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. I knew she was talented, but she has exceeded my wildest expectations."
"Remarkable?" Veilford snorted softly. "That's more than remarkable, Lydia. It's almost sinister. We should keep an eye on her."
Valentina felt her blood run cold. She had caught the professors' attention – and not just in a positive way.
"Relax," muttered Vyxara. "Veilford is used to being paid for the really interesting knowledge. From people like Faustus' father, for example. It was to be expected that he wouldn't like the fact that a student who doesn't even attend his special courses is successful. As long as he doesn't have anything concrete, they can't touch you."
Valentina nodded imperceptibly, but the queasy feeling in her stomach remained.
Suddenly, she heard loud voices from the other side of the hall. Faustus was standing there, surrounded by his friends, gesticulating wildly.
"I'm telling you, there's something wrong!" His voice was loud enough to echo throughout the room. "She must have cheated!"
Some of his friends nodded in agreement, others looked skeptical. Valentina noticed Ignacio Flintside, the red-haired boy from the rich merchant family, frowning.
"I don't know, Faustus," he said hesitantly. "She seemed pretty confident in what she was doing. You can't cheat something like that. Maybe she's just... more talented than we thought?"
Faustus' face darkened. "Talented? A peasant girl from nowhere? Don't be naive, Ignacio. She's spreading her legs for one of the professors, that'll be it. She wouldn't be the first."
His gaze wandered around the room and met Valentina's. His eyes narrowed to slits, and he silently formed a word: "Harlot."
Valentina averted her eyes, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew that Faustus was a real threat. He had the means and the influence to make her life very difficult.
"He's a coward and a weakling," Vyxara hissed. "Don't let him intimidate you. You're stronger than he'll ever be."
Valentina nodded slightly, but the worry continued to gnaw at her. She knew she had to be careful. One wrong step and everything she had worked for could collapse.
"Val?" Innogen's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Please don't let Faustus upset you. No one believes the things he says about you."
Valentina forced herself to smile. "You're right."
Crispin put a hand on her arm to comfort her. "Just wait until the results are in tomorrow. You'll have done great, I'm sure of it."
Valentina nodded gratefully. The affection of her friends warmed her heart, but at the same time, it increased her guilty conscience. She was lying to them, hiding so much from them. Would they ever be able to forgive her if they found out the truth?
"They wouldn't understand," whispered Vyxara. "At least not yet. One day, maybe they will understand."
Valentina sighed softly. She fervently hoped that the demon was right.
"I think I'll go to my room now," she said to her friends. "I need some rest."
Innogen and Crispin nodded in understanding. "Of course," Innogen said. "Get some rest. We'll see you tomorrow for breakfast?"
"Definitely," Valentina confirmed with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it."
With a final wave, she made her way to the exit. As she passed Faustus and his group, she felt their hostile gaze at her back. She quickened her steps, glad to escape the tense atmosphere of the hall.
Outside, the cool air welcomed her like a release. Valentina took a deep breath, letting the stress of the day fall away.
"You've done it," Vyxara said gently. "The first step has been taken."
Valentina nodded silently. She had done brilliantly, yes. But what else would the coming days and weeks bring? Sighing, she made her way to her room.
~
Valentina closed the door of her small attic room behind her and stretched out her arms – eyes tightly squeezed shut – to loosen her tense back. The tension of the day fell away from her like a heavy cloak, and she felt her knees soften.
"Now, now," Vyxara teased gently, "don't fall over, little Weaver. We still need to celebrate!"
A tired smile flitted across Valentina's face. "Celebrating? I'm so exhausted I can barely stand."
"Pah, details!" Vyxara's voice sounded amused. "Come on, sit down. I promise you don't have to move."
Valentina gave in and sank onto her narrow bed. She pulled her legs up and leaned against the wall, her eyes wandering around the small room. In the faint light of the setting sun, everything looked somehow different, familiar, and yet strange.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"So," said Vyxara contentedly, "now tell me everything."
Valentina laughed softly. "You were there, Vyxara. You saw everything."
"Yes," the demon admitted, "but I want to hear it from your perspective. Come on, show off! You've earned it."
Valentina closed her eyes and reviewed the day. "It was... overwhelming," she said quietly. "When I saw the Essence diagram, I thought it was impossible at first. But then... then it was like it all made sense. I could see the patterns, the connections. It was like the Essence was speaking to me."
"And you listened," Vyxara said appreciatively. "You did a brilliant job, little Weaver. The way you interwove the Schate-Essence with the Z?t-Essence – that was art!"
Valentina blushed slightly at the praise. "It felt so natural," she admitted. "Like it was what I was born to do."
"That’s because it is," Vyxara said softly. "You have a talent for it that most people don't have. And today, you showed it to everyone."
A smile spread across Valentina's face, but it quickly faded. "But I used knowledge I shouldn't have. I lied to my friends. And Faustus..."
"Faustus is a jealous fool," Vyxara interrupted sharply. "He can't stand anyone being better than him, especially a woman. He thinks women are inferior."
Valentina sighed, "I know. But he's dangerous. You heard what he said. He won't rest until he finds a way to discredit me."
"Then we'll just have to make sure he doesn't find one," said Vyxara resolutely. "We'll be more careful, even cleverer. And if he gets in our way..." The demon left the sentence unfinished, but Valentina could sense the threat in it.
"No," she said firmly. "We're not going to hurt him. That would only get us into even more trouble."
"Whatever you say," said Vyxara, sounding unconvinced. "But don't underestimate him. He has connections and resources that you don't have. Yet."
Valentina nodded thoughtfully. She knew Vyxara was right. She had to be careful.
"What do you think awaits us in the next few rounds?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, it should be interesting," Vyxara said with a hint of anticipation in her voice. "They'll increase the difficulty, require more complex Essence combinations. Maybe even practical applications under stress. And, of course, the research project."
Valentina frowned. "That sounds challenging."
"It is," Vyxara agreed. "But nothing you can't handle. Especially not with my help."
Valentina smiled slightly. It was strange how familiar it had started to feel to talk to Vyxara. Almost like talking to a friend. She shook her head at the thought. A demon was not a friend. Or was it?
"Vyxara," she said hesitantly, "why are you doing all this? Why are you helping me?"
There was silence for a moment. Then Vyxara said, her voice unusually serious, "Because you are fascinating, little Weaver. You have a potential I haven't seen in centuries. And I want to see how far you can go. I want to be there to experience it all."
Valentina swallowed hard. "And what if I don't want to go as far as you want me to? What if I'm afraid of what I might become?"
"Oh, Valentina," Vyxara said gently, "fear is normal. But don't let it hold you back, make you unable to act, stop you from experiencing many wonderful things."
Valentina thought about it, thought about the fantasies that Vyxara showed her at night. Some of them made her blush during the day, but at night, when she was alone... it was wonderful. With a shake of her head, she shook off the thought. She didn't want to think too hard about that now.
"Still, we have to be careful, Vyxara," she finally said. "I know we've gone too far to stop now. But we have to be careful. Smart."
"Of course," Vyxara agreed. "We'll plan every step carefully. And in the end, you will emerge victorious, I promise you that."
Valentina smiled tiredly. "Thank you, Vyxara."
"You're welcome, little Weaver. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow, you'll get the results, and then you can have a relaxing day."
Valentina nodded and snuggled into her blanket. Despite her exhaustion, she felt a strange excitement inside her. She lay awake a little longer in her narrow bed, staring at the sloped ceiling of her attic room and listening to the faint sounds of the night. Somewhere in the distance, a dog howled, and the wind whispered around the corners of the old building.
Her thoughts wandered back to the events of the day. She saw the complicated Essence diagram in front of her again and felt the rush of power as she manipulated the Essences. A smile flitted across her face. She had shown everyone, had proven that she belonged here at Bridgewater.
"You were brilliant," Vyxara murmured sleepily in her head. "They'll be talking about your performance for a long time."
Valentina nodded slightly. It felt good to finally be recognized. She thought of the admiring looks from her classmates, the approving nods from the professors. This was what she had always dreamed of.
Her mind wandered back to Palewood, to the small farm where she had grown up. She remembered the endless days of hard work, the nights spent reading old, worn books by candlelight, dreaming of a world beyond the fields and woods.
She saw her mother's face before her, tired but proud, as she told Valentina about her admission to Bridgewater. Heard her father's harsh voice telling her how important it was for her to work hard and succeed. Felt the hugs of her siblings, their eyes full of admiration and hope.
A lump formed in Valentina's throat. She missed them all so much. But she also knew that she couldn't go back, not as a failure. She had to succeed, for all their sakes.
"You're making them proud," Vyxara said gently. "Remember that when the doubts come."
Valentina nodded silently. She had taken the first step today, had shown what she was capable of. And that was just the beginning.
She thought about the next rounds of the competition, about the challenges that still lay ahead of her. Part of her was excited, couldn't wait to continue proving her skills. Another part was afraid of what was yet to come.
"Vyxara?" she whispered into the darkness.
"Yes, little Weaver?"
"What... what will become of me? When this is all over?"
There was silence for a moment. Then Vyxara said with a dreamy voice: "That depends entirely on you, Valentina. You have the power to shape your own destiny. You can explore Essence Weaving to the fullest, even revolutionize it, see the world, gain wealth, be respected in any court, have any freedom you want."
Valentina swallowed hard. She thought of the boundaries she had already crossed. Of the forbidden books under her bed, of the forbidden knowledge in her head. Of the forbidden fantasies that Vyxara showed her when the night was at its deepest.
Part of her knew that she was walking a dangerous path. But a larger part longed for more. For the power, for the knowledge, for the freedom that Vyxara had talked about.
"I want it all," she finally whispered. "I want to be the best Essence Weaver this university has ever seen. I want to save my family, make a better life for them. And I want to be free."
"You will, my little Weaver, you will." She felt Vyxara's affection warm like a flame blossoming in her consciousness.
Valentina smiled slightly, even if a remnant of unease remained. She knew she had made a pact with a demon, that she was doing things that went against everything she had been taught, everything she used to believe. But it didn't feel so wrong anymore.
She thought of Faustus and his rich friends, of all the advantages they had enjoyed from birth. Wasn't it only fair if she also took what she needed?
"You deserve to win," whispered Vyxara. "You're more talented, more determined and braver than all of them. Don't let their narrow-minded morals hold you back."
"I deserve it," she thought to herself. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to give up now. She would win this contest, no matter the cost.
With this thought, she snuggled deeper into her blanket. The exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her and she felt her eyelids grow heavy.
"Sleep now, little Weaver," Vyxara murmured softly.
Valentina smiled tiredly and drifted off to sleep, Vyxara's calming presence in the back of her mind.