In the First Year, Class "Zenith"—that is: Quinn's class—he was met with quite the unique bunch of fellow freshers that were talented enough to attend the Zenith classes; most of the students were Vampires—off-shoots and direct descendants alike—from the 16 Families, Humas from prestigious households, and a few Dwarves. 'Speaking of the Families, that Vivienne was staying at a penthouse too; shouldn't the Direct Descendants of the Vampire Families be living in their respective Family castles?'
'That is a question for another day,' Void replied, 'Perhaps, the Family castle was moved to another planet.'
The Zenith class is meant for best of the best prospects of the Vampire Realm, providing the best possible guidance to the most likely candidates that will lead the world. It is the class that all direct descendants of the Vampire Families have the right to attend regardless of the deciding factors that the other normal students are subject to. Of course, it would not be the best class without its perks and benefits; the students belonging to the Zenith class have access to all facilities without any restrictions both inside and outside of the Royal Academy—save for the few that only Family Heads and the Imperial Family have sole access to.
Since Quinn was warned from acting impulsively and live as though he was in enemy territory, it was his job to blend in perfectly while also amassing information and taking his time unearthing the secrets and truths he so desired. Aaron and Zoyal were already putting their existence as a secret organisation at risk when they made it possible for Quinn to enter the city.
Speaking of Aaron: he was busy looking into the Maw family and the disappearance of any records regarding them and the Divine Relic they supposedly stole; additionally, he was also trying to find a way to get in touch with his master. He had asked Quinn about his absence from the Military academy and the latter answered with the same question; to ease the pressure, however, he told Aaron not to worry about it and that he'd already handled it.
Getting back to the academy, Quinn couldn't help but revel the whole aesthetic and architecture of the entirety of the Royal academy wherever he went; it was the same for the unique Zenith lecture hall. The towering double doors, made from dark, polished wood and intricately carved to represent the communion of all the races under the Heavens; the high ceiling and overall space for activities and movement, even inside the room, and suspended above: a massive, elegant chandelier bearing the same crystals of light as the pathway into the academy.
The room was designed like a semi-circular amphitheater, with tiered seating to allow every student a perfect view of the lecturer and the central teaching area. The seats were luxurious yet functional, made from a sleek black leather-like material, with embedded consoles for educational purposes.
The few people present in the room, numbering up to 21 students, turned their heads towards the entrance almost instantly and simultaneously as Quinn entered the lecture hall; most of the students were busy making acquaintances within themselves and sharing their Family names before Quinn had arrived. Some looked at him with ire and some with indifference. Perhaps, the disaster caused by our beloved and intrepid hero was still fresh in the minds of many.
The homeroom teacher, that was supposed to teach the kids Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Energy Theory and Practise, still had not arrived since there was still quite some time before the classes began.
"Why don't you introduce yourself," a sweet voice, belonging to a girl sitting with a few other students at the high end of the lecture hall spoke rather loudly; she was one of the few that glared nastily at Quinn as the same entered the lecture hall. "After the reckless show of your Ability at the end of the entrance ceremony speech, I did not really expect such a brute who cannot control his power to even pass the examination; much less: show up for the classes."
'Do you really need to open your mouth and speak so bad?' Quinn merely looked in the direction of the girl and the group of students, 'I just don't understand these characters; you're not even 10% as strong as Draconis in his Vampire form, without even using his Partial Draconification form, and you still manage to sound this sassy. I ought to...'
Almost completely oblivious to how his feelings affected his perception of other beings and the other way around; to the girl, the air around Quinn changed drastically and his wide eyes and narrow pupils looked as though they were about to pierce through her soul itself. And, for the first time, Quinn felt like he was something beyond the normal mortals and someone much superior to them.
The girl seemed confused and was unable to understand what was happening to her; she tried to speak, but nothing left her mouth. It only caused more confusion since she could not sense anything from Quinn when he glanced in her direction. Well, it was not that she could not sense anything... it was more like her senses were overwhelmed, and thus, she was unable to comprehend the insurmountable and unfathomable intent behind Quinn's simple gaze in her direction.
'She's confused, can't move and can't make a single sound,' Quinn thought as he looked away and took a deep breath, 'I guess that just speaks volumes about the difference between me and a rising elite Vampire youth. This is stupid, why am I even comparing, for fuck's sake.'
When the girl finally snapped out of her daze, she saw that Quinn was not even down, near the entrance anymore, but was sitting on the left side of the lecture hall. Making a relatively easy decision and backing off from associating with Quinn in any form, she went back to the mundane discussion with her acquaintances with a stutter.
[...39%]
'Why do I keep getting agitated and lose a hold of my power...?' Quinn asked himself, trying to delve into the crux of the problem as of late, 'I never lose my shit in front of others and their bullshit; especially not in front of someone below me.'
'It is only your true self, Quinn,' Void answered in Quinn's stead, 'If you try and remember, I once told you that the seal placed on you was steadily weakening; and not soon after, it was destroyed completely, and so emerged the Shadow Heart. Think of the seal as a means to conceal your true potential as the successor of the Shadow Heart and your true self; it would explain your bland and inert personality until recently...'
"Well, fuck you too, then," Quinn spoke aloud, alarming a studious Huma close to him who only jolted and looked at Quinn nervously.
'See?' Void said, getting a grunt from Quinn. 'I would've said the same thing even with the seal or whatever.'
'Hrrr... the self that you and the people around you were so used to is slowly deteriorating. It will continue until you awaken your Mask; and, even then, there is a chance that... you may lose yourself and be a galactic level of threat unless the Gods join forces against your existence as a Shadow. The situation that i am postulating is taking into consideration: your strenght as is; it may very well be even worse when you actually undergo the Awakening... if, of course, the small chance of it backfiring is against you.
'I'm sure you can feel it too...' Void emphasised: 'You do not have much time left until you forcefully awaken your Mask. You need to prepare yourself—both mentally and spiritually—and prevent your Soul and Physical Consciousness from being corrupted. And, to do this, you will need to follow through with what I say, when i say so—with no hesitation. Let's see... it might be a bit abrupt, but... entrust your body to me for the time being.'