Edwin Lunar Chapter 43: The Train to Noroel

Read chapter 43 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

Morning rain covered Vestella in silver mist. The city never truly slept. Even before sunrise, transport drones filled the skies while neon advertisements flickered across giant tower walls. Far below the upper sectors, the lower districts buzzed with crowded traffic, market lights, and the endless hum of machines. But today— Something felt wrong. Military patrol ships moved between the towers in organized formations. Dominion soldiers stood near public stations. Large holographic screens displayed emergency alerts every few minutes. OUTER-SECTOR SIGNAL DISTURBANCES CONTINUE CIVILIAN TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE REPORT UNUSUAL ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY People pretended not to notice. But fear had already spread through the city. Edwin stood near the apartment window quietly watching the distant sky while the academy letter rested on the table behind him. The ring on his hand glowed faintly again. Ever since the Astral Keeper signal appeared last night— The ring had barely calmed down. Sometimes Edwin could almost feel something beyond the stars trying to reach him. A knock interrupted his thoughts. Mrs. Vera entered immediately without waiting. "You're leaving already?" Edwin nodded while packing the last few things into his academy bag. His uniform. Combat gloves. Training device. And carefully wrapped inside dark cloth— his father's ring records. Mrs. Vera placed folded arms against the doorway. "You academy kids really never stay in one place." Edwin smiled slightly. "That's kind of the point of an academy." "Hm." For several moments, she remained unusually quiet. Then finally said: "…Be careful." The words surprised him. Mrs. Vera avoided eye contact immediately afterward. "The news channels keep talking about disappearances near the lunar routes." She adjusted her glasses nervously. "And whatever happened above Noroel six months ago…" Her voice lowered slightly. "…people are scared." Edwin looked toward the city skyline again. "So am I." The honest answer surprised even himself. Mrs. Vera stared briefly before sighing. "Well." She tossed him a small wrapped package. "Birthday gift." Edwin blinked. "…You already gave me cake." "That was leftover cake." "It literally had a sixteen candle." "Details." He opened the small package carefully. Inside rested a black combat jacket lined with silver fabric. Simple. But strong. Mrs. Vera crossed her arms proudly. "You keep destroying your clothes." Edwin laughed softly. "That's actually fair." For a moment— The apartment felt warm. Normal. Like the universe beyond Vestella didn't exist. But then— The city alarms echoed faintly outside. Reality returned instantly. Edwin picked up his bag. "It's time." Mrs. Vera walked him downstairs silently. Outside the apartment building, rain continued falling across the streets while military transports crossed overhead. At the station entrance, crowds of academy students moved toward the underground transit lines leading to the lunar trains. Some laughed nervously. Others whispered about the war rumors spreading across the Dominion. Edwin stepped toward the station gates. Then paused. Mrs. Vera stood behind him awkwardly. "…You better come back alive." The sentence hit harder than expected. Edwin smiled slightly. "I'll try." Then he disappeared into the station crowds. Deep beneath Vestella— The underground lunar station stretched endlessly through metallic tunnels glowing with blue transport lights. Giant trains rested across massive gravity rails while announcement systems echoed throughout the enormous chambers. Students from different academies crowded the platforms carrying luggage and combat gear. But the atmosphere felt different this year. Heavier. More serious. Many older students now wore military trainee insignias instead of standard academy badges. The Dominion was preparing. Edwin walked toward Platform Nine quietly. Then suddenly— Someone tackled him from behind. "BIRTHDAY BOY!" Edwin nearly lost balance as Carl wrapped both arms around