I studied the non-equilibrium response of an initial Néel state under time evolution with the Kitaev honeycomb model. With isotropic interactions (J_x = J_y = J_zJx=Jy=Jz) the system quickly loses its antiferromagnetic order and crosses over into a steady state valence bond solid, which can be inferred from the long-range dimer correlations. There is no signature of a dynamical phase transition. Upon including anisotropy (J_x = J_y \neq J_zJx=Jy≠Jz), an exponentially long prethermal regime

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... rs with persistent magnetization oscillations whose period derives from an effective toric code.