The Triangle didn't respond immediately to the evaluation.
That alone was confirmation.
When institutions stayed silent after receiving data, it meant the data had failed to resolve anything. Worse—had complicated internal models enough that any reaction risked revealing uncertainty.
So nothing happened.
No announcement.
No clarification.
No acknowledgment that the match had redefined the boundaries of what Dreyden Stella was allowed to be.
Which meant the Triangle had shifted phases.
From testing
to containment.
Dreyden felt the cost of that shift before anyone said a word.
The first loss was subtle.
A resource request—routine, low priority—failed for the first time since his "freedom" phase began.
No warning.
No rejection.
Just stalled.
He watched the request sit in pending status for fourteen minutes before auto-timing out.
Fourteen minutes was meaningless in practical terms.
Symbolically?
It was a closed finger tapping once on a table.
Still polite.
