Edwin Lunar Chapter 5: The Headmaster of Noroel

Read chapter 5 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Headmaster of Noroel The central tower of Lunar Dominion Academy stood higher than every other structure surrounding it. As Edwin followed Kael, Carl, and Iris through the massive pathways of the academy, he found himself staring upward constantly. Silver-blue energy flowed across the walls of the tower like rivers of light while enormous glass windows reflected the cloudy skies of Noroel. Everywhere he looked, students moved with purpose. Some wore black robes lined with silver ties. Others had blue. A few older students wore dark crimson ties that immediately drew attention from everyone nearby. Edwin noticed something quickly. Rank mattered here. A lot. "What do the tie colors mean?" he asked quietly. Carl answered immediately. "Ranks." He pointed toward a passing student with a grey tie. "Beginners." Then toward another group. "Silver are Lunars. Blue are Broaders." "What about the crimson ones?" Carl lowered his voice slightly. "Uranians." Edwin frowned. "That sounds dramatic." "It is dramatic," Carl replied. "Most students never even reach that rank." Iris spoke without looking up from her tablet. "Only six percent of academy students become Uranians before graduation." Carl sighed. "She memorizes statistics for fun." "I memorize useful information," Iris corrected calmly. Edwin glanced around again. Everything here felt structured. Precise. Even the architecture seemed designed to remind people of hierarchy and discipline. Giant banners displaying the warrior symbol hung from the towers while glowing lines along the floors directed students toward different sectors. No wasted movement. No chaos. Very different from Vestella. As they approached the central tower entrance, two enormous armored guards stepped forward automatically. Unlike the soldiers Edwin had seen earlier, these guards looked almost inhuman. Their armor was black with silver patterns glowing beneath the surface while mechanical visors covered their faces entirely. One of them spoke in a deep mechanical voice. "Professor Kael." "Authorization Sigma-Seven," Kael replied calmly. The guards stepped aside instantly. The giant doors opened. Warm light spilled outward. Edwin walked inside—and stopped completely. The interior was breathtaking. The central hall stretched upward through dozens of levels connected by floating platforms and transparent elevators moving silently through the air. Holographic stars rotated across the ceiling while enormous crystal chandeliers glowed with silver fire. Students filled the hall below. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. Conversations echoed across the chamber as professors organized groups near giant display screens showing rankings, schedules, and combat statistics. Edwin suddenly became aware of just how small he was inside this place. Carl noticed immediately. "Overwhelming, right?" "A little." "A little?" Carl laughed. "I almost fainted my first day." "You fainted because you skipped breakfast," Iris said. "That's not important." Kael continued walking toward a massive staircase at the far end of the hall. "Stay close." As they moved through the crowd, Edwin noticed students whispering while looking at him. More specifically… At the ring. Some looked curious. Others looked nervous. One older student actually stopped walking entirely after seeing it. Edwin quietly pulled down the sleeve of his jacket to hide the ring slightly. He hated attention. Especially this kind. At the top of the staircase stood enormous silver doors covered in moving symbols. Kael stopped before them. "The Headmaster is waiting." Carl immediately straightened his posture. Even Iris looked more serious now. Edwin's heartbeat quickened slightly. Professor Humming. One of the last people alive who truly knew his parents. Kael pressed his hand against the door. Blue light spread outward instantly. Then the doors slowly opened. The office beyond looked less like a room and more like an ancient observatory. Massive windows revealed the skies of Nor