The Abyss Explained: Dustin’s "Wormhole Theory" and the Fate of the Eleven-Kali Pact

With Volume 2 of Stranger Things Season 5 now streaming, fans are reeling from the revelation that the Upside Down isn't a dimension at all—it's a bridge. As we count down the days to the New Year's Eve series finale, we break down Dustin’s mind-bending "Abyss" theory, the science of exotic matter, and the heartbreaking suicide pact between Eleven and Kali that could change the ending of the series forever.

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12/26/20251 min read

The penultimate chapter of Stranger Things, "Chapter 7: The Bridge," has fundamentally rewritten everything we thought we knew about Hawkins. For years, we viewed the Upside Down as a dark, parallel dimension. But as Dustin Henderson reveals through Dr. Brenner’s hidden 1983 journals, the truth is far more scientific—and far more terrifying.

The Science of "The Abyss"

According to Dustin, the Upside Down is actually a wormhole throat—a transit zone held together by exotic matter suspended directly above the Upside Down's version of Hawkins Lab. This bridge doesn't just mirror our world; it connects Earth to a primal, chaotic realm Dustin calls The Abyss.

This "Abyss" is the true origin of the Mind Flayer and the Demogorgons. It is where Eleven inadvertently banished Henry Creel in 1979. When she later touched a Demogorgon in the sensory deprivation tank, she didn't just open a gate; she stabilized a permanent bridge between our reality and Henry's prison.

The "Fatal Plan": Eleven and Kali’s Pact

While the Hawkins crew plans to bomb the exotic matter to collapse the bridge, a darker subplot has emerged. Kali (008) has revealed a grim reality to Eleven: as long as they are alive, the military (led by the ruthless Dr. Kay) will never stop harvesting their blood to create new psychic weapons.

To break the cycle of "Henrys" and "Elevens," the two sisters have entered a suicide pact. Kali believes that when the bridge is destroyed on December 31, they must go down with it. This creates an agonizing stakes-climb for the finale: can Eleven save the world without sacrificing herself to end the government's pursuit?

The Final Countdown: December 31

Vecna is currently using the kidnapped children, including Holly Wheeler, as a "psychic battery" to pull The Abyss into our world. His goal is a total dimensional merge. With the "Rightside Up" finale clocking in at 2 hours and 8 minutes, the stage is set for a New Year's Eve battle that will determine if Hawkins survives, or if it is swallowed by the Abyss forever.