Edwin Lunar Chapter 64: The Herald of the End

Read chapter 64 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The Noor System fell silent. The giant figure standing beside the black star seemed to absorb sound itself. Fleets stopped moving. Communications stuttered. Even the silver oceans of Noroel appeared unnaturally still. Only the Herald moved. Its body was formed from darkness and shattered stars, as though entire galaxies had been compressed into a single being. And its eyes remained fixed on Edwin. Inside the First Gate Chamber, every tactical display flashed red. THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN POWER LEVEL: UNMEASURABLE Carl stared at the warnings. "I don't like words like 'unmeasurable.'" Lucien nodded. "For once, I agree." Astra immediately began issuing orders to the Sentinel Fleet. "Defensive Formation Alpha." Thousands of ancient warships shifted into position around Noroel. Silver barriers ignited throughout the system. The Herald simply watched. Waiting. Then it took a step forward. The black star behind it pulsed. And an entire Sentinel squadron vanished. No explosion. No debris. No energy signature. Gone. The chamber became deathly silent. One hundred ships erased instantly. Astra's face darkened. "It erased them from reality." Even Commander Vael looked unsettled. "Open fire." The order echoed through every fleet channel. The Noor System erupted. Thousands of Dominion and Sentinel weapons fired simultaneously. Silver beams. Orbital cannons. Ancient Orion weapons. Enough firepower to destroy planets. The attack illuminated the entire system. Then the light faded. The Herald remained standing. Unharmed. Not even a scratch. Carl slowly sat down. "I officially dislike this enemy." The Herald raised its hand. Reality cracked. Dark fractures spread through space itself. Several warships immediately lost power and drifted helplessly. The black star expanded slightly. More stars vanished around it. As if existence itself were being consumed. Then the Herald spoke again. Its voice echoed everywhere. Inside ships. Inside cities. Inside minds. The Devourer awakens. Students across the academy froze. Citizens throughout the Dominion heard the words. Fear spread faster than any weapon. Edwin stepped forward. The ring glowed brightly. Silver and violet energy flowed around him. For the first time since the battle began— The Herald reacted. Its gaze sharpened. The Last Key. The words echoed across the chamber. Astra immediately moved beside Edwin. "You must leave." Edwin looked at her. "What?" "If the Herald confirms your location, the Devourer will arrive sooner." Humming nodded grimly. "She's right." The realization struck everyone simultaneously. The Herald hadn't come for Noroel. It had come for Edwin. Suddenly the First Gate activated. Ancient symbols lit up across the ruins. A new message appeared. AUTOMATIC PROTOCOL ACTIVATED FINAL EXPANSE ROUTE AVAILABLE The room froze. The gate had opened. For the first time in thousands of years. Astra stared at the display. "It's responding to the Key." The route to the Final Expanse had become accessible. The route to Edlin Lunar. The Herald turned toward the academy. Then slowly pointed at Edwin. The black star behind it expanded dramatically. Reality began collapsing around the Noor System. Fleet commanders shouted across communication channels. The Sentinel Fleet moved to intercept. Dominion ships rushed forward. A massive battle erupted across space. Silver explosions lit the stars. Yet through the chaos— The Herald continued walking. One step. Another step. Each movement distorted reality itself. Edwin looked around the chamber. Carl. Iris. Lucien. Humming. Vael. Astra. All of them understood the same thing. The war had changed. Noroel was no longer the objective. The Final Expanse was. His mother was. And somehow— He was the center of it all. The ring pulsed once. Then a familiar voice echoed softly inside his mind. His mother's voice. Edwin... Hurry. The message lasted only a second. But it was enough. Edwin looked toward the activated First Gate. Then toward his friends. A decision formed