Edwin Lunar Chapter 3: The Train Beneath the City

Read chapter 3 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Train Beneath the City Edwin stood motionless in the center of his apartment. The rain outside had slowed to a quiet drizzle now, but the atmosphere inside the room felt heavier than the storm itself. Groader. The name echoed through his thoughts like distant thunder. And that voice… "…Lunar… alive…" Even now Edwin could still hear it clearly. Professor Kael remained near the window, watching the streets below carefully. The calm expression on his face had returned, but Edwin noticed something different now. Alertness. Like a soldier expecting danger at any moment. "You really think someone's after me?" Edwin asked quietly. Kael did not look away from the window. "I think forces you do not understand have already begun moving." "That doesn't answer the question." Kael finally turned toward him. "Your parents were not ordinary people, Edwin. Their enemies were not ordinary either." Edwin tightened his grip around the ring in his hand. Everything felt unreal. Yesterday he had been repairing broken hover-engines and worrying about rent. Now hidden worlds, dead warriors, and ancient enemies were somehow connected to him. Part of him still wanted to believe this was impossible. But impossible things did not activate broken screens by themselves. Kael stepped toward the apartment door. "You have ten minutes." "For what?" "To decide." Edwin frowned. "You're giving me a choice?" "I do not force children into Noroel." The answer surprised him. Kael reached into his robe and placed a small metallic object on the table. A thin silver card. "If you stay," Kael continued, "destroy this immediately." "What is it?" "A tracker." Edwin stared at it. "And if I go with you?" "Then your old life ends today." The room became silent again. Kael opened the apartment door and stepped into the hallway. "I'll wait outside." Then he left. Edwin stood alone once more. For several long seconds he simply stared at the rain-covered window. His old life ends today. The words settled heavily inside him. Slowly, he walked across the room. Every object suddenly felt important. The repair desk where he had worked countless nights. The old chair near the window. The shelves stacked with broken machine parts. This tiny apartment had never truly felt like home. But it was familiar. Safe. At least… he had believed it was. Edwin opened the drawer beside his bed again and carefully picked up his mother's silver scarf. The fabric felt cold against his fingers. A memory surfaced suddenly. A woman kneeling beside him. Soft silver hair moving gently in the wind. Warm hands wrapping the scarf around his shoulders. "You'll understand someday," she had whispered. The memory vanished as quickly as it came. Edwin closed his eyes briefly. Then he packed the scarf carefully into his bag. Next came the ring. He slid it back onto his finger slowly. The faint silver-blue markings glowed for just a moment before fading again. Almost like the ring knew a decision had been made. Edwin looked around the apartment one final time. Then he grabbed his tool bag. And walked out. Professor Kael stood beside the hovering black transport outside the building. The streets nearby had mostly emptied, but several people still watched nervously from windows and alleyways. Nobody approached. Kael looked at the bag in Edwin's hand. "You repair machines?" "It's how I survived." Kael nodded slightly. "That skill may become useful." Edwin glanced back toward the apartment building one last time. Martha was standing near an upper-floor window staring downward suspiciously. When she noticed Edwin looking, she shouted through the rain. "You better not disappear without paying next week's rent!" Despite everything happening, Edwin almost laughed. "Guess I still owe someone money," he muttered. Kael raised an eyebrow. "You dislike her." "She dislikes everyone." "That was not my observation." Edwin looked away quickly. Kael's expression remained unreadable. "Come." The side door of the transport slid open