Edwin Lunar Chapter 66: The Final Expanse

Read chapter 66 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The moment Edwin stepped through the First Gate— Reality disappeared. There was no ground. No sky. No stars. Only endless silver light stretching in every direction. For a terrifying second, Edwin felt as though his body had been scattered across infinity itself. Then— The world returned. BOOOOM. Orion Team crashed onto solid ground. Carl immediately rolled across metallic stone before slamming into a crystal pillar. "Owww." He sat up slowly. "I officially hate interdimensional travel." Nearby, Iris was already scanning the environment. Lucien rose calmly, sword in hand. Edwin stood silently. Because what lay before them was unlike anything he had ever imagined. The Final Expanse was beautiful. And terrifying. A silver sky stretched overhead, filled with floating islands and shattered stars frozen in place. Ancient gateways drifted through the air like abandoned monuments while rivers of glowing energy flowed through empty space. Somehow— Everything felt alive. The ring pulsed softly. As if recognizing the place. Carl slowly looked around. "Okay." He pointed upward. "We definitely aren't in the Noor System anymore." "No," Iris replied quietly. "We aren't even in normal reality." Far above them floated the remains of an enormous city. Ancient towers extended into the sky. Broken bridges connected floating islands. Silver structures glowed faintly despite being thousands of years old. Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Orion?" A familiar voice answered. "Older." Everyone spun around. A figure stood behind them. Tall. Wearing silver armor. Glowing blue eyes. Not human. Not Void. Something in between. The stranger studied Edwin carefully. Then looked at the ring. "The Last Key has finally arrived." Edwin immediately stepped forward. "Who are you?" The figure bowed slightly. "My name is Aether." The name seemed familiar somehow. Then Edwin remembered. The vision. The civilization before Orion. Aether smiled faintly. "I was one of the builders." Silence. Carl blinked. "The builders of what?" Aether looked toward the horizon. Toward a giant silver structure visible in the distance. Even from here it dwarfed mountains. "The Final Gateway." The group followed Aether through the ruins. As they walked, Edwin noticed something strange. The city wasn't abandoned. It was sleeping. Ancient machines still hummed beneath the streets. Crystal lights flickered inside towers. Some structures even repaired themselves slowly. As though waiting for someone to return. Waiting for the Key. Waiting for him. Several hours later they reached the edge of the city. And everyone stopped. The Final Gateway stood before them. Massive. Impossible. Beautiful. Silver rings surrounded a structure larger than entire cities. Ancient symbols glowed across its surface while streams of cosmic energy flowed through it. At its center stood a single figure. Edwin froze. His heartbeat stopped. The figure slowly turned. Long silver-black hair. Gentle eyes. The same smile he remembered from childhood. His mother. Edlin Lunar. Alive. For a moment nobody moved. Neither spoke. Years of separation. Years of pain. Years of questions. Gone in an instant. "Mom..." Edwin's voice barely emerged. Tears filled Edlin's eyes. "Edwin." Then she ran. Not like a legendary hero. Not like the guardian of reality. Like a mother. Edwin ran too. And for the first time in years— Mother and son embraced. The Final Expanse fell silent. Carl quietly turned away. "Nobody look." Iris smiled softly. Lucien nodded respectfully. Even Aether lowered his head. For several minutes neither wanted to let go. Then Edlin finally looked at him properly. Her hands touched his face. "You've grown so much." Edwin laughed through tears. "And you've been gone too long." She smiled sadly. "I know." But the reunion didn't last. Because suddenly— The entire Expanse trembled. The sky darkened. The silver rivers froze. Every ancient machine stopped. Aether's expression changed instantly. Fear. Real fear. "The Devourer." Everyone