The journey through the passage connecting the Fourth and Fifth Gates stretched on, seeming to consume more time than any of the previous transitions he had experienced.
It was not a sudden realization, but rather a creeping awareness, much like the slow understanding of how much time has passed when one is in an environment utterly devoid of any markers or familiar reference points.
Within the mountain's vast and unchanging interior, the ambient conditions remained remarkably consistent, making it incredibly difficult to gauge progress; the only truly dependable measure of his advancement was the stairway itself, each step steadily accumulating beneath his feet, the altitude subtly, yet persistently, increasing, just as it always did during a long and arduous climb. And so, he simply climbed, one foot after another, through the quiet, timeless space.
