At that moment, she heard muffled voices from a corner of the hall. She recognized Professor Emberfell and Professor Veilford, who were engaged in a quiet but intense discussion. About her.
"...never seen anything like it," she heard Professor Veilford say. "The way she manipulated the Essence was far above the level of a first-year student."
Professor Emberfell nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Valentina has surprised us all. Her progress over the last few weeks has been remarkable....
2025-01-02 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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Oho.
2025-01-02 05:00:00 +0000 UTC
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"Spit it out peasant girl," Faustus Boarfend snarled. He broke away from the group and stood in front of Valentina, his face contorted into a condescending expression. "How exactly are you cheating?"
Valentina felt her stomach tighten. She had hoped to avoid this confrontation. "I've worked hard, Faustus," she said calmly, trying to keep her voice neutral.
Faustus laughed humorlessly. "Worked hard? And under which professor's body did you work so hard? Horne? Veilford? No one make...
2024-12-31 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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Valentina blinked, still dazed from sleep, as the realization hit her: Today was the day. The first round of the Greystone Competition was coming up.
She sat up with a soft groan, her body protesting against the abrupt movement. The last few weeks of intensive preparation had left their mark. Dark circles appeared under her eyes, betraying the countless nights she had spent awake, reading, and learning.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head, the demo...
2024-12-29 18:12:04 +0000 UTC
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The next day, after the lectures, Valentina returned to the library. The excitement of her newfound ability tingled in her fingertips as she went to her secluded spot. The slight headache from the day before had given way to nervous anticipation.
With trembling hands, she unpacked her books, trying to look like she was working concentratedly.
"Are you ready, little Weaver?" whispered Vyxara in her head.
Valentina nodded imperceptibly and closed her eyes. She took a ...
2024-12-26 18:12:30 +0000 UTC
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When Valentina awoke, she opened her eyes slowly and stretched carefully. Her body felt heavy, as if she was carrying an invisible burden on her shoulders.
Two days had passed since her encounter with Barnaby, and yet it seemed like an eternity. The initial shame that had enveloped her like a suffocating blanket had given way to a steely resolve. She sat up, her gaze falling on the bottle of Distilled Essence on her desk. Worth the sacrifice. At least, she hoped it was.
2024-12-24 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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As Valentina walked around the counter, she entered a completely different world to the chaotic but reasonably tidy front part of the store.
Stacks of books, boxes and crates were everywhere. A thick layer of dust covered every free spot. In one corner stood an old bed with stained sheets, next to it a crooked mirror and a wobbly chair.
The whole thing looked like the lair of a miserly hermit who hadn't cared about his own well-being for a long time.
Barnaby led Valentina de...
2024-12-22 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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Valentina awoke with a soft groan, her body cramped under the thin blanket that offered little protection against the first winter cold that crept through the thin walls of her tiny attic room. Her eyes opened reluctantly, still hazy from sleep but immediately filled with the gnawing fear that had accompanied her into slumber.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice whispered in her head, soft as velvet, but with an undertone that made Valentina shudder. "Are you...
2024-12-19 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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Dawn crept slowly through Valentina's small attic window as she awoke from a restless sleep. Her head throbbed and the worries of the previous day still weighed heavily on her.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice purred in her head. "Did you sleep well? Have you thought about what you want to do yet?"
Valentina moaned softly and sat up. "Please, Vyxara. Not right now. I need to clear my head first."
"Oh, but right now is the perfect time,"
2024-12-17 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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After the afternoon lectures, Valentina retreated to a quiet corner of the library and settled down at a secluded table, surrounded by tall bookshelves that shielded her from prying eyes. She spread out her notes and pulled out a thin, leather-bound book – a treatise on advanced Leb-Essence manipulation, which they would soon cover in Professor Emberfell's lecture.
With trembling hands, she opened the book and began to read. The descriptions of the complex Weaving techniques were fasc...
2024-12-15 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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The first light of the morning fell directly on her face. With a soft groan, Valentina turned over in her narrow bed, her body still comfortably relaxed from the after-effects of the previous night. A feeling of euphoria flowed through her, mixed with a gnawing sense of guilt that settled in her stomach.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice purred in her head. "I hope you slept well after our... intense session."
Valentina felt a blush rise to her face. ...
2024-12-12 18:12:02 +0000 UTC
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Dear Diary,
As night comes, I find myself at my desk again, surrounded by flitting candlelight. In those most quiet hours, when everyone else is asleep, my thoughts inevitably stray to her, to Valentina.
Oh, Valentina. Just her name makes my heart beat faster. How can one person contain so much beauty, grace and intelligence? She was two rows in front of me in Professor Emberfell's lecture and I barely could suppress the urge to just stare at her all day long. She looked jus...
2024-12-11 18:12:00 +0000 UTC
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Valentina took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders before knocking on the heavy oak door of the Decanate. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she felt her palms grow damp.
"Easy, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head. "You have nothing to fear."
"Come in!" a deep, authoritative voice sounded from inside.
Valentina opened the door with trembling hands and stepped inside. The Decan's office was an impressive room, clearly displaying the po...
2024-12-10 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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As she walked down the corridor, on her way to her next class, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Crispin coming towards her, his face a mixture of nervousness and determination.
"Valentina," he called, slightly out of breath. "Can I have a word with you?"
Valentina stopped and turned to Crispin. The slight young man stood before her, his cheeks flushed, his hands clutching nervously at the straps of his worn leather bag. The dim light from the Ess...
2024-12-08 18:12:01 +0000 UTC
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The dining room was already bustling with activity when Valentina walked in through the heavy oak doors. The familiar smell of freshly baked bread and fried bacon filled the air, but something was different this morning. There was an unusual tension in the atmosphere, which Valentina noticed immediately.
Instead of the usual babble of voices and laughter, there was a subdued murmur. Students sat together in small groups, their heads close together as they whispered with serious expressi...
2024-12-05 18:12:00 +0000 UTC
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Lunch was drawing to a close, and the dining room of Bridgewater was beginning to empty. Valentina and Innogen sat for a moment longer. Their plates were already empty, but they were reluctant to part ways.
"I have to go," Innogen finally said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Professor Veilford's tutorial on advanced planar geometry is waiting for me. I'll see you later?"
Valentina nodded with a smile. "Of course. Have fun with the triangles," she joked.
As Innogen hurried ...
2024-12-03 21:40:28 +0000 UTC
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Birds chirped outside Valentina's small skylight and gently woke her up. She felt refreshed and relaxed, she had slept better than she had for a long time.
Then she began to remember.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice purred in her head, her voice full of innuendo. The memories of last night flooded her. The intense pleasure, the overwhelming ecstasy, and Vyxara's presence during it all.
"Oh Martyr," she whispered, hiding her face in her hands.
<...
2024-12-03 21:38:32 +0000 UTC
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The next few days flew by, a whirlwind of lectures, exercises and clandestine Essence practices. Valentina found herself in a strange balance with Vyxara, the demon's constant presence in her mind becoming almost normal.
In Professor Veilford's lecture on advanced planar geometry, Valentina surprised everyone, including herself, with a brilliant solution to a complex Essence pattern.
"Impressive, Valentina," Veilford praised, his bushy eyebrows raised in surprise. "I must confess,...
2024-12-03 21:37:18 +0000 UTC
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Valentina stood in front of the small tarnished mirror in her room, the strands of her hair still lying disorderly over her shoulders. Distant laughter drifted up to her from the lower floors, where some students were having a good time. But tonight there was only one place she wanted to be – Innogen's room, where they would celebrate Innogen's birthday together with Crispin.
With a deep breath, Valentina pulled the comb through her hair and tried to organize the thoughts buzzing in h...
2024-12-03 21:36:08 +0000 UTC
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The days flew by, and Valentina found herself in a strange rhythm with Vyxara. Every morning she woke up with the demon in her head, whose comments on everything and everyone she almost expected by now.
"Ah, another bright day in Bridgewater," Vyxara remarked sarcastically as Valentina looked out the window and saw the gray sky. "Perfect for a bit of Essence Weaving, don't you think?"
Valentina rolled her eyes as she got dressed. "Do you have to do that? Every mo...
2024-12-03 21:33:56 +0000 UTC
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The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the small skylight into Valentina's room and danced across her face. She slowly opened her eyes, blinked against the bright light and stretched with pleasure. For a brief, blissful moment, everything was as it had always been.
Then the realization hit her like a blow.
"Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice rang in her head, velvety and amused. "Did you sleep well?"
Valentina froze, her heart racing. ...
2024-12-03 21:30:34 +0000 UTC
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