The Rift-formed creature had expanded its territory again.
Not into the zone's main route—that was still ten metres clear. But the catalogue team's restricted boundary markers, which had been set at twenty metres from the creature's previous territory edge, were now inside the territory. The creature had moved the edge without anyone seeing it move.
Dorath read the zone update at the permit desk before the morning entry. He looked at the new boundary configuration on the map. Then at the original. Then at the timing of the creature's last confirmed position.
He said nothing. He submitted the team's entry permits. He briefed the mission in three minutes: two Stone Warder kills in the central section, stay clear of the northeast restriction zone, abort immediately if the restriction boundary was compromised.
They went in.
