Concrete Garden

Concrete Garden is the most unnatural rupture in the Habitable Zone's gray structure. Vines hang from cracks in the concrete, moss covers the pillars, and ferns and shrubs crowd passageways where there is neither sunlight nor soil. Standing water reflects an unnaturally vivid green, making the place seem closer to life than the parking deck or warehouse. There is no wind and there are no seasons, yet the foliage continues to grow under artificial light, slowly burying doorways, signs, and traces of those who once passed through. This abundance is no sign of safety. Those exposed to the Concrete Garden for too long first develop vein-like markings beneath the skin, followed by stiff joints and falling body temperature, until they lose their human outline and become part of the vegetation. Many plants described in old records still bear structures resembling fingers, teeth, or fabric fibers. Whether these are remains left by victims or people still alive in another form remains unknown.