Vraz stood at the edge of the settlement where the creatures had disappeared just hours ago. The purple moon had set, taking the raiders with it like always. But this time something stayed behind. A structure rose from the ground where nothing had been before. Vraz crept closer, stick arms ready to bend at weird angles if needed. The formation twisted upward like frozen waves. Pink stone melted into green rock, both colors bleeding into each other. Black tar oozed between the cracks, still warm to the touch. Vraz pressed one finger against it and pulled back fast. The tar stuck to their hand like a question mark. This wasn't just a rock. It was a message from the creatures, a marker left behind on purpose. Vraz grabbed three asteroid shuriken from their pouch and began circling the formation. The settlement needed to know the game had changed. Something glinted near the base of the formation. Vraz dropped into a crouch and found shattered glass scattered across the ground. A broken dome lay tilted on its side, plants still growing inside despite the cracks. The terrarium hadn't been there during the raid. Vraz studied the unfamiliar leaves and pink stones nestled in the soil. The creatures had left them a piece of their world. Vraz carefully lifted one shard of glass and held it up to catch the morning light. The raids weren't just attacks anymore. They were invitations to learn. Vraz pulled out the detection scroll and unrolled it across the ground. The alien glyphs glowed faint purple in response to the formation. Vraz traced patterns with one stick finger, noting how the scroll reacted differently to the tar than to the stone. The creatures' vanishing point created ripples the scroll could read. Vraz sketched quick diagrams in the margin, marking which sections pulsed strongest. When the next purple moon rose, Vraz would know where to position defenders. The creatures had left clues, and Vraz had learned how to read them.