For the next month, people continued to test the boundaries. All of them who crossed the line, without exception, became particles. Slowly, things returned to a sense of normalcy. No one else tried to test the boundaries.
People were willing to work harder because they feared erasure. Ember simply shrugged. New recruits were coming in every day. Most of them are from the military base. The very same people who said they didn't want to go had arrived.
The sun that had destroyed everything in its wake had also begun to weaken. More and more people were coming out. Ember had Ivan and Cassia collect materials from the survivors. It didn't matter if it was torn, as long as it was useful.
Granted, some tried to take advantage of them by sending them rag, as per human nature. They wanted to receive something for having done nothing. They were promptly kicked out.
Ember also received a message from the CE. Valentina was on her way to the military base.
