Edwin Lunar Chapter 104: Wingard's Final Secret

Read chapter 104 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The golden crystal illuminated the enormous underground chamber as the figure inside slowly opened his eyes. Wingard Lunar. The legendary founder of Orion. The hero of the Great War. The man whose shadow had followed Edwin throughout his entire life. Standing before him. Alive. Or at least something very close to it. The chamber remained completely silent. Even the Observer seemed frozen. For the first time since Edwin had met him, the ancient Architect looked genuinely stunned. "Impossible..." The word escaped his lips almost involuntarily. Wingard's eyes glowed with soft golden light. Then he smiled. The same confident smile Edwin had seen in old recordings. The same smile from the photographs. The same smile that had inspired entire generations. "Hello, Orion." The Observer froze. Nobody had called him that in thousands of years. For a moment, the ancient being simply stared. Then a faint smile appeared. "You always did enjoy surprises." Wingard laughed. The sound echoed throughout the cavern. For a brief moment it felt as though twenty thousand years of history had disappeared. Two old friends. Meeting again. Then Edwin noticed something. Wingard wasn't moving. The crystal wasn't merely holding him. It was connected to him. Golden energy flowed between the barrier and the crystal. The realization struck instantly. Wingard wasn't trapped. He was sustaining something. The Observer noticed too. His smile vanished. "No..." Wingard's expression softened. "You figured it out." The room became silent. The Observer slowly approached the crystal. For perhaps the first time in the entire story, he looked afraid. Not of the Watchers. Not of war. Of loss. "What did you do?" Wingard looked toward the enormous cavern above them. Then toward Edwin. Finally back toward Orion. "The only thing I could." The crystal brightened. Golden energy spread throughout the chamber. Suddenly the walls around them came alive. Ancient memories appeared. Not recordings. Actual memories. Everyone watched. The final days of the Great War. Wingard standing alone. The barrier collapsing. The Watchers approaching. The Observer gone. The galaxy on the verge of destruction. History unfolded before them. Then they saw something unexpected. Wingard entering this very chamber. Alone. Carrying the Heart of Orion. Everyone stared. Even Groader. Because none of them had known this happened. The vision continued. Wingard approached the crystal. Then a figure emerged from it. An Architect. Ancient. Powerful. The same race as Elyra. The last Guardian. The true protector of the Second Anchor. The Guardian spoke. "The barrier is dying." Wingard nodded. "I know." "The Observer cannot repair it." "I know." "The Watchers are coming." "I know." Silence. Then the Guardian spoke again. "There is one solution." The vision darkened. The chamber became quieter. Everyone sensed the importance of this moment. "The Anchor requires a soul." The words echoed through the cavern. A soul. Not energy. Not technology. A soul. The Guardian continued. "Someone must become part of the barrier." The room froze. Edwin stared at the memory. Already knowing what came next. Wingard smiled. "When do we start?" The vision shattered. Silence filled the chamber. Nobody spoke. Nobody could. The truth was finally revealed. Wingard hadn't repaired the barrier. He had become part of it. He had sacrificed himself. Not in battle. Not during some heroic final stand. Quietly. Alone. Without recognition. Without glory. The Observer lowered his head. For several moments he said nothing. Then he laughed softly. A broken laugh. A painful laugh. "You idiot." The words echoed through the cavern. Wingard smiled. "I learned from the best." For the first time, genuine emotion appeared in the Observer's eyes. Pain. Regret. Grief. Twenty thousand years of loss. And now another. "You should've told me." Wingard shook his head. "You would've stopped me." The Observer didn't argue. Because it w