As Zed settled into the driver’s seat, Mario drew everyone’s attention. “Finish up whatever you’re doing. We’re heading out in a few minutes.” His voice carried an air of finality, prompting the group to move with urgency.

  Lane, taking advantage of the brief moment, turned to Emilia. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder before pulling her into a hug. “I’ll make sure the Duke’s dogs don’t lay a hand on you,” he murmured, his voice low enough for only her to hear. “But you should always be prepared, just in case. Watch your back.”

  Emilia nodded against his shoulder, her arms tightening around him for a fleeting moment. “You take care too. Don’t do anything reckless.”

  Lane chuckled softly, pulling away just enough to meet her gaze. “No promises.”

  Emilia sighed but managed a small smile. “Figures.”

  With one last squeeze, they let go, and Lane gave her an encouraging nod before stepping back, watching as the final preparations wrapped up.

  Tek glanced at Zed, who was busy adjusting the controls on the dashboard. After a brief nod, he turned and exited the vehicle, followed closely by Lane.

  Mario stood by the hatch, arms crossed. He shot a scowl at Lane. “Better pray we don’t die out there.”

  Lane chuckled, shaking his head. “You? Dying? Now that’s a joke.”

  Mario scoffed. “Bah! We better get moving then.” He turned toward the interior, ready to shut the hatch.

  Lane’s tone shifted slightly, more serious now. “But really—good luck out there.”

  Mario just waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah.” Then, without another word, he pulled the hatch shut.

  +++

  They had been on the road for about thirty minutes. Mario glanced at his pocket watched for the fifth time. Zed sat silently in the driver’s seat, hands folded, his gaze distant as if lost in thought. Mario, watching from behind, frowned. He didn’t know how to drive this behemoth, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t how one operated a motor vehicle.

  Inside, the bright lights had dimmed to a softer glow, casting a cozy atmosphere over the cabin. With no windows to the outside, there was no way to see where they were headed. Back in Lina, Mario had asked Tek how they weren’t suffocating inside a sealed vehicle like this. Tek had simply replied that filters absorbed harmful gases and exchanged them for clean air—though he never explained exactly how.

  Mario glanced to his right and spotted Emilia, fast asleep on one of the long seats, now converted into a makeshift bed. The newly installed upholstery must have been working wonders, allowing her to rest undisturbed despite the vehicle’s steady but soft rumble beneath them.

  The vehicle moved with an uncanny smoothness, aside from at times minor shakes, it was too smooth if anyone asked Mario. The suspension on this thing had to be extraordinary; he couldn’t begin to wrap his head around how it worked. Even more puzzling was its sheer size. By his estimation, the vehicle had to be at least 3.5 meters wide. How had it even fit through Lina’s narrow roads?

  Mario could only assume that Zed had driven this beast across open fields when they left the town. The thought nagged at him, along with a dozen other questions, keeping him from drifting off to sleep—not that he would have slept easily anyway.

  Mario’s thoughts drifted to the Binatarians—specifically, Sarah. He could still recall the way she had smiled at him the first time they met at the Academy, how her eyes had sparkled with mischief. She had always found herself in trouble, especially with those arrogant noble bastards who looked down on her. And in the end… it had all culminated in their expulsion.

  His jaw tightened as his gaze flickered back to Emilia, a familiar anger threatening to rise within him. But before it could take hold, he exhaled sharply, forcing it back down. Instead, he turned his attention toward the crew quarters, where someone was so deeply asleep that their snores echoed through the dimly lit cabin.

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  Mario stood and made his way toward the cramped driver’s cabin. There wasn’t enough room for another person to stand comfortably, so he settled near the narrow entrance, leaning against the frame.

  “Mr. Zed,” he greeted.

  Zed glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “Can’t sleep?”

  Mario let out a tired sigh. “Yeah. Too many things on my mind,” he admitted with a grimace.

  Zed smirked. “I hope the ride isn’t too rough?” he asked, his tone teasing.

  Mario scoffed. “Surely you’re joking? This is the smoothest ride I’ve ever had! And I’ve been on one of the Alliance’s airships. I'm guessing the suspensions deserve the praise?" Mario said as he shifted his position, craning his neck slightly to get a better look inside the cabin.

  A soft hum filled the air—the steady sound of the drone attached to the vehicle, providing its power. Mario squinted, trying to peer beyond the windshield, but the darkness outside was impenetrable. Whatever lay ahead was swallowed by the night.

  "Where are we, anyway? Are you sure we're heading in the right direction? I can't see a damn thing," Mario said, glancing at the pitch-black windshield.

  In response, Zed activated a hologram in the palm of his hand. A bright glow filled the cramped cabin, making Mario instinctively shut his eyes for a moment before slowly opening them, adjusting to the sudden light.

  Zed explained, "According to the area scans and astronomical positioning, we're on the right path. The roads aren’t paved, and some sections were narrower than expected, so we may have... flattened a few shrubs or small trees along the way."

  "Thought so," Mario muttered, nodding slightly as he studied the glowing map.

  "We'll be reaching the outskirts of the port town in about five minutes, so you'd best get ready," Zed instructed.

  Mario gave a nod before turning back toward where Emilia was still soundly sleeping. He tapped her shoulder a few times, but when she didn’t stir, he sighed and resorted to more drastic measures—grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her vigorously.

  Emilia groaned as she woke, more annoyed than anything else. "Did you really have to wake me up like that?" she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

  Mario smirked. "Well, you weren’t waking up, so I had to resort to a more... proactive approach."

  She shot him a glare, clearly unconvinced. "Right. Because shaking me like a sack of potatoes was the only way," she muttered before stretching. "Alright, give me a moment to fix myself up." She motioned for Mario to step back, and he obliged with a shrug.

  After a couple more minutes, Mario felt the vehicle is slowly coming to a halt. "This is close enough." Zed said rising from his chair and going to the main room.

  "We're here," Zed announced, breaking the silence.

  Mario and Emilia hadn’t even noticed they had stopped until Zed pointed it out.

  "I'm not detecting any movement within a 500-meter radius, so it's safe to disembark here," Zed continued. "The port is just ahead."

  Mario and Emilia exchanged nods. Emilia adjusted her trousers before pulling on her cloak, fastening it securely. Mario struck a match and lit the gas lamp they would be using, the soft glow flickering to life. He then slipped on his own cloak, pulling the hood over his head before moving toward the vehicle’s side hatch. With a firm pull, he unlatched and pushed it open, ready to step out into the night.

  As they stepped out, Zed remained by the exit.

  "Are you sure you don’t want any of the guards to accompany you?" he asked. "They are here for that purpose, you know."

  Mario glanced up at him, then toward the crew quarters where the seven guards were still fast asleep. He sighed and shook his head.

  "No. Lane was very clear about it. He insisted that I personally escort Lady Emilia to the port," Mario said, emphasizing the title with playful exaggeration.

  Emilia elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Hey, hey! You make it sound like an insult!"

  Mario flinched at the unexpected pain, rubbing his side. "What gave it away?" he grinned.

  Emilia sighed then turned to Zed and offered a slight bow. "Thank you, Mr. Zed," she said sincerely. Straightening up, she continued, "With all the help you've given us—especially to my brother—I'm truly grateful to have met you."

  She met Zed’s gaze, her expression earnest. Zed held her stare for a moment before giving a simple nod in response.

  Emilia turned to leave, her cloak swaying gently with each step.

  Mario pulled out his pocket watch, holding it up to the lamp’s glow. "I'll be back within an hour," he told Zed before turning to follow her.

  Zed remained at the hatch for a moment, watching them disappear into the darkness. His active scanner still detected no other movement, just the two figures walking away from the vehicle. Zed noticed movement inside the crew quarters, accompanied by faint, inaudible whispers. His sensors picked up subtle shifts in body heat and breathing patterns—someone was stirring.

  He glanced in that direction but chose not to investigate. If they were awake, they’d either go back to sleep or make themselves known. For now, it wasn’t his concern.

  Satisfied, he stepped back inside, not minding to close the hatch. He is sure that he will catch anything or anyone who comes close. He settled into the driver’s seat, closed his eyes and slipped seamlessly into cyberspace.