The vertical shaft seemed endless, each rung of the service ladder bringing them closer to the surface yet somehow stretching the distance impossibly. Klaus's Four Eyes perceived energy fluctuations throughout the structure, patterns shifting in ways that defied conventional physics.
"The entire containment zone is destabilizing," Klaus warned, his voice strained as he climbed behind the others. "The Duke is altering the barrier's fundamental resonance."
"What does that mean for us?" Leone asked from above, helping Finn navigate a damaged section of ladder.
"It means reality itself is becoming more malleable the closer we get to the surface," Klaus replied. "Distance, time—they're becoming relative rather than absolute."
Alexandra paused, looking down at him with narrowed eyes. "You're saying the shaft is actually lengthening as we climb?"
