Carlos stood alone in a vast empty field washed in reddish earth tones that reminded him vaguely of terracotta. The landscape stretched outward in every direction, flat and barren beneath a pale sky.

Farther out across the expanse, something caught his attention.

A single rock sat alone in the middle of the field.

Carlos slowly approached it.

The closer he came, the more unusual it seemed. Strange markings had been carved across its surface in uneven patterns that felt deliberate without appearing human.

He crouched slightly beside it, studying the markings more carefully.

Then, cautiously, he reached toward the rock as though to pick it up.

The moment his hand neared it, the rock gave off a low rumble.

Carlos immediately froze.

The vibration was subtle, but it carried an unmistakable feeling of resistance somehow, as though the rock did not want to be touched.

Slowly, Carlos backed away from it.

For a few moments, nothing happened.

Then he noticed something unsettling.

The rock appeared slightly larger than before.

Carlos stared at it uncertainly.

Without warning, a shower of similar rocks suddenly fell from the sky around him, striking the reddish earth with heavy thuds. Carlos stumbled backward to avoid them as dust rose around his feet.

Each rock carried strange markings similar to the first one.

And somehow, despite their similarities, every single one appeared distinct.

A deep unease settled into Carlos almost immediately.

Something told him he should leave.

Now.

Without taking his eyes off the growing field of marked stones, Carlos slowly turned and quietly escaped while he still could.