Chapter 692: Personal Ride

The black colour of the vehicle, mixed with a shade of purple, reflected the afternoon sunlight.

Lucy couldn’t believe her eyes.

The vehicle’s headlights looked so neat that she found herself staring at them for several seconds.

She moved sharply to inspect the side exterior, her eyes following the smooth lines of the bodywork.

The light slid across the polished surface, revealing the careful finish of the metal and the way the purple shade blended into the black without making the vehicle look too bright.

She moved around it, inspecting one side before moving to the other.

Even the smallest details caught her attention.

The shape of the doors, the placement of the lights, and the smooth finish of the exterior all gave the vehicle a look that was difficult to ignore.

The Phantom Rolls had always been a beautiful vehicle in her eyes.

The smoothness of its design still gave her chills, just like the first time she, her Master, Lenny, and Uncle Rogers had finished the first complete build of the Phantom Rolls.

She could still remember the satisfaction of seeing their work come together, turning their ideas into a vehicle that could actually be driven.

But this was the improved version.

Of course...

Lucy had already seen the improved Phantom Rolls on the roads of Britannia.

She had even seen them at the Academy, when the Princes and Princesses had brought their Royal Phantom Rolls for the Welcome Ball held for the First Years.

Those vehicles had attracted plenty of attention.

Their polished bodies and expensive designs made it easy to understand why people admired them, and Lucy had not been an exception.

Yet seeing those vehicles was different from standing before one that belonged to her master.

This was her Master’s personal ride, the vehicle she would be using to drive her Master around.

The thought alone made her feel more pleased than ever.

She moved towards the rear of the Phantom Rolls, where the afternoon light reflected off the backlights.

After looking at them for a while, she reached out and touched one with her fingers, handling it as though it had been made from some rare material that required extreme care.

"The backlights are so beautiful."

She leaned closer to inspect them.

The finish was neat as the Headlights, and the lights fitted the vehicle’s exterior without disrupting its design.

Lucy’s fingers moved away from the surface, but her attention remained fixed on it.

Ezra, meanwhile, was looking at the windows.

A faint rainbow tint ran across the glass, giving it a refined appearance when the sunlight struck it.

The colours were subtle rather than bright, and they added a touch of class to the otherwise dark exterior.

He studied the windows for a moment before moving his attention elsewhere.

The exterior was certainly well done, but it wasn’t the most important part for him.

The interior was what he wanted to check.

It was the part he had focused on most when designing the vehicle, and he wanted to see whether The Eclipse team had managed to bring his ideas to life as he had intended.

A good exterior was important, but the interior was where the details of his design would matter most.

Ezra took out the key to the Phantom Rolls, which had been mailed to him back at the Ashenlocke Estate.

He walked towards the vehicle and placed the key against its handle.

The key was scanned.

Click.

A soft mechanical sound echoed as the locks opened.

Lucy’s hands stopped moving.

She held her breath, her eyes fixed on the door.

She had already been impressed by the exterior, and the thought of seeing what was inside made her even more eager.

She leaned forward slightly, waiting for her Master to open it.

The moment was brief, but she could hardly contain her anticipation.

Ezra opened the door.

And her expectations weren’t disappointed.

The moment she saw the interior...

"Beautiful."

The word escaped Lucy’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Her eyes widened as she took in the space beyond the open door.

Glowing glass had been incorporated into the interior, giving the vehicle a luxurious appearance without making the lighting feel excessive.

The soft glow reflected off the nearby surfaces, revealing the care that had gone into fitting each part together.

The seats, dashboards, and other interior components were just as impressive.

Their arrangement followed the design Ezra had provided, and the materials had been fitted together with care.

The seats looked comfortable, while the dashboard had a clean layout that made its different parts easy to distinguish.

Nothing appeared to have been placed randomly.

Each component had its own position, contributing to the overall design.

Lucy leaned closer to examine the dashboard from the open door.

Her gaze moved from one panel to another, and she seemed unsure of which part to admire first.

They had really followed all of Ezra’s designs and managed to bring everything into reality.

If anyone saw this vehicle, they would assume it belonged to the Queen or King of Britannia.

Lucy had seen expensive vehicles before, but the Phantom Rolls gave her a different feeling.

Its exterior was already enough to draw attention, yet the interior made it clear that the vehicle had been designed with more than appearance in mind.

It was a personal ride fit for royalty.

While Lucy sat excitedly in the driver’s seat, checking the panels and dashboard, Ezra walked towards the front of the Phantom Rolls.

He opened the bonnet to inspect the Steam Engine.

The engine compartment was neatly arranged.

The different components had been fitted into place, leaving little unnecessary space between them.

Ezra leaned forward, examining the setup and checking the parts that mattered to him.

His gaze moved across the engine before settling on a few details for a closer look.

He didn’t rush through the inspection.

The vehicle was supposed to be his customized Royal Phantom Rolls, and he wanted to make sure the team had done the work properly.

There was little point in admiring its exterior if the machinery beneath it had been poorly assembled.

After checking everything he needed to, Ezra closed the bonnet.

He locked the vehicle.

Lucy finally climbed out of the driver’s seat, looking thoroughly satisfied with what she had seen.

She gave the dashboard one last glance before leaving the Phantom Rolls and returning to the luggage she had dropped earlier.

The two went inside the residence.

The place was still clean, just as they had left it.

There was no dust covering the furniture, and the rooms had been kept in order.

The surfaces were clean, and their belongings had not been disturbed.

It was clear that the Royal Academy staff responsible for managing the residences had visited during the holidays to clean the rooms and prepare them for the students’ return.

That made settling in much faster.

Ezra carried his belongings to his room and began arranging them.

He placed everything where it belonged before taking out the books he had brought with him for the holiday.

Once he had finished settling his belongings, he went straight to his study.

The familiar room was quiet, and the books he had brought back needed to be returned to their proper places.

He arranged them on the shelves, checking their positions before moving on to the next one. Afterward, he decided to make a quick review of his firearm designs.

The Academy’s classes would begin the following day, leaving him little time to waste.

Meanwhile...

Lucy finished unpacking her own belongings before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

She already knew what she wanted to cook.

It was one of the recipes her Master had taught her, a meal they had eaten before: spicy crispy-coated chicken, sweet spicy ketchup, and sweet potato fries.

Lucy had now cooked the meal enough times to become familiar with every part of the process.

She knew how to prepare the chicken coating, how to fry the sweet potato slices, and how to make the sauce taste the way Ezra liked it.

She didn’t need her Master’s supervision anymore.

She began preparing the ingredients, arranging them on the counter before starting the cooking.

The sound of utensils moving against the kitchen surfaces filled the room, followed by the steady sounds of food being prepared.

She worked through each step without needing to stop and check what came next.

The chicken was coated and cooked until the outside became crispy.

She prepared the sweet spicy ketchup and finished the sweet potato fries, making sure everything was ready to be served together.

By the time the sun began setting...

Lucy had finished cooking.

The light outside had gradually changed, and the afternoon brightness had given way to the softer colours of evening.

Lucy arranged the food on the table and served it before Ezra left his study.

Ezra had been organizing his books and reviewing his firearm designs.

Once the food was ready, he put aside what he was doing and went to eat.

The meal was familiar, and Lucy had already mastered its preparation.

She didn’t need to ask whether anything was missing or wait for her Master to correct her work.

She served the food and joined him for dinner, pleased that she could now prepare the recipe on her own.

After eating, Ezra helped Lucy clean up.

They cleared the table and dealt with the dishes before moving to the living room.

With dinner finished, Ezra decided to relax for a while and let his food digest.

Lucy joined him.

She settled down to watch one of her favourite theatre movies, focusing on the screen as the story continued.

Ezra, on the other hand, took out his Starlix 11 and scrolled through the general news of the Kingdom.

The living room remained peaceful.

Lucy watched her movie while Ezra read through the latest reports, occasionally moving from one article to another.

Neither needed to interrupt the other, and they spent the time quietly in their own activities.

Even until now...

It seems the Kalians were still a problem in Stonefall.

Ezra thought to himself plainly as he read a short update about the Kalians’ movements in Stonefall.

The report offered little reason for him to dwell on it.

He had already seen enough news about the situation to know it remained an issue, but there was nothing he needed to do about it at the moment.

He didn’t think too much about it, as always.

He simply continued checking the other news, scrolling through the updates without changing his expression.

The Kingdom had plenty of matters worth reporting, and he read through them at his own pace while Lucy remained occupied with her movie.

A few hours passed.

Eventually, Ezra and Lucy returned to their respective rooms to sleep.

Ezra freshened up again before preparing for bed.

Unlike his usual habit of staying awake late, he decided to sleep early.

According to the Academy schedule, classes would begin immediately the following day.

There was no reason to ruin his sleep before the semester had even started.

He finished preparing for bed and lay down on his mattress.

The room was quiet, and the light from the outside had faded.

He adjusted his position, settled his head against the pillow, and closed his eyes.

"Wasting time, contemplating is always good, Me."

The voice was calm.

Almost gentle.

"But if you keep on contemplating, weighing, planning, and gauging..."

A brief silence followed.

"Annoying things would continue piling up."

"Be free."

"Come on, Ezra. Be free."

The words settled into the silence, each one delivered with a patience that felt more unsettling than anger.

There was no demand in the voice.

No threat.

It spoke as though Ezra already knew the answer and only needed someone to remind him.

"Let’s murder as we used to."

"The thrill. The blood."

BANG! BANG!

Gunshots tore through the air.

The sound was so violent that it swallowed everything else for an instant.

The forest shook with the echoes, birds scattering from the branches as the reports travelled between the trees.

Somewhere beyond the gunfire, someone shouted an order, but the words were lost beneath another volley.

"The power is already in our hands, isn’t it?"

"Just like then."

"When I first embraced it."

BANG! BANG!

The shots came again, sharper this time.

Muzzle flashes lit up the spaces between the trees, revealing brief glimpses of the battlefield before darkness swallowed them once more.

BOOM!

An explosion ripped through the forest.

The ground trembled beneath Ezra’s boots.

Dirt and broken branches burst into the air, raining down over the grass.

Smoke rolled between the trees, carrying the sharp smell of gunpowder.

The gunfire continued through it, scattered shots becoming a continuous roar.

"Alpha Squad, move!"

"Hostile to my left and right! Requesting backup now!"

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The gunfire answered the call.

"Soldier down! We need backup now!"

A voice cracked through the communication device.

There was panic in it, the kind that came when a soldier realized that the situation was slipping beyond his control.

"I will handle it."

"Ezra, you fool! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Hold the line! Backup is on the way!"

"If I don’t, then we all die."

Ezra glanced at his bleeding comrade.

Blood had spread across the soldier’s uniform, darkening the fabric around the wound.

His breathing was strained, each breath coming with an effort that seemed to cost him more than the last.

The man needed help.

The line needed to hold.

And the fighting had not stopped.

Ezra looked at him for a moment longer.

His going to die.

No, we are all going to die, if we remain pegged down like this.

...

Is this the time to worry about your life, you useless, coward!!!

How many lives will you keep watching die, when you are not even worthy to be alive!!!

Then he turned away.

"No more running."

Click.

He slammed a fresh magazine into his weapon.

The magazine locked into place with a hard mechanical sound, small and clear beneath the distant gunfire.

Ezra moved.

He ran towards the front, boots striking the uneven ground as he passed through the trees.

Branches scraped against his uniform.

Smoke drifted across his path, briefly obscuring the way ahead, but he did not slow down.

"I will provide cover. Report, I will provide cover! Please get the medic to the current location!"

His voice came through the communication device, competing with the gunfire and the frantic reports of the other soldiers.

"Squad leader, I will be heading to the front."

"Ezra! You idiot! Hold your line, God damn it!"

Claudia’s voice burst through the device.

Her anger was unmistakable, but beneath it lay something urgent.

She was trying to stop him before he went too far.

Click.

Ezra switched it off.

The shouting vanished.

For a moment, there was only the sound of his breathing and the distant exchange of gunfire.

The absence of Claudia’s voice made the battlefield seem strangely distant, as though he had shut a door between himself and everyone trying to reach him.

"Ahh..."

He breathed out and continued moving.

Maybe this will be my end, for a worthless person like me.

And the rest went blank.

BANG! BOOM!

The forest erupted again.

"AHHHHH!"

"I DON’T WANT TO DIE!"

"STOP!"

"ARGH!"

BANG! BANG!

The screams came from different directions.

Some were cut short by gunfire.

Others rose above the noise, desperate and raw, only to disappear beneath the next volley.

A burst of blood struck the branches overhead.

Drops fell through the leaves, landing on the grass and staining the ground.

A severed head lay nearby, its face turned to one side, blood pooling beneath it.

The body it belonged to was nowhere in sight.

The forest had become a place where the distinction between the living and the dead was disappearing by the second.

Then, gradually, the gunfire stopped.

Not all at once.

A few final shots rang out between the trees before silence began to settle over the battlefield.

Smoke continued to drift through the forest, curling around the trunks and the bodies scattered across the ground.

"Backup has arrived. What happened here?"

The question came from a soldier who had just reached the location.

"All enemies dead."

The answer was brief.

"Any sighting of Ezra yet?"

"No, Squad Leader. We’re still searching."

There was a pause.

"There is no way he did this all alone, right?"

Nobody answered.

The backup squad advanced through the trees, weapons ready.

Their boots pressed into the disturbed soil as they passed the first bodies.

One soldier glanced down at a fallen enemy before looking towards the others, perhaps expecting to find someone still fighting.

There was no gunfire to guide them now.

Only the sound of their own footsteps.

Then they saw him.

The squad stopped.

Their weapons remained raised, but nobody moved forward.

Beyond the scattered corpses stood a lone soldier, surrounded by the remains of the battle.

Blood stained the ground around him.

Bodies lay at his feet and between the trees, while broken branches and torn earth marked the places where the fighting had been most violent.

The soldier stood among them alone.

It took the squad a moment to recognize him.

Ezra.

"Ah... Ah... Ah..."

He panted, looking up at the sky.

His breathing came in uneven bursts.

His chest rose and fell as he struggled to draw in air, but his eyes remained fixed above him.

He did not turn towards the soldiers who had arrived.

He did not call out to them.

He simply stood there, breathing.

The backup squad stared at him.

They had come looking for a soldier who had gone ahead of his position.

They had expected resistance, perhaps wounded allies who needed to be carried out, or enemies still hiding among the trees.

Instead, they had found a battlefield full of corpses.

And Ezra.

His vision was filled with blood.

Crimson covered everything he looked at.

The ground, the trees, the fallen bodies.

The colour seemed to stretch beyond the battlefield, leaving no room for anything else.

Even the sky above him felt distant, separated from the scene below by a world that had been painted red.

Yet something about the sight felt satisfying.

His breathing remained uneven.

The soldiers behind him were still watching.

None of them seemed to know what to say, and none appeared willing to approach him just yet.

Ezra’s gaze did not leave the sky.

"Haha..."

His lips moved.

The sound was faint.

Almost weightless.

"...Haha."

A light voice echoed from his mouth.