Edwin Lunar Chapter 44: Return to the Silver Moon

Read chapter 44 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Lunar Express pierced through space like a silver arrow. Far behind the train, Vestella had already disappeared into the darkness of the Noor System while countless stars stretched endlessly beyond the massive viewing windows. Inside the transport carriage, most students had fallen silent. Usually the academy train felt exciting. Loud. Full of conversations and energy. But this year— Even the older students looked uneasy. Military drones floated through the hallways every few minutes while armed Dominion officers monitored the train from the front compartments. The atmosphere no longer felt like students returning to school. It felt like soldiers being transported toward a battlefield. Carl pressed his face dramatically against the giant window. "I still think space trains are cool." Lucien sat nearby with crossed arms. "You say that every year." "Because every year it remains true." Iris continued studying tactical reports projected above her wrist device. The blue holograms reflected across her silver eyes while streams of data moved rapidly beside her face. Carl leaned toward her carefully. "You've been reading reports for two hours straight." "Yes." "…You know normal humans rest sometimes." "These aren't normal situations." Her voice lowered slightly. "The Dominion closed seven outer-sector routes last month." Edwin looked toward her immediately. "Seven?" Iris nodded. "No survivors." Silence spread across the compartment. Even Carl stopped joking for a moment. Lucien's expression darkened slightly. "The Void?" Iris hesitated. "They officially blame Eclipse remnants." "But?" Edwin asked quietly. Iris slowly minimized the holograms. "But several ships disappeared without damage." That sentence unsettled everyone. Destroyed ships were understandable. Missing ships were worse. Much worse. Outside the windows— The stars seemed darker somehow. The train suddenly entered hyperspace acceleration. Blue light exploded across the carriage while gravity engines hummed through the metallic floors. Passengers around them became quieter. Then a soft voice echoed across the train systems. ARRIVAL AT NOROEL IN TWENTY MINUTES PLEASE PREPARE FOR SECURITY INSPECTION Carl groaned dramatically. "They inspect us more every year." Lucien looked toward the military drones passing nearby. "There's a reason." Edwin leaned slightly against the window. Then froze. Far outside the train— Something moved. A shadow. Massive. For one brief second, Edwin saw a gigantic shape drifting silently between distant stars. Too large to be a ship. The ring on his hand pulsed sharply. Then the shadow vanished. Edwin immediately straightened. Iris noticed first. "What happened?" Edwin hesitated. "…Nothing." But deep inside— He knew he wasn't imagining things anymore. Twenty minutes later— The silver moon of Noroel appeared outside the windows. Carl smiled immediately. "Okay, now THAT still looks amazing." Even after years at the academy— Noroel remained breathtaking. Gigantic floating cities surrounded the moon's surface while silver oceans reflected the light of Noor in the distance. Massive academy towers stretched into the clouds like ancient castles mixed with futuristic technology. Energy bridges connected floating islands across the skies. Warships surrounded the atmosphere. And above everything— The symbol of Noroel burned brightly in silver light. But this time— The beauty felt overshadowed by tension. Defense fleets hovered around the moon in massive formations. Planetary cannons rotated slowly near the outer sectors. And giant energy barriers covered the academy skies. Carl stared upward nervously. "…That is definitely more security than last year." The train descended toward the central academy station. The moment it docked— Dominion soldiers entered immediately. Students were guided through scanning gates one by one while security drones checked every passenger. Lucien frowned slightly. "They're scanning Flame signatures." Iris looked toward the soldi