在新界東北的大埔山區，船灣淡水湖的周圍有一片幽靜的山谷，這裡的景致常年保持著原始的模樣。林木蒼翠，鳥鳴蟲吟，偶爾還能看到小溪潺潺流過，彷彿一切都與世隔絕。然而，這片看似平靜的山谷，卻隱藏著一個鮮有人知的秘密。據說在某些隱密的角落裡，散落著一些奇怪的石頭排列，有時是巨石，有時是石縫，而其中最引人注目的，是一個由幾塊石頭圍成的小石圈。
這個石圈並不大，僅僅能容納一個人站立。乍看之下，那些石頭像是隨意擺放在地上，毫無規律可言。但若仔細觀察，就會發現它們以某種不可思議的方式完美地圍成了一個圓形。初次見到的人大多認為這只是自然巧合，畢竟山裡的石頭形狀本來就千奇百怪。然而，在附近村莊的老人中間，卻流傳著一個古老的傳說。他們說，那個石圈最好不要站進去。
傳說最早來自幾十年前的一位村民。他年輕時在山谷裡迷了路，無意間闖進了這個石圈。他當時並未察覺異樣，只是覺得那幾塊石頭排列得很奇特。出於好奇，他站進了圓圈的中央。然而，就在他踏入的一瞬間，四周的風聲、蟲鳴全都消失了，彷彿整座山谷突然失去了生命。他感到四周的空氣變得異常沉重，每吸一口氣都像壓在胸口。他試圖喊叫，但聲音卻像被什麼東西吞噬了一樣，連回音都沒有。他不知所措地站在原地，直到感覺到一股無形的力量正將他拉向某個未知的深淵。他驚恐萬分，拚命掙扎著跑出石圈。當他終於衝出那範圍時，耳邊的聲音瞬間回來了，仿佛剛才的一切只是幻覺。
這件事在村裡流傳開來後，那片山谷便被村民視為禁地。雖然也有一些不信邪的年輕人特意前去探險，但他們多數只是遠遠地觀看，很少有人敢真的踏進那個詭異的石圈。然而，有一個例外。那是一個外地來的年輕攝影師，他聽聞這個故事後興致勃勃，決定親自前往一探究竟。他背著相機，沿著蜿蜒的小徑走進了那片山谷。
當他終於找到那個神秘的石圈時，太陽已經開始西沉，整個山谷籠罩在金色的餘暉中。石圈靜靜地躺在地上，周圍長滿了青苔與雜草，看起來毫不起眼。他拿起相機拍了幾張照片，又蹲下來仔細端詳那些石頭。突然，他心生一念：「如果站到裡面拍張照，應該會更有趣吧？」於是，他毫不猶豫地踏進了石圈。
當他的雙腳踩進圓圈的瞬間，他感到一陣冷風吹過，即便是盛夏，他也不禁打了個冷顫。接著，他發現四周變得異常安靜，就像有人按下了世界的靜音鍵。他環顧四周，發現遠處的樹木似乎變得模糊起來，彷佛隔著一層薄霧。他試圖向外跨一步，但腳下卻像被某種力量束縛住，一步也邁不出去。他開始感到恐懼，用力掙扎，但身體彷彿被固定在原地。
就在這時，他聽到了一陣低沉而模糊的聲音，那聲音像是從很遠很遠的地方傳來，又像是直接響在他的腦海中。「你為何闖入此地？」聲音低沉而冰冷，每一個字都像重錘敲擊在他的心上。他張口想回答，但喉嚨卻發不出任何聲音，只能拼命搖頭示意自己不是故意的。
聲音沉默了一會兒，然後再次響起：「此地非你可留之處，速速離去。」話音剛落，他感到束縛他的力量突然消失了。他跌坐在地上，大口喘息著新鮮空氣。當他終於站起身來時，發現天色已完全暗了下來，而那個石圈似乎也變得更加模糊。他不敢再逗留，匆忙收拾相機後便朝山谷外跑去。
回到村莊後，他將自己的經歷告訴了村民，但大多數人只是搖頭嘆息，有人甚至責怪他不該冒險去觸碰那片「禁地」。從那以後，他再也不敢涉足船灣山谷，而那些拍攝的照片也因為某種原因全都變得模糊不清，就像被一層看不見的霧氣覆蓋著。
這個故事再次在村莊裡傳開，人們對那個神秘的石圈更加敬畏，有些老人甚至開始警告年輕人遠離那片山谷。然而，也有人認為這一切只是心理作用，是因為人們對未知事物的恐懼而產生的幻覺。畢竟，大自然本身就充滿了無數未解之謎，有些現象或許只是科學尚未解釋清楚罷了。
無論真相如何，那片山谷和它裡面的石圈依然靜靜地存在著。或許有一天，你也會走進船灣淡水湖旁的山谷，在某個不起眼的角落發現那幾塊圍成圓形的石頭。如果真有那麼一天，也許你會想起這個故事，而你的腳步是否會停在圓圈外呢？老人們曾經說過，那種石圈，看見就好了，不要站進去。
English Version
In the northeastern New Territories of Hong Kong, within the mountainous region of Tai Po, there lies a secluded valley near Plover Cove Reservoir where nature has remained largely untouched for generations, a place where dense greenery, the constant hum of insects, and the gentle sound of flowing streams create an atmosphere of serene isolation, as though the modern world has never quite reached it, yet beneath this peaceful surface, there exists a quiet and unsettling secret known only to a few.
Scattered throughout hidden corners of the valley are peculiar arrangements of stones, some appearing as random clusters, others forming narrow gaps, but the most striking of all is a small circle formed by several stones, carefully positioned in a way that seems too precise to be entirely natural, even though at first glance it might appear to be nothing more than coincidence. The circle itself is not large, just enough for a single person to stand inside, and while many who stumble upon it assume it is simply a curious geological formation, the elders of nearby villages have long passed down a warning that has endured for decades: never step into the stone circle. The origin of this warning can be traced back to a villager many years ago who, while wandering through the valley, lost his way and accidentally discovered the circle, and driven by curiosity rather than caution, he stepped into its center without hesitation, only to experience something he could neither explain nor forget. The moment his feet crossed into the circle, the world around him seemed to fall silent, the sounds of wind, insects, and distant water vanishing instantly as if erased, leaving behind a suffocating stillness that pressed heavily against his chest, making each breath feel labored and unnatural, and when he tried to call out for help, his voice failed him entirely, swallowed by an unseen force that allowed not even an echo to return, as though sound itself had ceased to exist within that space. Panic quickly overtook him as he felt an invisible pull dragging him toward an unknown depth, a sensation both physical and psychological, as if something beneath the ground or beyond the visible world was attempting to claim him, and in a desperate struggle for survival, he forced himself out of the circle, collapsing just beyond its boundary where, in an instant, all the sounds of the valley returned as though nothing had happened, leaving him shaken and unable to fully comprehend what he had just endured. After this incident, the story spread among the villagers, and the valley gradually became regarded as a forbidden place, avoided not out of superstition alone but out of a quiet respect for something that defied explanation, and although younger generations occasionally ventured into the area out of curiosity, most kept a cautious distance from the stone circle itself, unwilling to test the warning that had been repeated for so long. However, there was one notable exception, a young photographer from outside the region who, intrigued by the story, decided to seek out the valley and document the mysterious formation with his camera, approaching the journey with excitement rather than fear, viewing it as an opportunity to capture something rare and unusual. By the time he found the stone circle, the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow across the valley that made the scene appear almost dreamlike, the circle resting quietly on the ground surrounded by moss and wild grass, seemingly harmless and unremarkable, and after taking several photographs, he crouched down to examine the stones more closely, fascinated by their arrangement, until a thought crossed his mind that felt both spontaneous and irresistible, that stepping inside the circle might offer a more compelling perspective for his work. Without hesitation, he placed one foot inside, then the other, and in that instant, a cold sensation swept over him, sending a chill through his body despite the warmth of the evening air, followed by a sudden and unnatural silence that engulfed the surroundings, as if the world had been muted by an unseen hand, and when he looked around, the distant trees appeared blurred and indistinct, as though veiled behind a thin layer of mist that had not been there before. Attempting to step back out, he found that his body would not respond, his feet seemingly fixed to the ground by an invisible restraint, and as fear took hold, he struggled to move, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the boundary of the circle, and it was then that he heard a voice, low and indistinct, echoing not through the air but directly within his mind, asking a question that felt both ancient and deliberate: “Why have you entered this place?” The voice carried a weight that was impossible to ignore, each word striking him with an intensity that made his heart race, and though he tried to answer, no sound emerged from his throat, leaving him able only to shake his head in silent denial. After a brief moment of silence, the voice spoke again, this time with a tone that felt final and unyielding, telling him that he did not belong there and that he must leave at once, and as suddenly as it had begun, the force holding him in place vanished, causing him to collapse to the ground as he gasped for air, overwhelmed by both relief and lingering terror. When he finally regained his composure and stood up, he realized that darkness had already fallen across the valley, far more quickly than he had expected, and the stone circle itself now seemed faint and indistinct, as though it were fading back into the landscape, unwilling to be clearly seen. Wasting no time, he gathered his belongings and hurried out of the valley, driven by an instinctive need to put as much distance as possible between himself and that place, and upon returning to the village, he shared his experience, only to be met with a mixture of resignation and quiet disapproval, as some villagers lamented that he had ignored the long-standing warning and disturbed something that should have been left alone. From that day forward, he never returned to the valley, and the photographs he had taken there were later found to be inexplicably blurred, as if obscured by an unseen layer that no amount of editing could remove, reinforcing the mystery rather than clarifying it. Over time, the story spread further, deepening the sense of caution surrounding the stone circle, with elders continuing to warn younger generations to stay away, though there were always those who questioned whether such experiences were merely the result of fear, suggestion, or the psychological effects of isolation within nature, arguing that the human mind is capable of creating powerful illusions when faced with the unknown. Yet regardless of interpretation, the valley and its stone circle remain as they have always been, silent and undisturbed, waiting patiently within the mountains near Plover Cove Reservoir, and perhaps one day, another traveler will stumble upon those carefully arranged stones in some forgotten corner of the valley, pausing for a moment as curiosity and caution compete within their mind, and if that moment comes, they may recall the warning passed down through generations, that such a circle is something to observe, not to enter, because some places, whether by nature or something beyond it, are not meant for human steps to cross.