Edwin Lunar Chapter 8: The Voice in the Walls

Read chapter 8 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Voice in the Walls Silence swallowed the dormitory hallway. Dozens of students stood frozen beneath the flickering lights of Lunar Dominion Academy while the monitors slowly returned to normal one by one. The distorted face had vanished. But nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Even Carl looked pale. "…Tell me everyone saw that," he whispered. "We saw it," Iris answered quietly. Her voice remained controlled, but Edwin noticed her grip tightening around the data tablet in her hands. Nearby students began murmuring nervously. "What was that?" "Was it a hacked system?" "Did you see the eyes?" One older student quickly deactivated the nearest monitor while another contacted academy security through a wrist communicator. Edwin barely heard any of them. His heartbeat thundered inside his ears. Because unlike the others… He had heard the whisper. Welcome home… Edwin Lunar. Not through the speakers. Inside his head. Kael stepped forward immediately. "Everyone return to your assigned rooms." His voice cut through the panic sharply. "Now." The authority in his tone worked instantly. Students began moving again, though nervous conversations continued throughout the hallway. Carl leaned closer toward Edwin. "That definitely wasn't normal, right?" "No," Edwin answered quietly. "It really wasn't." Kael's eyes shifted toward Edwin briefly. Just for a second. But it was enough. He knew something else had happened. Iris noticed the exchange immediately. Her intelligent eyes narrowed slightly, though she said nothing. Kael turned toward the nearest instructor who had arrived with several academy guards. "Seal this sector and inspect the central network systems." The instructor nodded quickly. "You believe this was external interference?" Kael answered without hesitation. "No." That single word made the atmosphere even heavier. Edwin followed Carl and Iris toward the transport elevators while security drones began scanning the hallway with streams of blue light. Nobody laughed anymore. Nobody talked loudly. Fear moved quietly through the students now. Inside the elevator chamber, Carl finally exhaled heavily. "Well." "That's one word for it," Iris replied. Carl rubbed both hands through his hair. "Did Groader seriously just appear on the dormitory screens?" "No," Iris answered immediately. "It couldn't have been actually him." Edwin looked toward her. "You sound pretty sure." "Because Groader is dead." Her answer came quickly. Almost too quickly. Carl shifted awkwardly. "Well… mostly dead." Iris gave him a look. "You know what I mean." Edwin remained silent. Because deep down… He wasn't completely convinced anymore. The elevator shot upward smoothly through the giant tower. Transparent walls revealed breathtaking views of Noroel outside while floating platforms drifted through silver clouds surrounding the academy. Normally Edwin would have been amazed. Now he barely noticed. The whisper still echoed inside his thoughts. Welcome home. Why would Groader—or whatever remained of him—say that? The elevator stopped on the forty-seventh level. Rows of metallic doors stretched across a circular hallway lined with glowing silver lights. Carl immediately brightened slightly. "Okay, dorm rooms are actually one of the best parts of the academy." "That's an oddly specific opinion." "You'll understand in five seconds." He rushed toward Door 47-A and pressed his hand against the panel. The door slid open instantly. Edwin stopped in surprise. The room was enormous. At least compared to his apartment in Vestella. Two sleeping areas. A large holographic workspace. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skies of Noroel. Advanced storage systems built directly into the walls. Even the lighting adjusted automatically as they entered. Carl threw his bag onto one of the beds dramatically. "See?" Edwin walked slowly toward the window. Far below, silver storms moved beneath floating academy structures while distant warships crossed the skies like dark shadows. The entire