The defense state had ended at midnight.
Max had kept the combat portals closed under his own authority while staff confirmed that the transition back to normal operation had completed correctly. The Sanctuary and Corathen never closed. Only the first four levels remained behind temporary barriers.
Their status now waited in his interface.
[Dungeon Defense State: Inactive.]
[Normal instancing available.]
[Hostile shared-territory entrance: Closed.]
[Public combat access remains suspended by Dungeon Master order.]
Max opened an empty test copy of Fey Nights.
Silver fog moved between intact trees. The visitor trail began where it always had. No abandoned siege camp occupied the first clearing. No burned road led toward the stream. The normal instance had loaded from the approved adventure configuration rather than copying the current condition of the shared defensive territory.
