Edwin Lunar Chapter 61: The Last Key

Read chapter 61 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The next morning, the atmosphere across Lunar Dominion Academy felt different. Not calmer. Worse. The academy's giant defense cannons remained aimed toward the sky while military fleets continuously arrived from across the Dominion. Students whispered in corridors, instructors moved with unusual urgency, and every news broadcast carried the same message: Outer colonies were disappearing. Not conquered. Not destroyed. Vanishing. Entire star systems were going silent overnight. Edwin stood at the observation deck overlooking Noroel's silver oceans. He hadn't told anyone about the vision. Not yet. The Devourer. The Last Key. His mother. The pieces were beginning to connect, but the picture remained incomplete. Footsteps approached behind him. "You're thinking too loudly again." Edwin turned. Carl. Holding two cups of hot lunar chocolate. Edwin blinked. "You bought drinks?" Carl handed one over. "I felt the world ending, so I decided to be generous." For the first time in days, Edwin laughed. Later that afternoon, Orion Team was summoned to the First Gate Chamber. The massive silver gateway continued glowing softly at the center of the ancient ruins. This time, however, new faces filled the room. Dominion Marshals. Fleet commanders. Academy leaders. Even representatives from distant star systems. The situation had become too serious to hide. Headmaster Humming stood before the gathering. "The Noor System is no longer the center of this crisis." A holographic map appeared. Red zones spread across the galaxy. Every day they expanded. Every day more worlds disappeared. Commander Vael stepped forward. "The Devourer is moving." The room became silent. One commander spoke nervously. "Can we stop it?" Vael didn't answer immediately. Then: "No." Fear spread through the chamber. "If the records are correct, no civilization has ever defeated the Devourer." The hologram shifted. Ancient ruins appeared. Dead galaxies. Broken gateways. Civilizations erased from history. The same pattern repeated endlessly. Something arrived. Something disappeared. Then only silence remained. The Astral Keeper floated toward the First Gate. Ancient symbols ignited around the structure. "The Devourer follows a cycle." Everyone turned toward the glowing figure. "It awakens when the barriers between realities weaken." The gateway pulsed. "The Void feared Groader because his Signal weakened those barriers." A realization struck Edwin instantly. "That's why the Great War happened." The Keeper nodded. "Yes." For generations, humanity believed Groader wanted power. But the truth was worse. Groader had accidentally awakened something ancient. Something sleeping beyond reality. Something Orion desperately tried to keep sealed away. The Devourer. Suddenly the First Gate activated. Silver light erupted upward. Ancient Orion systems came online throughout the chamber. WARNING LAST KEY DETECTED The room froze. Every display turned toward Edwin. The ring burned against his hand. Then a new hologram appeared. Not Wingard. Not Orion. Edlin Lunar. Alive. The image flickered weakly. As though transmitted across impossible distances. "Mom..." Her eyes widened. She could see him. Actually see him. For several seconds neither spoke. Then Edlin smiled. A tired smile. But real. "Edwin." His chest tightened. For years he had dreamed of hearing her voice again. And now she stood before him. Separated by galaxies. By realities. By time itself. But alive. Carl quietly wiped away a tear. "Okay... that's actually emotional." Nobody disagreed. Edlin's expression quickly became serious. "There isn't much time." The chamber fell silent. "The Final Gateway is failing." The holographic image flickered violently. Behind her stood a colossal silver structure larger than cities. Covered in Orion symbols. Cracked. Breaking. Edwin stepped forward. "We're coming for you." His mother smiled again. Then shook her head. "No." Everyone froze. "What?" Her expression hardened. "The Devourer is already here