Edwin Lunar Chapter 19: Team Orion

Read chapter 19 of Edwin Lunar by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The giant underground door opened slowly. Cold air rushed through the chamber while ancient metal gears echoed beneath the ruins. Red energy pulsed faintly along the walls like veins beneath dark stone. Edwin, Carl, Iris, and Lucien stood frozen near the entrance. Beyond the opening— Darkness. Not ordinary darkness. Something heavier. Like the chamber itself had been sealed for a very long time. Carl pointed nervously into the void. "I would officially like to return to normal education." Lucien activated the silver blade attached to his arm guard. "You can leave." Carl looked offended immediately. "And abandon my friends to certain doom? Never." Pause. "…I will complain the entire time though." Iris stepped toward the entrance carefully. "These energy readings are ancient." Her holographic scanner flickered violently. "Older than the academy network." Edwin's ring burned warmly now. Not painful. Almost guiding him. The whispers inside his mind had become clearer. "…come below…" He took another step forward. The chamber lights suddenly activated one by one. Massive silver pillars illuminated across the underground structure while giant mechanical systems emerged from the darkness around them. Carl stared upward slowly. "…Okay that's actually incredible." The chamber was enormous. Ancient machines surrounded circular platforms connected by suspended bridges while streams of red Flame energy moved beneath transparent floors far below them. At the center of the room floated a massive holographic symbol. The silver eye. Project Eidolon. Lucien's expression darkened. "My father was right…" Edwin looked toward him. "What do you know about this place?" Lucien hesitated briefly. Then answered quietly. "Very little. Only that Project Eidolon was forbidden even during the Great War." Iris approached one of the ancient terminals carefully. "These systems are partially active." Carl immediately backed away. "No touching haunted technology." Too late. The terminal activated beneath Iris's hand. Ancient symbols flashed across the chamber walls. Then a mechanical voice echoed through the underground structure. "IDENTITY SCAN INITIALIZING…" The group immediately became alert. "UNKNOWN PERSONNEL DETECTED." Red warning lights spread across the chamber. Carl looked horrified. "That voice sounds evil." "AGREED," the system replied instantly. Carl nearly screamed. The chamber suddenly shook violently. Hidden drones emerged from the ceiling compartments while mechanical barriers sealed the exits behind them. Lucien stepped forward immediately. "Defensive positions." Combat drones activated around the room. Unlike academy machines, these looked older. More dangerous. Black armor covered their frames while silver energy pulsed through their weapons. Edwin stared carefully. "These aren't academy drones." "No," Iris said quietly. "They're war machines." The drones attacked instantly. Blue energy blasts exploded across the chamber while students scattered behind pillars and broken terminals. Lucien moved first. His silver blade cut directly through one machine midair before he landed beside Edwin again. Carl grabbed a fallen metal rod. "I continue risking my life for friendship." Another drone charged toward Iris. Edwin reacted instantly. He sprinted across the chamber and slammed directly into the machine before it could fire. The drone crashed across the floor. For a second— Edwin saw his reflection in its silver scanner. Then the machine froze completely. "…Heir recognized…" The drone lowered its weapon. Carl blinked. "…Excuse me?" Every other combat machine inside the chamber suddenly stopped attacking. Red scanners transformed silver. Then all of them turned toward Edwin simultaneously. Silence filled the underground structure. Lucien lowered his blade slowly. "What did you just do?" Edwin stared at the machines. "I didn't do anything." The chamber lights dimmed again. Then a massive holographic projection appeared above the center platform. A man.