long empty highway stretching uphill toward the horizon, wet asphalt reflecting streaks of golden light; at the top of the rise hangs a perfect black sphere suspended in front of a blazing corona, strands of white and amber light swirling outward like solar filaments; the sky thick with gray mist, turning the sunlight into a hazy glow; a lone road sign stands crooked to the left, its face partly washed out and unreadable; the atmosphere silent and apocalyptic, the light bending strangely around the dark floating sphere