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Throughout a large portion of season 5 of the popular Netflix show, the young Holly Wheeler and Max Mayfield are held captive in a realm of memories built from the past of Henry Creel. The search for an escape route in episode 6 forces them to experience a defining event from Henry's childhood—an event that potentially carries the means to overcome him once and for all.

Heads Up: The following contains major spoilers for the concluding episodes.

The Discovery in the Tunnel

When she finds Max in the mental landscape known as Camazotz, Max reveals she is taking refuge in a grotto that Henry is terrified of. An accidental discovery a telescope pilfered from Henry's old home allows Holly to realize that the true terror lies beyond the cave. By aligning her view to the cut-out, she and Max tumble into a deep mine shaft.

In this place, they observe a young, eight-year-old Henry find an wounded, fearful individual. When Henry tries to help, the man reacts violently, striking Henry in the hand. In a desperate act of self-defense, Henry ends the threat with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly wonders aloud. Essentially, yes, but the act wasn't just a simple act of survival.

Like many elements in volume 2, the full story behind the events in the tunnel originates in the theatrical production Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

An Interdimensional Incident and Stolen Research

*The First Shadow* opens with the legendary naval test, which transported a warship into a realm later called the Abyss. It faced creatures, and the sole survivor was the ship's commander, who returned in a vegetative state with an different blood composition.

This man's son, a young Martin Brenner, attempted to recreate this experiment in remote Nevada. But a disloyal lab worker pilfered lab samples to give to the Russian agents, who were desperate to launch their version of the tests. This spy in the tunnel was that very thief.

Unlocking the Mystery

Given what is known about Brenner's work, the briefcase almost certainly contained some of the altered blood. In the scene, Henry is bleeding from his hand. He likely becomes contaminated upon opening the case, leading to the development of his psychic abilities—abilities he would inadvertently transfer to the test subjects Brenner would experiment on.

Alternatively, the container could have held dark matter that eventually found its way to the secret facility, where it acts to anchor the mirror dimension. *The First Shadow* reveals that young Henry was transported in the Abyss, returning after half a day fundamentally changed. Throughout the play, he struggles with the influence of a dark entity, similar to how the character Will was controlled by the shadow monster in season 2.

The Power of Fear

His lasting fear of that cave demonstrates how utterly horrifying the event was for him. While he commands the Hive Mind and seeks to merge the Abyss into Hawkins, a part of him still exists. The villain weaponizes terror, and the show is setting up a climactic battle between the monster and Will, who has deliberately faced his personal demons to become stronger.

Will's growth has taken a weapon from Vecna. Crucially, Will now understands what the monster's own weakness, and this may grant a key upper hand in the series finale to come.