Asher moved on.
Another year passed without anything major. That alone told him the boundary was holding. People were watching themselves now. They didn't need reminders as often.
He crossed into a coastal zone where trade routes met old research hubs. The places were mostly abandoned, but not forgotten. Those were dangerous. Old knowledge attracted new mistakes.
He stayed there longer than usual.
He didn't interfere at first. He listened. Watched supply movement. Noted who avoided certain topics and who asked questions too carefully.
After three weeks, he found the source.
Not a group. One person.
A former technician working alone, using fragments scavenged from ruins. No funding. No protection. Just curiosity and desperation.
The work wasn't advanced, but it was headed in the wrong direction.
Asher confronted them directly.
No threats.
No display of power.
He explained the limit. Once.
The person understood immediately. Fear came after understanding, not before.
