S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Zone of the Chernobyl

At the heart of a long-abandoned apartment complex lies this eerie open plaza, unmistakably marked by a towering, dead tree. Once a communal park for Soviet families, this spot now reeks of stillness and rot. The skeletal tree seems to radiate malice, its branches clawing at the grey sky as if in protest. Cracked pavement surrounds a maze of overgrowth, overturned vehicles, and rusting kiosks. Faint echoes can be heard here—footsteps that aren’t yours, whispers when the wind is still. Some stalkers swear they've seen shadows move on the balconies at night. None who chased them ever came back. Notable Features: The Dead Tree at the plaza’s center is considered a cursed landmark. Some believe it marks the site of a Monolith ritual gone wrong. Three abandoned kiosks on the corner used to house a makeshift trading post, but it's long been looted. A collapsed pipe section provides quick cover—but also blocks clean lines of sight, making ambushes common.