Edwin Lunar Chapter 9: The Flame Lesson

Read chapter 9 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Flame Lesson Morning on Noroel did not look like mornings in Vestella. There was no grey industrial smoke drifting across crowded buildings. No distant factory alarms. No endless sound of traffic from the outer sectors. Instead, silver sunlight spread slowly across floating towers while clouds drifted beneath the academy itself. Giant waterfalls poured from suspended islands far below the skies, glowing faintly with blue energy as ships crossed the horizon like moving stars. For the first time in years… Edwin woke naturally. Then the academy alarm exploded through the dormitory. "FIRST-YEAR COMBAT PREPARATION BEGINS IN TWENTY MINUTES." Edwin nearly fell out of bed. Carl groaned loudly from the other side of the room. "Why does the academy believe screaming is motivation?" The floating assistant drone, Seven, emerged from the ceiling immediately. "Reminder: late students receive penalty assignments." Carl sat upright instantly. "Suddenly I respect punctuality." Edwin rubbed his eyes slowly. Despite everything that happened the previous night, exhaustion had eventually pulled him asleep. But the strange dreams still lingered in his mind. Silver fire. Dark hallways. A voice whispering beneath the academy walls. And red eyes watching him through static. He looked toward his hand automatically. The ring appeared normal again. No glowing markings. No warmth. Just silver-blue metal. Maybe it had all been stress. Maybe— "Edwin," Carl said suddenly. "What?" "You're doing the staring-at-the-ring thing again." Edwin immediately dropped his hand. "Sorry." Carl stretched dramatically before grabbing his academy uniform from a nearby chair. The dark grey combat suit looked far more advanced than ordinary clothing. Thin silver patterns moved faintly beneath the surface while the material adjusted automatically when worn. Edwin picked up his own uniform carefully. It felt surprisingly light. "You get used to the suit quickly," Carl explained while struggling with one sleeve somehow. "It adapts to movement, body temperature, minor injuries—" "How are you losing a fight against clothing?" "I'm still waking up." Seven floated beside Edwin. "Combat synchronization active." The moment Edwin placed the suit on, tiny streams of blue light moved briefly across the fabric before fading. Carl noticed immediately. "…Okay, mine definitely didn't do that." Edwin frowned. "What does it mean?" Seven's scanner focused toward him. "Unusual synchronization response detected." Carl pointed dramatically. "Again with the mysterious responses." Edwin sighed quietly. At this point he expected nothing less. A few minutes later, both boys stepped into the academy pathways already crowded with students heading toward different sectors. The skies above Noroel shimmered brilliantly beneath silver sunlight while giant holographic schedules floated across the towers. Carl pointed ahead excitedly. "First combat theory class." "That sounds less painful than actual combat." "You say that now." As they crossed a floating bridge between towers, Edwin noticed several students watching him again. Or more specifically— Watching the ring. Even hidden partially beneath his sleeve, people somehow noticed it immediately. One older student whispered something to another after passing him. Another quickly looked away the moment Edwin noticed. Carl lowered his voice slightly. "People here really know your family name." "I'm starting to hate that sentence." They eventually entered a gigantic circular chamber surrounded by floating holographic displays. The classroom looked more like a futuristic arena than a lecture hall. Rows of platforms floated above a central training floor while giant screens projected tactical simulations across the walls. Nearly a hundred students filled the chamber already. Lucien sat near the front beside several advanced-ranking students. Of course he did. Iris waved toward Edwin from a nearby platform. "You're late." "We're literally early." "Barely." Carl