Edwin Lunar Chapter 59: The Final Expanse

Read chapter 59 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The sky above Noroel finally began to stabilize. The giant black eye had vanished. The Observer's presence faded from the Noor System. Yet nobody felt relieved. Because the last thing it had shown Edwin remained burned into his mind. His mother. Alive. Waiting beyond something called the Final Expanse. Standing before a massive silver gate at the edge of reality itself. And now Edwin knew the truth. He wasn't fighting merely to save humanity anymore. He was fighting to bring her home. Three days later. The academy remained under emergency military control. Repair drones filled the skies above Sector Three while students helped clear debris from the battle. For the first time in academy history, regular classes had been suspended indefinitely. Every student was now receiving combat training. War was no longer a possibility. It was coming. Inside the central command hall, Headmaster Humming stood before hundreds of students gathered inside the enormous auditorium. Behind him floated a holographic map of the galaxy. Thousands of red markers glowed across it. The room was silent. "Three days ago," Humming began, "the first phase of the Void Crisis began." The map zoomed outward. Gasps echoed through the hall. New gateways had appeared everywhere. Entire star systems were reporting disturbances. Several outer colonies had gone completely silent. "The Dominion cannot protect every world alone." His eyes swept across the students. "Which means you will become the next line of defense." A heavy silence followed. No one laughed. No one whispered. Even Carl remained quiet. For once. Because everyone understood. Their generation would inherit the coming war. After the briefing, Orion Team gathered atop one of the academy's observation platforms. The silver ocean below reflected the damaged sky beautifully. For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then Carl broke the silence. "So..." He looked toward Edwin. "Your mother is alive." Edwin nodded slowly. "Yes." Carl stared at him. Then punched his shoulder lightly. "Good." Edwin blinked. "Good?" "Yeah." Carl smiled. "Because now we can actually find her." A small smile appeared on Edwin's face. Lucien crossed his arms. "As if traveling beyond reality is simple." "It isn't," Iris replied. "But it's possible." The four stood together looking toward the horizon. Just like they had countless times before. Only now— Everything had changed. That evening, Edwin was summoned to the deepest level of the academy. A place even older than Sector Zero. A chamber hidden beneath layers of Orion ruins. When the doors finally opened, Edwin stopped walking. The room was enormous. Ancient. And at its center stood a gigantic silver structure. A gateway. Or at least part of one. Orion symbols glowed faintly across its surface. Headmaster Humming stood beside it. Commander Vael waited nearby. The Astral Keeper floated silently above the floor. Edwin stared upward. "What is this?" The Keeper answered. "The First Gate." His heartbeat quickened. "The first gateway ever built by Orion." Humming nodded. "And the only known path to the Final Expanse." Silence filled the chamber. Edwin slowly approached the ancient structure. The ring immediately reacted. Silver light spread across the ruins. Ancient systems awakened. Thousands of dormant symbols ignited around the room. Vael's expression darkened. "Just as we feared." The gateway recognized him. The chamber trembled softly. Ancient machinery that had remained silent for centuries began activating once more. Then a holographic message appeared above the gateway. Not from Orion. Not from the Dominion. From Wingard Lunar. Edwin froze. His father's image stood before him. Older. Worn. Determined. The recording began. "If you're seeing this, then the Final Gateway has awakened." The chamber became completely silent. "Edwin... if you inherited the ring, then events have unfolded exactly as I feared." Edwin couldn't move. He hadn't heard his father's voice in years. "Your mother is a