, "Don't give up, Alex. Every time trap has its reason and solution. We just need to find it."

Just then, Alex noticed a strange light spot in the distance. "What's that?" he asked, pointing.

Kai squinted, looking where Alex was pointing. "It looks like... a time rift. We should go check it out."

They carefully approached the light spot. As they got closer, Alex felt a strange pulling sensation. When they finally touched the light spot, the scenery around them suddenly distorted and changed.

They found themselves standing in a strange space, surrounded by floating clocks and calendar pages. In the center was a giant hourglass, but instead of flowing downward, the sand formed a vortex in the middle of the hourglass.

"This is the core of time," Kai said in awe, "I've only read about it in ancient texts. This controls the flow of time in Silver Moon Apartments."

Alex walked closer to the hourglass, noticing a small object in the center of the vortex. "What's that?"

Kai looked closely, "That looks like... a fragment from Dr. Blackwood's experiment. It must have accidentally entered the time core during the experiment, causing this loop."

"We need to get it out," Alex said.

But when they tried to approach the hourglass, a powerful force pushed them back.

"We need to approach from different directions simultaneously," Kai said. "Alex, you must trust your ability. Focus, imagine time slowing down around you."

Alex nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating all his attention. He felt the flow of time, imagining it slowing down until it almost stopped. When he opened his eyes, he found everything around him moving extremely slowly, with only him and Kai able to move normally.

They carefully approached the hourglass, reaching into the vortex. Just as they were about to touch the fragment, a huge burst of energy threw them back.

Alex fell to the ground, feeling dizzy. He saw Kai also struggling to get up.

"We were so close," Kai said, "We need more power. Alex, remember what I taught you about linking with other versions of yourself?"

Alex nodded, though uncertainty filled his heart. "But I've never really succeeded before."

"Now's the time," Kai encouraged, "Close your eyes, feel the other versions of Alex. Call to them, ask for their help."

Alex took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He sensed countless versions of himself, living in different realities. He reached out to them, pleading for their strength.

Slowly, he felt a warm current fill his body. When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a soft glow.

"Well done," Kai smiled, he too was enveloped in a similar glow. "Now, let's end this loop together."

They approached the hourglass again, this time, the barrier of time couldn't stop them. Alex reached into the vortex, grasping the fragment. The moment he pulled it out, a bright light flashed, and everything around them began to spin rapidly.

When Alex opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the grass of the rooftop garden. Kai was beside him, looking equally tired but relieved.

"Did we succeed?" Alex asked, uncertainty in his voice.

Kai looked at his watch, then broke into a smile. "Yes, we did it. Time has returned to normal."

They stood up, watching the sky gradually brighten. A new day was beginning, but this time, it was truly a new day.

"Alex," Kai turned to him, pride shining in his eyes, "you did exceptionally well today. You not only overcame the time trap but also successfully linked with other versions of yourself. This is a major breakthrough."

Alex felt a surge of pride, but also realized the weight of responsibility. "There's still so much to learn, isn't there?"

Kai nodded, "The journey never ends. But today, you took a big step forward."

As they left the rooftop, Alex felt Silver Moon Apartments seemed to be thanking them. The walls glowed faintly, and a warm energy permeated the air.

That night, lying in bed, Alex reflected on this adventure. He realized that being a Traveler wasn't just about traversing time and space, but about understanding the nature of time and how to connect with other versions of oneself.

With these thoughts, Alex slowly drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he saw countless possibilities and timelines, and he stood at the center of this complex network, ready to face the next challenge.

And in some corner of Silver Moon Apartments, time continued to flow quietly, waiting for the next explorer to uncover its secrets.