A Normal Week

Dunn leaned back in his chair, his tone steady but stern. "Let's go over this one more time. You followed a trail on the ground that only your spirit vision could detect, which led you to a small, abandoned mausoleum. Inside, you found an uncovered tomb with a skeleton clutching a book. You didn't sense any danger or feel anything unusual from your spirituality, so you took the tome, which is written in an ancient language, and based on your abilities, it dates back to at least the Second Epoch. After that, you returned to the cemetery, following more traces that ultimately led nowhere, which explains why it took you so long to reunite with Leonard, who had already resolved the issue with the mysterious humanoid figures."

Irina shrugged. "That about sums it up."

Dunn's gaze hardened. "Do you realize how reckless that was? First, who or what created those trails? Second, you didn't inform Leonard before wandering so deep into the forest. Third, you didn't check the mausoleum's exterior for potential threats or rituals. Fourth, an open tomb is far from ordinary—you should've been on high alert. And finally, you just took a book that could have catastrophic consequences—"

Irina's thoughts drifted as Dunn continued. Here we go again… I get it, but I'm not going to obsess over every little thing. If I worried that much, all the time, I'd seriously go mad. If something happens to me because of my carelessness, that's on me. I already have enough to think about, no need to add more stress.

Dunn's voice cut back in. "Are you even listening to me?"

Irina interrupted him before he could continue lecturing. "Yes, yes. I get it. But look—nothing happened, right? Plus, I have some sort of protection, remember? I just need to figure out how it works. If you want, I can lead you back to the mausoleum so you all can check it out yourselves. But I'll have to guide you since it's not a direct path."

Dunn stared at her for a moment, waiting, but when Irina offered no further explanation, he sighed in defeat. "Fine. Leonard, inform Frye that he'll be joining us. We'll head out after lunch."

Leonard snapped to attention. "Yes, Captain."

Irina added playfully, "Sure thing, Cap~"

The two young Nighthawks left the office, each going in different directions, and Irina's thoughts wandered again. Earlier, before we went into the carriage and the Security Company, Leonard recited a poem to ensure I wouldn't attack them. He did the same thing to Klein during the incident at Chanis Gate. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

As Irina made her way to the reception, she saw Rozanne sitting at her usual spot. "Hello, my lovely receptionist~ Just like I promised, here I am." She leaned on the table, her eyes flicking to the familiar title resting on it. "So, what did you think about the novel?"

That evening, inside Alexandria's Library, Irina mulled over the day's events. Just to be safe, I should pay extra attention to coincidences. After lunch, I went back to the mausoleum with Dunn, Leonard, and Frye. It made sense to bring Frye, since he's a Sequence 9 Corpse Collector after all. The Captain wanted to make sure we weren't dealing with any evil spirits, and if we were, Frye would sense it immediately.

As for what happened? Well… nothing. We searched the area but didn't find anything noteworthy, so we returned empty-handed. Dunn reported the situation to the higher-ups, and they requested the tome for further research. Looks like I won't be seeing that tome again anytime soon.

Later, while flipping through a book, Irina's thoughts continued. When we got back, it was already late, so they sent me home. But instead, I went to the library and spent a few hours reading. I looked for books on ancient languages, but no luck. After ten minutes of searching, I gave up. I'll ask the librarian tomorrow, maybe she'll know where to find them.

She closed the book and stood to return it to its shelf. This section is dedicated to history, but it's all Earth's history. Not exactly useful right now. I mean, I'm not preparing for a history exam—I already graduated from college!

This library is so chaotic. I've wandered around a bit, and each bookshelf seems to have no rhyme or reason. Across from the history section, there's a shelf full of manhwas. Then behind that, there's a whole section on politicians—every detail of their lives from birth to death, but all from Nepal. How is that helpful?! And across from that? A shelf full of books on Spanish YouTubers. Seriously, just who organized this place?!

And where can I file a complaint!?

Then there's the section filled with books in languages I can't even recognize! The previous ones were at least in English, Spanish, or Nepalese, but these… it's just a scramble of symbols!

Irina wandered around the library for a bit longer before finally leaving.

The following week passed uneventfully, with sunny days and routine lessons from Old Neil. She also began training in shooting under Captain Dunn's orders. Though she managed to astonish everyone, finding out that her skills were unmatched.

In one week of training, she managed to never hit the target, not even once. Instead, she ended up injuring her fingers while holding the revolver.

Despite that, Irina found some useful bookshelves in Alexandria about the Fourth Epoch, ancient artifacts, modern sea routes, travel methods, and even recipes from the 21st century. She was already growing bored of her usual meals and discovered she had a knack for cooking, thanks to her time at the orphanage, where she had been the only one preparing food.

It was another Tuesday when Irina sat in the lounge, chatting with Seeka and Leonard during lunch. Rozanne walked in, scanning the room before her eyes landed on Irina. "There you are! The captain wants to see you in his office."

Irina sighed dramatically. "Can't even finish lunch in peace. What a shame."

Leonard chimed in, "You finished eating ten minutes ago."

Seeka sipped her drink calmly. "She was just trying to enjoy her break, Leonard. Some things you should notice about ladies."

Leonard raised an eyebrow. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't? But it's about time we got another mission. And if the Captain's only calling for her, I think the situation is pretty clear."

Seeka nodded, catching his meaning. "You're probably right. Well, good luck with your first solo mission, Miss Irina."

Irina, already halfway to the door, turned back with mock indignation. "You two are so heartless, sending me off to war all by myself. I'll remember this betrayal. Not sure if the Captain will though."

A small chuckle filled the room, most likely Rozanne, who was politely covering her mouth. Seeka just smiled warmly. Irina added with a smirk, "The sooner I'm done, the sooner I can gossip with you all later. See you soon pals!"

Leonard watched the door close behind her. "Is it just me, or does she sometimes use words I don't understand?"

Rozanne chimed in, amused. "You're not alone. I thought I was the only one who noticed. She always sounds so cheerful, though, so I doubt it's anything bad. Do you think she's aware?"

Leonard pondered for a moment. "Sometimes? Definitely. I asked her about it once, and she just laughed and called me a 'boomer' or something."

Meanwhile, in another room, Dunn was briefing Irina on her new mission. "There's an office at Tingen University that's notorious for being haunted. It's been closed for months, but recently, the strange occurrences have spread to the nearby halls. Just yesterday, they reached the southern stairwell, and several students fell down. Seven were seriously injured, and four of them are still unconscious."

Irina listened intently but asked, a bit confused, "Isn't the University area under the jurisdiction of the Machinery Hivemind?"

Dunn nodded. "Yes, but most of the injured students are followers of the Evernight Goddess. The case was handed to us as a result."

She turned to leave but paused. "I'll head out right away, then."

Before she could touch the door handle, Dunn stopped her. "Wait. You'll be going undercover as an officer from the seventh unit. That's our standard protocol for handling these kinds of cases during the day. I assume Old Neil briefed you on that?"

Without turning back, Irina replied, "Got it. I'll go change into their uniform."

Just as she was about to leave again, Dunn interrupted, "Wait, an officer will be accompanying you. He's already waiting in the reception area."

And that's twice already...

This time, Irina did glance back. "I'll meet him after I've changed. Anything else?"

Dunn seemed deep in thought for a moment before answering, "No, that's all. You're free to go."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You sure about that, Cap?"

Without hesitation, Dunn reassured her, "Absolutely. You can go."

Irina gave a playful shrug. "If you say so." She closed the door behind her.

About an hour later, the once-bright day had turned ominously dark. The sky was heavy with storm clouds, and the scent of rain filled the air. Inside the abandoned office, Irina wandered through the dust and cobwebs, her spirituality warning her of something wrong.

A black-haired officer stood by the closed door, speaking in a measured tone. "This office hasn't been used in six months. The last person to occupy it was a teaching assistant. He ran out screaming and hasn't been seen since. Initially, people called him crazy and passed the office down to others, but they all left eventually. The office was officially closed five months ago and forgotten, up until last week, when the disturbances started again."

Irina had already read the report on the way here and was barely paying attention, instead focusing on her surroundings. That bookshelf is about 30 years old, the desk maybe 60, those curtains only 2 years old, and that chandelier 70 years... And that cufflink over there? No more than a month old.

She turned to the officer. "Has anyone been in here recently? Within the last month?"

The officer shook his head. "We were told the door's been locked since the last assistant left, so it's been five months. This is the first time it's been opened since."

Irina bent down to pick up the cufflink, inspecting it closely before handing it to him. "This is new. Try to trace it, it was made less than a month ago. It might help track down who's been here."

She then began removing books from the shelves, flipping through their pages. After finding nothing, she checked the drawers, but they were also empty.

The wind outside had picked up, and branches were scraping against the windows. The temperature dropped noticeably, and the gas lamp flickered as if being tampered with.

Cool. I'm in a horror movie. Next thing you know, the lights will go out, and a killer will appear behind the curtains.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the room was plunged into a deep darkness.

Seriously? I just jinxed myself, didn't I?

There was the sound of footsteps, and the officer's voice broke the silence. "I'm trying to fix the lamp, but it's not working. I think it broke."

Irina sighed, already exhausted by the situation. "It's fine. Even though it's dark outside, we can open the curtains to let in some light. Wait, I'm closer, let me do it."

She took a step away from the desk and pulled the curtains open, a heavy smell of mold immediately hitting her nose. The outside world was gray and stormy. The rain had turned heavy, neither of them having noticed earlier, and the wind was causing the cedar branches to repeatedly hit the window. Below, students were running from one building to another, trying to avoid the rain. The window itself rattled and cracked in several places.

Behind her, the officer was still fiddling with the gas lamp when a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence. They both spun toward the door, whoever screamed was just outside the office.

The officer bolted for the door, while Irina hesitated, unsure of what to do. I swear if a murderer actually shows up I'm quitting this job.

The officer put one hand on the door handle and the other on his holster, ready for anything.

How badly did I just jinx myself?

The door slammed open with a deafening bang, and a gust of wind rushed in, forcing them both to step back. Irina braced for the worst, expecting the glass to shatter, but instead, only cold air and droplets of rain grazed her figure. She lost her balance, her legs hitting the wall, and she stumbled backward.

Shit.

The officer turned just in time to see the window fly open; right before his eyes, Irina was far past its threshold. Everything happened so quickly that by the time he moved, she was nowhere to be seen.