Derek

I pointed directly above us to the sharp crest of the ridge, but the figure had vanished as abruptly as if it had been snatched away by wind. Tomas chuckled again, more nervously this time. "'Altitude's getting to you, Jace. Nobody else out here this early.' I nodded reluctantly. Maybe he was right. Perhaps the thin air and that bizarre circle had unsettled me more than I realized."

I pointed directly above us to the sharp crest of the ridge, but the figure had vanished as abruptly as if it had been snatched away by wind. Tomas chuckled again, more nervously this time. "'Altitude's getting to you, Jace. Nobody else out here this early.' I nodded reluctantly. Maybe he was right. Perhaps the thin air and that bizarre circle had unsettled me more than I realized."

We continued silently up the slope, our crampons biting reassuringly into hard packed snow. Still, even as the summit loomed closer, the image of that perfectly bare circle persisted, gnawing subtly at my thoughts. By late afternoon, the sun began dropping lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the mountainside.

We continued silently up the slope, our crampons biting reassuringly into hard packed snow. Still, even as the summit loomed closer, the image of that perfectly bare circle persisted, gnawing subtly at my thoughts. By late afternoon, the sun began dropping lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the mountainside.

We made the mutual decision to return to our camp at Sky Pond for another night, to rest and prepare for an easier descent tomorrow morning. We arrived back just before dusk, fatigue pulling at my limbs. The circle was still there, unchanged, stark in its simplicity, unsettlingly precise.

We made the mutual decision to return to our camp at Sky Pond for another night, to rest and prepare for an easier descent tomorrow morning. We arrived back just before dusk, fatigue pulling at my limbs. The circle was still there, unchanged, stark in its simplicity, unsettlingly precise.

As we settled in again, zipping tightly into our bivy sacks against the biting wind, I heard Thomas mutter softly from nearby, "'Hey, Jace?' Yeah? You don't really think something's out here, right? I hesitated. I don't know, I replied honestly. Something's just off. He went silent, and soon I heard his breathing deepen. I lay awake longer, listening to the quiet hush of wind through stone.

As we settled in again, zipping tightly into our bivy sacks against the biting wind, I heard Thomas mutter softly from nearby, "'Hey, Jace?' Yeah? You don't really think something's out here, right? I hesitated. I don't know, I replied honestly. Something's just off. He went silent, and soon I heard his breathing deepen. I lay awake longer, listening to the quiet hush of wind through stone.

Just before sleep took me, I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes, unseen, unknowable, fixed steadily upon our tiny camp, waiting patiently beyond the confines of that impossible circle.

Just before sleep took me, I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes, unseen, unknowable, fixed steadily upon our tiny camp, waiting patiently beyond the confines of that impossible circle.

sleep came in fits and starts that night my mind unable to fully shake the uneasy sensation brought on by the circle of bare earth every rustle of fabric from tomas every distant creak of shifting ice seemed amplified in the quiet stillness of sky pond

sleep came in fits and starts that night my mind unable to fully shake the uneasy sensation brought on by the circle of bare earth every rustle of fabric from tomas every distant creak of shifting ice seemed amplified in the quiet stillness of sky pond

some time after midnight i heard something distinct thin rhythmic clicks carried on the cold air they were faint intermittent and initially i dismissed them as natural ice-cracking or distant rockfall but something about the cadence felt deliberate I lay still, ears straining in the darkness, heart drumming softly in my chest. The clicks faded, swallowed by the whisper of wind.

some time after midnight i heard something distinct thin rhythmic clicks carried on the cold air they were faint intermittent and initially i dismissed them as natural ice-cracking or distant rockfall but something about the cadence felt deliberate I lay still, ears straining in the darkness, heart drumming softly in my chest. The clicks faded, swallowed by the whisper of wind.

Morning came reluctantly, the sun climbing slowly above the jagged ridgeline, spilling pale light across the landscape. I pushed myself up, rubbing sleep from weary eyes, and was immediately alert again. Outside the circle's perimeter, right where the snow resumed, I saw something new. Footprints. Huge, elongated indentations in the snow, perfectly clear against the bright, untouched powder.

Morning came reluctantly, the sun climbing slowly above the jagged ridgeline, spilling pale light across the landscape. I pushed myself up, rubbing sleep from weary eyes, and was immediately alert again. Outside the circle's perimeter, right where the snow resumed, I saw something new. Footprints. Huge, elongated indentations in the snow, perfectly clear against the bright, untouched powder.

Without waking Tomás, I climbed out of my bivy, carefully approaching the tracks. They were deep, clearly defined, with a broad stance, far wider than my own stride, suggesting something large and bipedal.

Without waking Tomás, I climbed out of my bivy, carefully approaching the tracks. They were deep, clearly defined, with a broad stance, far wider than my own stride, suggesting something large and bipedal.

they started abruptly just outside the edge of the circle as if whatever made them had materialized out of thin air the footprints continued steadily uphill so i followed them each step required an exaggerated stretch the prints sat unnaturally far apart Soon I came to a point high on an open slope where the tracks simply stopped, mid-stride. The last print was pressed firmly then. Nothing.

they started abruptly just outside the edge of the circle as if whatever made them had materialized out of thin air the footprints continued steadily uphill so i followed them each step required an exaggerated stretch the prints sat unnaturally far apart Soon I came to a point high on an open slope where the tracks simply stopped, mid-stride. The last print was pressed firmly then. Nothing.