Edwin Lunar Chapter 45: The War Chamber

Read chapter 45 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The central towers of Lunar Dominion Academy looked colder than Edwin remembered. Dark clouds drifted above the silver structures while military carriers moved constantly between the floating platforms surrounding the academy. Massive defense cannons now stood along the outer walls where student gardens once existed. Even the air felt heavier. The academy was preparing for war. Orion Team followed Professor Raith through the upper sectors silently while security drones scanned every hallway around them. Students moved quickly across the corridors wearing combat uniforms instead of normal academy robes. Nobody laughed loudly anymore. Nobody wandered aimlessly. Every person seemed focused. Alert. Ready. Carl leaned closer toward Edwin while they walked. "If someone told first-year me that our school would become a military fortress, I would've transferred immediately." Lucien crossed his arms. "You would have failed the entrance exam somewhere else." "That is emotionally offensive." Iris ignored both of them while studying the academy tactical updates floating beside her. "The Dominion activated three planetary defense rings overnight." Raith nodded once without slowing down. "The outer systems are collapsing faster than expected." Edwin looked toward him immediately. "What happened?" For a moment— Raith remained silent. Then quietly answered: "Entire colonies disappeared." The hallway became still. Carl stopped walking briefly. "…Disappeared?" "No distress calls. No debris. No survivors." Even Lucien's expression darkened now. Raith continued walking toward a giant silver door at the end of the corridor. "The Dominion officially blames Eclipse remnants." "But you don't believe that," Edwin said. Raith finally looked back at him. "No." The giant doors opened. And Orion Team entered the War Chamber. The room was enormous. Far larger than any hall Edwin had seen before. A massive circular chamber stretched beneath a giant holographic dome displaying the entire Noor System in glowing silver light. Fleet movements, planetary defenses, and combat alerts rotated through the air across hundreds of tactical displays. Dominion commanders stood across different platforms discussing battle strategies while holographic warships moved between simulated battlefields overhead. At the center of the chamber— Headmaster Humming waited. But today— He did not look like a school headmaster. He wore full Marshal armor. Silver-black battle armor lined with glowing Flame symbols covered his body while a long dark coat flowed behind him like shadowed fire. The entire chamber quieted slightly when Orion Team entered. Carl whispered softly: "…Okay he looks terrifying." Humming turned toward them calmly. His silver eyes looked more tired than usual. "Welcome back." Edwin stepped forward slightly. "Professor Raith said you wanted to see us immediately." "Yes." The Headmaster raised one hand. The giant Noor System map shifted instantly. Several outer sectors turned red. Then black. LOST CONTACT Carl stared upward nervously. "…That's a lot of red." Humming's voice echoed through the chamber. "Three weeks ago, Dominion fleets began encountering unidentified phenomena beyond the outer sectors." The holograms changed. Destroyed ships appeared across the projection. Not exploded. Bent. Twisted unnaturally like metal crushed by invisible force. Several commanders nearby lowered their eyes uneasily. Iris studied the images carefully. "That damage pattern doesn't match Eclipse weaponry." "No," Humming answered quietly. "It does not." The hologram shifted again. Now showing giant dark distortions floating through space. Reality itself appeared warped around them. Carl pointed immediately. "I officially hate that shape." Humming looked directly toward Orion Team. "The Void has entered the Noor System." Silence crashed across the chamber. Even hearing the sentence aloud felt wrong somehow. Edwin's ring pulsed sharply beneath his sleeve. The Headmaster continued: "For y