Lootwell's barrier had always radiated outward from the Stillness Palace.
The old stillness-based ward system anchored there had been the main reason Lootwell remained hidden from ordinary eyes, veiled from casual approach, and difficult to perceive correctly unless one already belonged within its lawful scope.
It was a magnificent defense.
The Lunarians made it better.
They did not discard the old barrier. They adjusted it until it fit Lootwell as it had become rather than as it once was. The result was no longer merely a stillness ward spread over a hidden territory.
It became a layered recognition sphere.
The barrier now responded to jade seals with frightening precision.
That difference mattered.
