The automobile roared to life, its steam engine coughing out black smoke before settling into a steady growl. The polished brass fittings gleamed under the evening's sun, while its spoked wheels, slick with mud, gripped the uneven cobblestones. The woman climbed into the driver's seat, tightening her white gloves.
"Get on," she said.
"Huh…"
"I said get on!"
The boy sighed. Preparing himself for what was to come. Reluctantly, he installed himself on the passenger's seat while holding the woman's coat against his chest.
"Hold on tight," she said, her tone sharp as she yanked the ignition lever.
With a hiss of steam and a sharp whistle, the car surged forward. The cobbled roads were alive with chaos as pedestrians scrambled to dodge the roaring vehicle. Gas lamps cast shifting shadows across stone buildings, their wrought iron balconies barely avoiding the car's towering chimney pipe.
"Miss… can you slow down?" Noa said, gripping the door as the car skidded around a corner, narrowly missing a fruit cart.
"Show the pipe?! Which pipe?!" she yelled, spinning the wheel sharply.
The automobile fishtailed, its rear tires screeching against the slick cobblestones before righting itself. Sparks flew as the undercarriage grazed a curb, sending pigeons scattering from a nearby square.
This was his teacher's legendary tomb-driving.
"I am going to die," he mumbled, holding the coat tighter as if it could save him from the fate he foresaw.
"Ah, by the way!" yelled the woman above the roaring of the engine.
"Yes?!" he yelled back.
The woman punched his shoulder.
"Ouch! Why are you hitting me?!"
"You deserved it you idiot!" she snapped. "What is wrong with you?! Are you a total moron?! You notice something is eating everyone's name and your first idea is to come to the graveyard?! Why didn't you warn the Academy?! Do you realize how irresponsible that was?!"
"I didn't know it wasn't just me! I only realized once at the graveyard!"
"How does that begin to justify your actions, you idiot?! Don't tell me I am the only Investigator you could ask for help!"
"You were! I asked others for help but they didn't realize what was happening! Why do you think I was this late?!"
"Why didn't you go to my apartment then?! Did you seriously think I would wait for someone for four hours?! In a graveyard?! Are you mad?!"
"But you were here, weren't you?! You waited for me in that very graveyard even though you didn't want to!"
"Even then, why did you think I would be able to notice what the others didn't?! It is not as if—"
"Because I believed in you!"
"Wha—"
For a moment, the young woman stood shocked in silence as she barely avoided a pedestrian. For her, it was evidence itself: a teacher who couldn't gain their students' trust was undoubtedly a failure. This is why she always did her best to never betray their expectations. To be the best teacher she could possibly be.
That being said, she didn't expect this boy to trust her THAT much.
"Isn't this a sort of… failure too?" she mumbled, visibly worried.
"Hm? What did you say?!" yelled the boy.
The woman glared at him for a moment before looking straight in front of her again.
"Where to?!" she asked.
"What?!"
"WHERE. TO?! If you came to me it means you have a general idea of its location, don't you?! And do not even try to say you expected me to find the location myself!"
"Well…"
He didn't expect her to. Actually, part of the reason why he came to the Lundenburg's Cemetery was to verify a theory of his. He spent his morning observing the phenomenon so he could clearly tell something—whatever was eating everyone's name was close to the middle of the town, close to the Academy.
And, as if she already knew, the woman instantly made her way towards that place—well, she probably did it just because it was the safest decision in their current predicament, but she was right nonetheless.
"Hmhm… I knew I could count on you, Miss," mumbled the boy.
"You better put away that smile or I send you rolling down the street!" she yelled.
"Ah! The Academy! It seems to come from the Academy! Just go there!"
"Hm. You better be right, stupid disciple," she murmured, her focus unwavering as the car roared through the gaslit streets, leaving a trail of steam and stunned onlookers in its wake.
As the Academy's clock tower loomed ahead, the woman adjusted the steam regulator, her expression calm despite the chaos.
***
The automobile skidded to a halt before the grand gates of the Academy, its engine releasing a final hissing sigh of steam. The towering clock tower loomed overhead, its golden hands gleaming faintly under the evening's sun.
The woman yanked the brake lever, nearly sending 'Pe' into the dashboard.
"Out," she barked, already pulling her coat from his grasp.
He stumbled out of the car, clutching his ribs. "I think I left my soul somewhere back on that last corner…"
"Oh please! Don't be dramatic! That will be the least of your worries if we don't solve this case," she said, slipping into her coat with practiced efficiency. The long silver chain of her pocket watch dangled from its tailored pocket, catching the light like a sliver of moonlight.
The guards stationed at the gate stiffened as the duo approached. They were dressed in crisp navy uniforms, their brass buttons polished to a mirror shine. The taller of the two raised a gloved hand.
"Halt. No authorized personnel are allowed inside the building right now!"
The woman didn't even slow down. She pulled the silver pocket watch from her coat, flicked it open with a snap of her wrist, and held it aloft like a badge of authority.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
"Huh, Miss, should you be here now? The town is—"
The woman stomped the ground in impatience, glaring at the guards.
The one who had spoken hesitated, then stepped aside, bowing slightly. "Ah… Apologies, Investigator. Proceed."
She pointed at the boy then herself before crossing the courtyard's gates with him.
'Pe' trailed behind her, still catching his breath. "Must be cool… to have one of those…" he said, nodding toward the watch.
The woman removed her coat and threw it back on the boy.
"How much time do we have left?" she asked curtly, snapping it shut and tucking it away.
"Probably less than two hours," the boy replied.
He wanted to make a more accurate guess but there really wasn't really any way to know. A letter of his name was eaten once an hour on average but if this was really the creature's den, it would be safe to assume that the effect was probably stronger there. In fact, as they walked towards the main building's entrance, the boy couldn't help to notice something—the oppressive silence.
"Observe and be ready to run if anything goes wrong," she said.
"More than now you mean?"
She nodded. "Hm…"
With a vigorous move, the woman pushed open the grand doors of the Academy. As they swung open with an ominous creak, the faint scent of parchment and ink hung in the air, mingling with a faint metallic tang. Inside, the halls stretched endlessly, their polished floors reflecting the flickering glow of gas lamps.
"Seems desert…" said the boy.
"Maybe everyone here has been lost already," she replied. "Any idea of how we may find that thing before it happens to us… too? Oh…"
The boy scrubbed a strand of his hair into his finger while looking at the ground. He did indeed develop a way to pinpoint the name-eater's location but… now that he could see the actual place…
"... You won't like it," he mumbled.
"I already don't like what I'm seeing now," she replied.
"Then you will like it even less."
The metallic stench in the air was now suffocating. In fact, it wasn't the only barely bearable odor floating in the air.
On the main hall of the Academy, lit by flickering lights, a sentence was written which was probably the blood of the many young investigators lying lifeless on the ground: GoODbye Lundenburg!!!