Ross was writing the essay about the Inter-Academic Exchange Program. It was exhausting. Going through many books, making notes from those books, and then composing an eight-page essay was not easy. Especially the essay had to be at least 20k words long. You might be wondering how you can write 20k words in eight pages. It doesn't make sense. Well, if each page is three feet long and a foot wide, then it's possible. It had been three hours since Ross started his essay and he only managed to write 4k words.
Ross: "I shouldn't have procrastinated..." He mumbled as he put his pen away.
He leaned back on his chair, staring at the ceiling blankly. His mind raced back to his first day at the R.S Advanced Academy. It was surely an eventful day that he would never forget for the rest of his life. It had been a month since that eventful day. Every day was filled with something new, and something adventurous.
Ross: "At least my days here aren't as monotonous as at the Crime Investigation Branch." He thought to himself as he let out a sigh of contentment.
Alexander: "Ross, I have a question." He spoke calmly, exiting out of the bathroom.
Hearing Alexander's voice caught Ross off-guard and he was about to fall off his chair but luckily, he didn't fall off. Ross looked at Alexander with a horror-struck expression.
Alexander: "Ross, it's not the end of the world. Stop overreacting like a Karen when her credit card declines." He remarked calmly, staring at Ross with a calm expression.
Ross: "Geez, I almost had a heart attack and here you're making fun of me!" He whined comically.
Ross started pouting like a little kid whose parents had refused to buy him an expensive candy. Alexander ignored this and lay down on the bed without saying anything further. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Alexander had decided to take the initiative to start a conversation.
Alexander: "Ross, your entire personality is a facade." He got up from his lying position and sat on the bed, staring at Ross intently.
Ross: He looked back at Alexander with a calm smile, impressed by his observational skills. "You're much smarter than I had initially thought, Blade. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that your observation is as keen as Amon's." He spoke calmly as he ran his hand through his hair.
Alexander: "To be honest, most of your reactions had a hint of superficiality mixed with them. Like, you were forcing yourself to react that way." Alexander explained calmly, as he continued to look at Ross with a curious expression.
Alexander: "If I had to reason why you act like that, then it's a bit complicated. I am guessing you have Alexithymia, or in other words, Emotional Blindness. It can happen due to PTSD or other disorders but as far as I am concerned, you don't seem like someone who'd have a traumatic backstory. That'd be very unoriginal and boring." He had a thoughtful expression after he finished his reasoning.
Ross: "Excellent reasoning, Blade! You should be a detective for having such profound reasoning skills!" He clapped his hands, complimenting Alexander.
Ross got up from his initial seat and took a seat in front of Alexander, facing him directly with a calm smile. Alexander deduced that Ross was going to tell him about his past. And Ross's next words proved Alexander's deduction to be correct.
Ross: "I'll tell you about myself as a reward for your effort to figure out that I was pretending."
Ross was born into the noble family of Thoumeax. He is an only child and since his childhood, he couldn't feel emotions. This was discovered by his parents who noticed that their son never cried nor expressed any emotions. There was no light in Ross's eyes. Ross's parents were a bit confused at first but their confusion would soon turn into worry when they found out that he had a rare neuropsychological phenomenon called Alexithymia. But they were also quite shocked to find out about Ross's exceptional intellectual capabilities.
At the age of five, he could memorize the periodic table of elements after glancing at it once. The atomic mass and atomic numbers of each element, he had memorized it all down to its last minute detail. Not only that, Ross also had a very keen observation. He would notice things which other people wouldn't and when he pointed them out to his parents, their expressions would be priceless. At the age of ten, Ross was as knowledgeable as an Academic Graduate.
In this world, you have to study at an Academy for three years before graduating and getting a graduation degree from the said Academy. There's also elementary school, middle school, and high school. But Ross didn't attend any of those because he was home-schooled.
Ross had a very positive upbringing and his parents weren't a complete douchebag compared to some parents. Rather his parents were very good people, despite being nobles. Nobles are usually prideful and tend to look down upon others. But the Thoumeax Family is one of the many exceptional noble families. The Thoumeax Family is respected not because of their status but because of their good nature.
Ross's current 'personality' is just a mimicry of his parent's personalities. He acts enthusiastic and positive like his mother and his calm tone of speech is from his father. Ross likes to mimic the personalities of the people he deems as good.
After Ross was done explaining his past, Alexander closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking of something.
Alexander: "In short, you're a non-traumatized hollow genius. An individual with a non-traumatic backstory who is intellectually gifted and competent but has no emotions," He remarked calmly, staring at Ross with a calm expression.
Ross: "I guess you could say that." He shrugged at Alexander's words.
Alexander: "Damn, I am going to have a lot of regrets if I stab you solely for entertainment." He facepalmed as he said those words.
Ross started laughing after hearing those words. As usual, Alexander's sense of humour is top-notch and Ross was glad for that. Ross had noticed that whenever he was around Amon, Alexander, Jeanne, and Seraphina, he would experience a lot of things. These four people would make him feel things he had never felt before. Ross contemplated if he had finally started to feel emotions but he quickly shrugged those thoughts off. He needed to spend more time with them to be certain.
Alexander: "Ross, stop spacing out and answer my question."
Ross: Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he quickly snapped out of his thoughts. "What is it that you want to know, Blade?" He asked calmly.
Alexander: "I've noticed that you're wary of Amon for some reason. Why is that?" He replied, staring at Ross with curiosity.
Ross was silent for a moment. Memories of the day when Amon had interrogated Lax and made him confess his crimes. It was that day when he felt something for the first time in his life. An indescribable fear, something which he never felt even after dealing with some of the most unhinged and notorious criminals. Whenever he thinks back to the moment when Amon threatened to kill Lax's wife and his unborn child, he feels the indescribable fear that he had felt at that moment.
You might be wondering, why he would be scared of something like that if he's dealt with some of the most unhinged and notorious criminals. It's because of his Special Skill: Future Sight. As the name suggests, the skill allows the user to see the future. They can see the consequences of anyone's or their present actions.
Ross, at that moment, used his Special Skill to see the consequences of Amon's threat. What he saw left him shocked. After using his skill, He saw that Lax didn't react to Amon's threat due to which, Amon killed his wife and unborn kid. Lax's wife and unborn child had died the way Amon had threatened to kill them. Everyone was shocked, and Lax was devastated. Lax, at that moment, used a forbidden spell to open a Rift.
The Rift had opened within the room and monsters had started swarming out of it, due to which, everyone inside and outside the interrogation room was killed. Not only that, the Rift was devastating enough to almost destroy the Riversong Empire. Millions of people were killed due to the Rift which included Ross and his parents.
After using the Skill and seeing the future, Ross freaked out and lost his cool. Due to that, the timeline had changed. Lax confessed his crimes and was put in prison for the rest of his life.
Alexander: "Ross, stop zoning out again and tell me the reason you're so wary of Amon." He raised his voice slightly which broke Ross from his zone-out.
Ross: "Oh, sorry. Blade, how about I answer that question another day? I need to finish my essay."
Alexander nodded, getting up from the bed and heading out of the room. Ross also got up from his seat and went back to his chair, continuing the essay he needed to hand in tomorrow.
. . .
Ross was running at Amon, wanting to stop him and have a conversation. He seemed quite bothered about something and only Amon could clear that bothering of his. Ross was able to catch up to Amon and stop him from leaving the headquarters of the Crime Investigation Bureau.
Ross: "I wanted to ask you something, Amon." He looked at Amon with a curious expression. "How were you so sure that your threatening will work on Lax? What if he didn't fall for it?"
Hearing Ross's inquiry, Amon was silent for a few moments before he started chuckling. But his chuckle didn't sound pleasant. It sounded rather... eerie.
Amon: "Let me ask you this first." He leant closer to Ross's ear and spoke hoarsely. "How was the future, Ross?" He grinned deviously.
Ross was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Unknowingly, his calm expression had turned into an expression of utter shock.
Ross: "So... You knew... Lax would have no choice but to confess his crimes... if he saw me freaking out after hearing your threat..." He spoke calmly, but he was anything but calm on the inside.
Amon: "Of course. And do you know what's the best part?" He leaned back and looked at Ross with a confident yet devious smile. "I also lied about the part of Lax cheating on his wife. I implanted a fake memory in my mind. A memory of Holy Winstone telling me that she has an affair with Lax."
Amon swept past Ross, leaving him there. Ross was trying to figure out what he had just heard before hearing Amon's voice again.
Amon: "You'll have to figure out my plan and how I succeeded." He turned back to Ross for a brief moment before he headed out of the Crime Investigation Bureau Headquarters.
. . .
Ross woke up from his sleep, looking at his surroundings groggily. He was in his dorm room which he shared with Alexander. He looked at the clock beside him which showed that it was currently six in the morning.
Ross: "That dream again..." Ross contemplated as he rubbed his eyes and got up from his bed. "Since that day, I have realized... Messing with him is probably the worst idea possible..."
Ross got into the bathroom and refreshed himself by taking a shower. Afterwards, he left his dorm room and headed towards the cafeteria to grab a decent breakfast for him and Alexander. But he was surprised to see Alexander there, waving at him.
Alexander: "I got you these Inegol koftes and three Gozlemes with Onion Sauce." He handed Ross a plate containing the said dishes.
Ross: "I didn't know you were so considerate..." He stared at Alexander while he took the plate from him.
Alexander: "I wasn't planning to get you this dish but since you were overworking yourself last night, I thought of being nice to you." He headed towards one of the empty tables at the cafeteria, signalling Ross to follow him.
Once the duo had taken a seat, they started having their breakfast. Ross was about to say something but Alexander gestured him not to say. Talking while eating is bad, and Alexander avoided talking while having breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any food.
After the duo were done with their breakfast, they headed towards their classroom. Ross was talking about his essay while Alexander listened.
Alexander: "Amon's actions seem way too unorthodox to be true. He is trying to achieve something in this Academy. One may think that he's trying to be a role model student. But that is not the case. He has gotten into a lot of trouble since the very first day. Amon may be academically the best but his behaviour and actions would say otherwise. Beating up delinquents, bullies, and fellow students is not something a role-model student would do. And then there's also the case of him getting into arguments with some professors who are currently suspended." He contemplated silently as he walked past Ross who was still yapping about his essay.
Alexander: "That bloody orphan Celestia almost expelled Amon multiple times before Seraphina and Jeanne saved him. The professors that Amon argued with were involved in some shady stuff. Among them was a female professor who had sexually assaulted and harassed male students. She would purposefully make them fail her subject and you can probably guess what happens next. She also failed Amon purposefully but that backfired when Amon exposed her publicly. Following her exposure, He then exposed all of the professors whom he had argued with previously. Corruption, Nepotism, Discrimination, Sexual Assaults, and Sexual Harassment, are just some of the crimes these professors were involved with. After they had been exposed, they were handed over to the CIB by the authorities of the Academy." He continued his contemplation, oblivious to what Ross was saying.
Before Alexander knew it, he had reached the classroom with Ross. He was broken out of his thought bubbles by Ross's constant poking to get his attention.
. . .
Professor Celestia destroyed the Hologram Projector with a violent burst of energy. Everyone was a bit surprised but then they quickly remembered her intolerance for things that annoy her. It was common knowledge that Professor Celestia would throw away or destroy objects that annoyed her. It seems like the AI Hologram, Marina, was one of those things.
With a snap of her fingers, the curtains were removed from the windows, lighting up the entire classroom.
Celestia: "I will now explain what the Inter-Academic Exchange Program is about." She spoke firmly, staring at the students with a neutral expression.
Celestia: "The Inter-Academic Exchange Program is a competition which is hosted by the three great academies of Riversong Empire. The idea behind this competition is to see the capabilities of each academy's finest students and this idea was founded by the founders of the three great academies. The goal is to encourage a friendly rivalry between the three great academies. Any questions?" She spoke calmly, staring at the students with the same expression as before.
One of the students raised a hand. It was Alexander who had raised his hand, also smiling for some reason.
Alexander: "Professor, who founded the three great academies?" He asked calmly, lowering his hand.
Celestia: "Good question. The first Legends founded the three great academies. Graham Crown, Jeanne Silvershackles, Creasion Crown, Christopher Ashborn, Star James Stuart, Avon Stanford, and Dereck James Stuart; These eight people are the ones who founded the three great academies and these are the people who saved the world from the ploys of the Evil Goddess of Creation." She answered Alexander's question calmly.
Amon: "What...? Those people... They were never a part of this stupid novel... What the hell is going on..." He contemplated as he now had his full attention on Celestia, listening to all of her words.
Amon was confused and dumbfounded by the sudden revelation. Because the people mentioned right now weren't a part of 'Forbidden Love Between Two Maidens'. There wasn't a single mention of them in the novel. Amon was trying to figure out what was going on before he finally understood.
Amon: "Of course... Of course... The consequences of fucking up the original plot... How could I have forgotten such an important detail? Since when did I become this much complacent? The consequences started from the moment I decided to alter the plot of the faceoff between me and Sophia. New characters, unexpected plot twists, and so much more have happened. Just because I've got an unfair advantage doesn't mean it will get me out of every unexpected situation. I need to get stronger, and thanks to getting raped by Amou last night, I have gotten my hands on something useful." A malicious grin had appeared on Amon's face as he contemplated.
Amon opened his Status Window which showed his current stats.
Status Window
Name: Amon Von Crown
Age: 18
Status: Youngest Son of the Crown Family/Reincarnated Otherworlder/Master of the Primordial Beast of Lust
Class: Human [Ascension 1/3] -> Corrupted Saint [Ascension 2/3]
Magium: 15,00,000/20,00,000 [Magium Capacity has increased three-fold due to evolution]
Skill(s):
Inhumane Sinner (Special Skill) [Your Secret Skill, Sinner's Desire, was fused with your Special Skill, No Longer Human, as a result of your evolution]
Vision of Apparition (Requiem Skill)
Magical Hypercompetence (Special Skill) [All of your Magic-related Skills have been infused to create this Skill as a result of your evolution]
Mark(s):
Mark of Corruption (Ancient Class Mark) [Your 'Mark of the Sword' was sacrificed to evolve you and you received this Mark after you had evolved completely]
Amon: "Getting tainted by Amou who happens to be a Primordial Existence made me much stronger and it also helped me to realise why Amon was so damn weak in the original plot. It was because he was a normal human with only his skill Sinner's Desire. I would've lost against Sophia if I had fought her back then, even though I had Amou. However, after training with Amou and building trust with her, I got stronger. But it still wasn't enough to beat Zephyra Valkaress. While I would've won if she didn't use her Final Counter, it is also true that I lost to her." He contemplated with a thoughtful expression as he closed the Status Window.
Amon was so lost in thought that he completely missed Celestia's explanation about the Inter-Academic Exchange Program. He only snapped back to reality after Seraphina gently tapped on his shoulder.
Seraphina: "Is there anything bothering you, Amon?" She asked gently.
Amon: "No." He answered calmly, regaining his composure.
When Amon looked around, his classmates were murmuring about something. They were curious. Curious to know. His gaze shifted to Celestia who seemed to have a neutral expression.
Celestia: Her expression changed, staring at her class with a cold glare. "Are you done rambling among yourselves?" She spoke icily.
Her glare and words were enough to silence everyone.
Celestia: "Good. As I was saying, we will have a special guest with us today. And I expect you all to behave properly." She spoke with the same tone as before, staring at the students with the same cold glare.
The door to the classroom creaked open slowly, revealing a young, beautiful woman. She was almost 6'7 with silky raven blue hair, blood-red eyes, and a gorgeous body. She wore an elegant raven-black dress covering most of her generous proportions but also accentuated their beauty. The woman exuded a strong aura of darkness which added to her overall appearance. The most accurate way to describe her would be 'an enigmatic beauty'. Everyone, except for Amon, was in awe of her beauty.
Celestia: "Welcome to Class 1-S, Miss Lara Loveheart." She greeted the woman calmly with a neutral expression.
Lara: She walked towards Celestia and stopped before her. "The pleasure's mine, Celestia." She smiled at Celestia.
Amon: "I did think of unexpected plot twists but this... This is not just unexpected but catastrophic! Lara Loveheart is one of the antagonists of 'Forbidden Love Between Two Maidens' and she makes an appearance after the Inter-Academic Exchange Program Arc, but why is she appearing now?!" He recollected quickly, internally shocked by the unexpected circumstances.