When we close our eyes to sleep, we shut ourselves into a strange darkness. It’s not pitch black. There’s movement and shapes and the remnants of the light that is no longer there. It’s dim but not complete darkness. True darkness is rare and unpalatable. That kind of darkness is what permeates the Hadal zone. The deepest layer of the ocean, 6,000-meters down, and 5,000-meters from when the light of the sun stops shining. It is a land of eternal darkness.

And it’s where Markus Holdrin, Emma Green, and James Green disappeared.

Manning their privately funded submersible, the crew of three descended to the furthest depth thought possible. Surpassing age-old records held by more experienced dive teams. They reached the deepest bottom of the ocean. And then they kept going.

For years, rescue teams and would-be conspiracy theorist battled to uncover the fate of the lost team. Millions of dollars of investment and public sentiment poured into discovering anything that could lead to a clue. Nothing will ever be found.

Nothing will ever be found because in the few hours before Markus Holdrin, Emma Green, and James Green vanished into the darkness, they ensured that no one else would be able to make the same mistake they did. No one else can ever pass beyond the Hadal.