The intrusion did not move at all. It did not spread or pull back. It stayed exactly where it had settled inside the system, stable in a way that made it harder to deal with. It had reached a point where it did not need to act anymore to stay in place, and that alone made it more dangerous than before.
Aurelion focused completely on it, studying every part of its structure and how it connected to the system around it. His awareness moved through the containment, checking every link and every boundary that kept the intrusion in place. The system responded to him as always, reinforcing everything and making sure nothing shifted without control.
But even with all of that, nothing changed. The intrusion remained, and that made the problem clear. Holding it there was not enough. It only delayed what would happen next, and that delay would not last forever.
