The retreat was quiet.
That was how Aurelia knew it wasn't over.
The shadows beyond the boundary thinned gradually, dissolving back into the treeline without spectacle. No dramatic withdrawal. No triumphant howl from the pack. Just space reopening where pressure had been.
Relief flickered through the clearing—but it was cautious.
Measured.
Aurelia didn't move immediately. She remained where she stood in the center of the grounds, letting the silence settle fully before shifting her weight.
"They're recalculating again," Mira said softly.
"Yes," Aurelia replied. "And so are we."
The council did not dismiss the assembly this time.
That was the first visible difference.
The eldest elder stepped down from the platform and stood at ground level—not beside Aurelia, but not above her either.
A small thing.
A significant one.
"We will review structural oversight," he said, voice no longer edged with command but tempered with necessity. "Patrol isolation protocols are suspended."
