Edwin Lunar Chapter 2: The Man from Noroel

Read chapter 2 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Man from Noroel Edwin barely slept that night. The storm over Vestella continued until morning, rattling the metal walls of his apartment while distant thunder echoed beyond the outer sectors. Every few hours he found himself staring back at the window, half expecting the strange drone to return. But it never did. By sunrise, the rain had weakened into a cold mist drifting between the buildings outside. Edwin sat at the small repair desk near his bed, turning his father's ring slowly between his fingers. The faint glow from the previous night had disappeared. Now it looked ordinary again. Just an old silver-blue ring worn smooth with age. Yet the words from the drone still echoed inside his mind. "Heirs of the Eternal Flame." He still had no idea what that meant. Part of him wondered if he had imagined the entire thing from exhaustion. But deep down, Edwin knew it was real. No technology in the outer sectors looked like that drone. No ordinary people knew his parents' names. And no one had ever mentioned a place called Noroel before. A loud banging suddenly shook the apartment door. Edwin instantly stood. Another knock followed. "Boy!" Martha's voice growled from outside. "You awake or dead?" Edwin exhaled quietly and opened the door. His landlord stood in the hallway wearing a thick grey coat while holding a steaming cup of synth-coffee. Her sharp eyes narrowed immediately. "You planning to pay rent today or should I start selling your junk?" Edwin reached into his pocket and handed her the credits from yesterday's repairs. Martha counted them carefully. "Still short." "I'll have the rest tonight." "You said that last week too." Edwin stayed silent. Martha studied him for a moment before speaking again. "You look terrible." "Thanks." "You sick?" "No." "Then why do you look like you saw a ghost?" Edwin hesitated. For a brief second he almost mentioned the drone. But something stopped him. Instinct. "It's nothing," he said. Martha grunted. "Well, try not to die before paying the rest." She turned and disappeared down the hallway. Edwin closed the door again slowly. Then he looked toward the clock hanging above his repair desk. 8:13 AM. The drone had said someone named Professor Kael would arrive this morning. Part of Edwin considered leaving immediately and pretending none of this had happened. But another part of him—the part that had spent years staring at the distant towers of Vestella wondering if a bigger world existed—needed answers. And for the first time in years… Something had finally connected to his parents. A sharp mechanical sound echoed from outside. Edwin moved to the window. A black transport vehicle had stopped in the street below. People nearby were already staring. The vehicle looked unlike anything in the outer sectors. Its surface was smooth and angular, glowing faintly with blue energy beneath dark metallic armor. No wheels. No visible engines. It hovered silently above the wet ground. Then the side door opened. A tall man stepped out. Dark grey combat suit. Black robe. Sharp features. Cold eyes. The exact same man from the hologram. Professor Kael. The entire street had gone strangely quiet. Even the scavengers lingering near the alleyways backed away cautiously. Kael looked up directly toward Edwin's apartment window. For a moment Edwin felt completely frozen beneath that gaze. Then the professor began walking toward the building. A few seconds later, footsteps echoed through the hallway outside. Three knocks hit the apartment door. Steady. Controlled. Edwin opened it slowly. Professor Kael stood there silently. Up close, he looked even more intimidating. A silver symbol was attached near the collar of his robe—the same warrior symbol shown by the drone. Kael's eyes scanned the apartment quickly. The repair tools. The broken machines. The tiny living space. Something unreadable crossed his expression. "You live alone?" he asked. "Yes." "How long?" "Since I was little." Kael nodded once. "As expected.