Nobody stepped off the lift.
Dirk crouched at the edge of the platform and studied the old drilling chamber. Dust covered most of the floor, but a shallow line near the gate showed where one slab had settled below the next. Beyond it, hairline cracks spread toward the broken machine in the center of the room.
The translucent creatures on the ceiling continued feeding.
There were nine that Dirk could see. Each had a flat body no larger than a dinner plate, six hooked legs, and a shell bright enough to reveal the blue mana moving inside it. They clung to the crystal with their heads pressed against the vein.
"The first three feet are solid." Dirk said. "After that, stay near the left wall. The center slab is holding up the debris, not the other way around."
Dain leaned over without placing any weight beyond the gate. "Can we cross one at a time?"
"Yes. Do not touch the drill frame."
