Edwin Lunar Chapter 77: The First Orion

Read chapter 77 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The storm remained over Noroel long after midnight. Lightning flashed across the distant horizon. Thunder echoed through the academy grounds. Yet no rain fell. It was as if the sky itself couldn't decide whether to break. Edwin stood beside the dormitory window. Sleep was impossible. The vision from earlier continued replaying inside his mind. The Red Box. The crimson runes. The ancient eyes opening in darkness. And most of all— The voice. "The truth has slept long enough." He had never heard it before. Yet somehow it felt familiar. As though the voice belonged to someone he should know. Someone important. A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. Before he could answer, Iris entered the room carrying a stack of data tablets. Behind her came Carl. Then Lucien. Apparently nobody else had slept either. "I found something." Iris immediately placed the tablets on the table. Edwin sat down. Carl grabbed a chair. Lucien leaned against the wall. The atmosphere felt different tonight. More serious. More urgent. The mystery was no longer distant. It was moving. Awakening. "What did you find?" Edwin asked. Iris activated the first tablet. An old photograph appeared above the table. The same photograph Edwin had discovered in Wingard's chest. The Original Orion. Wingard. Edlin. Groader. Humming. Carl stared at it. "It's weird seeing Humming young." "That's what you're focusing on?" "Yes." Iris sighed. Then enlarged the image. "Look carefully." The four figures stood together. Wingard had one arm around Edlin. Groader was laughing. Humming looked annoyed. Exactly as before. Yet now Edwin noticed something strange. There was someone else. Far in the background. Almost hidden. A shadow. A tall figure standing near the edge of the image. Watching. Edwin narrowed his eyes. "I didn't notice that before." "Neither did I." Iris nodded. "The image was altered." The room immediately became silent. "Altered?" Lucien asked. "Someone tried to remove the figure." Iris manipulated the image. Layers of digital restoration appeared. Bit by bit the damaged sections rebuilt themselves. The shadow became clearer. Tall. Thin. Wearing dark robes. And staring directly at the camera. A cold feeling settled in Edwin's chest. Because the figure felt familiar. Not visually. Emotionally. The same feeling he experienced at the station. The same feeling from the archive footage. The same feeling from the shadow watching the academy. Someone had been observing Orion from the very beginning. Before anyone could speak, another image appeared. Then another. Then another. Every photograph showed the same thing. The Original Orion. And somewhere nearby— The mysterious observer. Watching. Always watching. "Who is he?" Carl whispered. "No idea." Iris answered. "But that's not the strange part." More files appeared. Mission reports. Academy records. Historical documents. All connected to the Original Orion. The deeper Iris searched, the stranger the records became. Some described Groader as a hero. Others called him dangerous. Some praised him. Others condemned him. The contradictions were everywhere. Almost as if someone had rewritten the story repeatedly over time. "Look at this." A new document appeared. One of the oldest academy records ever created. The title read: ORION TEAM — FOUNDING REPORT Edwin immediately leaned forward. The report listed the first members. Wingard Lunar. Edlin Lunar. Humming. Groader. Officially recognized as the academy's greatest student team. Carl whistled. "So they really were the first Orion." "Looks like it." Edwin continued reading. The report described dozens of missions. Rescue operations. Exploration projects. Military assignments. And one thing became obvious very quickly. Groader appeared in almost every success. According to the original reports: He saved colonies. He protected fleets. He prevented wars. He discovered ancient technology. Nothing resembled the image of a traitor. Nothing. Edwin frowned. "This doesn't make sense." "No." Ir