Edwin Lunar Chapter 74: Return to Noroel

Read chapter 74 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

Three days later. The Central Vestella Transit Station was as crowded as ever. Thousands of travelers moved through the massive structure while announcement systems echoed overhead. Hover-trains arrived and departed every few minutes, carrying passengers across the Dominion. Edwin stood beside the boarding platform. A large travel bag rested near his feet. His academy uniform had been neatly packed away. Soon, he would return to Noroel. Return to the academy. Return to Orion. And perhaps most importantly— Return to the mystery his father had left behind. The journal remained safely inside his bag. So did the map marked with those three words. Truth buried here. Ever since discovering it, Edwin had been unable to stop thinking about it. What truth? Why Noroel? And why had Wingard hidden the information instead of telling Humming or Edlin? None of it made sense. Yet. "You've been making that face all morning." Edwin turned. Edlin stood beside him. The familiar blue-white scarf moved gently in the breeze. "What face?" "The thinking face." "I always have a thinking face." "Exactly." Edwin laughed. The last few days at home had been peaceful. Almost too peaceful. Part of him wished he could stay longer. But another part knew he couldn't. His father had left clues. Someone had altered history. And the answers seemed connected to Noroel. He needed to know the truth. The boarding announcement echoed across the station. "Express Line Seven departing for Noroel in ten minutes." Around them, passengers began moving toward the train. Edlin looked toward the platform. Then back at Edwin. A small smile appeared on her face. "Fifth year already." "It doesn't feel real." "It doesn't." For a moment neither spoke. Then Edlin stepped forward and hugged him. The gesture surprised Edwin. She rarely showed affection openly. Not because she didn't care. Simply because years of military service had made it difficult. Yet now she held him tightly. "I know you're not a child anymore." Edwin smiled. "Good." "But try not to get involved in any galaxy-ending disasters for at least a month." He laughed. "No promises." She sighed. "That's what I was afraid of." A final boarding call sounded. The train doors opened. Passengers began entering. Edwin picked up his bag. Then paused. Something felt strange. Almost like an instinct. A warning. The ring on his finger pulsed once. Very faintly. Almost unnoticed. His eyes narrowed. For a split second he thought he saw a shadow watching from the far side of the station. A tall figure standing among the crowd. The moment Edwin focused on it— It vanished. Gone. As if it had never existed. "Something wrong?" Edlin asked. Edwin hesitated. Then shook his head. "Probably nothing." Yet deep down he wasn't sure. Minutes later the train departed. Vestella slowly disappeared behind them. The city shrank into the distance. Then vanished entirely. Edwin settled into his seat. Outside the window, stars stretched endlessly across space. The journey to Noroel would take several hours. For most passengers it was an ordinary trip. For Edwin, it felt like the beginning of something much larger. Several hours later. The blue world of Noroel appeared ahead. Edwin immediately felt nostalgic. The vast oceans. The silver continents. The orbital defense platforms. This world had become his second home. The place where everything had begun. And perhaps the place where history itself would be rewritten. The train docked. Passengers exited. Edwin stepped onto the station platform. Almost instantly— Someone crashed into him. "EDWIN!" A familiar voice shouted. Before he could react, Carl wrapped him in a bear hug. "I can't breathe." "GOOD." "I just got here." "I KNOW." "THEN LET GO." Carl finally released him. Grinning from ear to ear. "You took forever." "It was three days." "Exactly." A second figure approached. Iris. Unlike Carl, she remained calm. Mostly. "It's good to see you back." "You too." She smiled slightly. Then immediately held up a