Edwin Lunar Chapter 93: The Heart of Orion

Read chapter 93 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Watcher's hand descended. Outside the headquarters, reality twisted around the colossal being. Crimson energy gathered like a storm, spreading across millions of kilometers of space. Stars near the fracture dimmed as though their light was being consumed. Inside the station, warning alarms reached deafening levels. The shields were gone. The defensive platforms had been destroyed. The headquarters stood exposed. And the next attack would tear it apart. For several seconds nobody moved. Everyone stared at the Heart of Orion. The golden sphere floated silently in the center of the chamber, pulsing with ancient energy. Waiting. Waiting for someone to make a choice. Groader stepped forward. "I'll activate it." His voice was firm. Final. The decision had already been made in his mind. Edwin immediately moved in front of him. "No." Groader frowned. "This isn't a debate." "Actually, it is." The two stared at each other. Neither willing to back down. Carl quietly moved closer to Lucien. "Should we stop them?" "No." "Why?" "Because neither of us could." Carl nodded. "Fair point." Meanwhile the station shook again. Massive cracks spread across several nearby walls. Dust rained from the ceiling. Time was running out. Humming stepped forward. "Enough." Both Groader and Edwin turned toward him. The old headmaster looked calmer than anyone else. Yet there was urgency in his eyes. "We need facts." He pointed toward the Heart. "What exactly happens when someone activates it?" Nobody knew. The answer came unexpectedly. The sphere itself began glowing brighter. Ancient symbols appeared across its surface. A holographic interface emerged from the crystal. Builder text filled the air. Iris immediately started translating. Several tense seconds passed. Then her eyes widened. "Oh." Nobody liked that response. "What?" Carl asked. Iris looked up. "The activation won't kill the user." Everyone relaxed slightly. Then she continued. "It only drains the energy required to maintain their current power level." The relief vanished. Edwin immediately understood. If he activated the Heart, he could lose the power he had spent years developing. Groader understood too. The warrior folded his arms. "That explains why Wingard never used it." The room became quiet. Wingard had been preparing for a greater battle. A final battle. Sacrificing his power earlier would have endangered everything. Outside, the Watcher launched another attack. The headquarters shook violently. Several lights exploded. The station's condition worsened by the second. Suddenly the Heart of Orion projected another hologram. This time it wasn't Wingard. It was Edlin. The room froze. Edwin's breath caught immediately. His mother stood before them wearing the same blue scarf he had carried since childhood. Unlike the previous visions, she seemed calm. Almost peaceful. As though she knew this recording would eventually be found. "Hello." A small smile appeared on her face. "If you're watching this, then things have probably become complicated." Carl whispered. "Understatement of the century." Nobody responded. Nobody could stop staring. Edlin's gaze moved across the room. Then settled on Edwin. For a moment her expression softened. The way a mother might look at her child. Even through a recording. Even after all these years. "I wish we had more time together." Edwin felt his chest tighten. The room disappeared from his awareness. There was only the recording. Only her voice. Only her. Edlin continued. "The Heart of Orion wasn't built as a weapon." Everyone immediately paid attention. "It was built as a key." A key. The word echoed through the chamber. "A key to the barrier." Suddenly Groader looked very interested. The barrier again. Everything kept leading back to it. Wingard's final defense. The shield surrounding the galaxy. The thing preventing the Observer from entering. Edlin nodded. "As long as the barrier exists, the Observer cannot fully return." The statement answered one mystery.