She put a hand on Crispin's chest, his heart raced beneath her touch. The bulge in his breeches told her of his desire for her and a shiver ran down her spine.

  She sat herself on his lap, straddling his thighs. Crispin's breath hitched at her touch, and he grew hard against her. He held her hips tentatively as if she might evaporate into mist any moment.

  Valentina reached closer, pressing her lips against his cheek, then his jawline. "It's alright," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "We can do this."

  Crispin nodded and swallowed hard. With trembling fingers she reached down and undid the laces of his breeches. "Let's see what you've got to work with," Vyxara laughed in the back of her mind.

  Valentina didn't acknowledge it, instead concentrating on the task at hand. She freed Crispin from his breeches, and she smiled as she saw him for the first time, his manhood velvety and pink and slick with excitement.

  "I knew he'd be small," Vyxara said teasingly.

  As Valentina guided him to her entrance, her belly fluttered nervously. There was no turning back after this moment, this was it. She took a deep breath and started to lower herself onto him.

  The sensation made Crispin gasp and his fingers dug into her hips. But before she could feel the head of his manhood brush against her most intimate place, he let out a strangled groan, tried to push her away from him, and a warm wetness spread across her thigh. Valentina stared down in disbelief.

  "Oh, Martyr," Crispin panted, his face burning with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry... I couldn't hold back..."

  A feeling of pity took hold of Valentina. Crispin was clearly overwhelmed by the moment. She lifted herself off him and wiped away the evidence of his premature release.

  "It's all right," she said softly, giving him a small smile. "We can try again."

  He cleaned himself up, nodding gratefully. Her heart pounding in her chest she lay back on the bed and waited for him to join her. Vyxara's voice was silent now, but she could feel the demon's satisfaction – this was something Vyxara wanted as much as she did.

  Crispin got onto the bed next to her again, his hands shaking a little as he reached out to touch her. She closed her eyes, closed the world out, and let herself be lost in sensation, his fingers exploring her body and tracing patterns of soft touch on her skin, causing shivers to run through her spine.

  Crispin guided himself towards her entrance once more, and Valentina took a deep breath. She could feel him pressing insistently against her most intimate place, could feel the warmth of his arousal. A flutter of nerves danced in her belly, but she pushed them aside.

  Her eyes opened again, and she looked at Crispin, his eyes wide with wonder and desire. Valentina nodded and gave him a small smile of encouragement.

  Crispin took that as his cue. He started to press forward, the head of his manhood pushing against her slick folds, pressing insistently against her opening. Valentina felt herself tense slightly at the unfamiliar sensation, her entrance resisting the intrusion. Crispin, however, was persistent, and his hips rocked slowly to try to work himself inside.

  Then she felt a sharp pinch, a short, rushing pain that made her gasp. In an instant, it was over, but she immediately knew what it was. Warm wetness trickled down her thigh.

  His face contorted with concern, Crispin froze above her. "Are you all right?" His voice was tinged with worry, as he asked softly.

  Valentina nodded, brushing off the sting. The pain was already starting to fade, and now all she felt was a strange fullness. Crispin's hard manhood was pulsing inside her – the first man ever to be there.

  Then a wave of emotion went through her – sadness and relief and shame and triumph all mixed together in one big bundle. She was no longer pure, no longer innocent – this was it. But she had chosen this for herself, and she wouldn't regret it.

  "Keep going," she whispered, wrapping her legs around Crispin's hips and pulling him deeper inside her. "It's okay now."

  He nodded, a look of gratitude and concentration on his face as he started to move within her again. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lost in sensation, the feeling of skin on skin, his hard manhood sliding in and out of her.

  Vyxara was present in her consciousness – quietly enjoying every second of her deflowering as if it were a fine wine. But Valentina ignored the demon's presence and focused instead on Crispin and the pleasure they shared together.

  After all... this was her choice. And that was enough in that moment.

  Crispin's body tensed above her, he took a ragged gasp. She could feel him twitch in her, and she knew he was close.

  "Come for me," she whispered, wrapping her legs around his hips and pulling him deeper inside her.

  His body shuddered, and Crispin cried out, strangled. He spilled himself inside her, hot and wet, filling her core with his warm seed. Stroking his hair, she held him close until his breathing returned to normal.

  "Thank you," Crispin murmured against her neck. "That was... incredible."

  Valentina smiled softly. Then Vyxara's voice came back, settled and gentle now. "You did well," the demon said.

  ~

  The first light was seeping through the curtains when Valentina woke up. She blinked in confusion, taking a moment to realize where she was. Crispin's arm lay heavily across her waist, his warm breath tickling the back of her neck.

  Carefully, so as not to wake him, she released herself from his embrace and sat up. A slight ache between her legs reminded her of the night's events. She felt different, somehow... changed. But good.

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  "Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara purred in her head. "How does it feel to be a woman?"

  Valentina ignored the comment and began to gather her clothes. The rustling woke Crispin, who sat up sleepily.

  "Val?" he mumbled, his voice still raspy from sleep. "Are you leaving already?"

  She turned to him, a soft smile on her lips. "Yeah, I should get back to my room before someone realizes I didn't spend the night there."

  Crispin nodded understandingly, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "Of course, I understand. But... can we talk for a minute? About last night?"

  Valentina sat back on the bed, her hands folded nervously in her lap. "Sure."

  Crispin hesitated, searching for the right words. "It was... beautiful," he finally said. "But I wonder what it means for us. For our friendship."

  Valentina took a deep breath. She had known this question would come. "Crispin," she began gently, "you are very important to me. And I'm grateful that we shared this with each other. I liked it too. Very much so. But..." She paused, searching for the right words. "I was honest with you from the start. I can't promise you a romantic relationship. My feelings for you haven't changed. I will always look back on last night with gratitude, more gratitude than you can possibly understand. You're my friend, maybe the best one I've ever had. But not more."

  She saw disappointment spreading in Crispin's eyes, but also understanding. He nodded slowly. "I understand," he said quietly. "I thank you for your honesty, Val. And... I hope we can still be friends? Like we have been?"

  Valentina smiled with relief. "Of course. That's not going to change."

  She bent down and hugged him tightly, then stood up and finished getting dressed. At the door, she turned around once more, stepped up to Crispin's bed, and kissed him tenderly on the forehead. "Thank you, Crispin. For everything."

  Crispin closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath and visibly pulled himself together. When he opened his eyes again, he smiled mischievously at her and said: "Any time."

  Valentina laughed and punched him lightly in the arm. "You're impossible!" With these words, she left his room and made her way back to her own.

  Once in her room, she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. A whirl of emotions flooded through her – relief, pride, a touch of melancholy and something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

  "You did it, little Weaver," Vyxara said gently. "You made your own decision and followed through with it. Be proud of that."

  Valentina nodded slightly. Yes, she had done it. She had taken control of this part of her life. It hadn't been perfect, but it had been her decision. And that was more than many others could say.

  The familiar smell of her bed mingled with the faint scent of Crispin that still clung to her skin.

  "So?" Vyxara spoke up, her voice an amused purr in Valentina's head. "How are you feeling?"

  Valentina sighed softly. "I don't feel any different, Vyxara. Just... more experienced, perhaps."

  "Oh, come on," laughed the demon. "You must be feeling something. Pride? Remorse? An overwhelming desire for more?"

  "I don't know exactly," Valentina admitted. She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "It was... interesting. Not quite what I had imagined. But nice."

  "Well, the first time is rarely perfect," Vyxara said with a hint of sympathy. "But you got it over with, and that's the main thing. Now you can concentrate on the really exciting things."

  Valentina frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Oh, little Weaver," purred Vyxara, "that was just the beginning. Now that you've overcome this hurdle, completely new possibilities are opening up. Just think of all the experiences that still await you. Your fantasies no longer have to take place secretly in your head at night, they can become reality."

  "I don't know if I'm ready for this yet," murmured Valentina.

  "You will be," Vyxara assured her. "In time, you will learn to appreciate the power that lies in your sexuality. It's a force you can use to achieve your goals."

  Valentina was silent for a moment. "I wanted to be in control," she finally said quietly. "Over this part of my life. I wanted to decide for myself, not let others decide."

  "And that's what you did," Vyxara confirmed. "You made a decision and followed through with it."

  Valentina nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that's true." She sat back down on the bed. "But what does that mean now? For me, for my future?"

  "That, little Weaver," Vyxara said gently, "is entirely up to you. You have taken a step. Now it's up to you to decide where the next step will take you."

  Valentina thought about it. She thought of Crispin, of the tenderness in his eyes. Of Hobkin and his seductive smile. Of scenes that had only ever taken place in her imagination, that no one knew about except her – and Vyxara. Of all the possibilities that lay ahead of her.

  "I don't know if I'm ready for more quite yet," she finally said.

  "That's all right," Vyxara replied with surprising understanding. "You have all the time in the world to explore and learn. And I'll be by your side to help you... if you let me."

  Valentina smiled slightly. "Thank you, Vyxara. I appreciate it."

  She got up and started to get ready for the day. The Greystone Competition wasn't waiting, and she still had a lot to do.

  "One last thing, little Weaver," Vyxara said as Valentina put her hand on the door handle. "Remember that knowledge is power. And you've just acquired a very powerful form of knowledge."

  With these words in mind, Valentina stepped out into the new day.

  ~

  Valentina entered the Advanced Essence Manipulation Laboratory, her parchments clutched tightly to her chest. The room buzzed with activity, students scurrying between workstations, bent over intricate Essence patterns and eagerly discussing their projects.

  She found a free seat at the back of the room and spread out her documents. She began to weave the intricate Essence patterns, her hands moving through the air with her now familiar confidence. The Leb and Wazzer Essences merged into a complex spiral, just as she had planned.

  As she worked, her thoughts briefly wandered back to the previous night. She remembered Crispin's gentle touch, the feel of his skin against hers. A slight blush rose to her face and she felt a tender tingling in her abdomen.

  "Concentrate, little Weaver," Vyxara teased gently. "You can dream of your nightly adventures later."

  Valentina shook her head slightly and refocused on her work. The Essence pattern in front of her began to glow as she made the final connections.

  "Impressive, Valentina," a voice suddenly sounded behind her. She turned around and saw Professor Emberfell, who was examining her work with a critical eye. "An interesting combination of Leb and Wazzer Essence. What exactly are you trying to achieve here?"

  Valentina explained the concept for water purification she had invented over the last days, surprised by how clear and convicted her own voice sounded. Professor Emberfell listened patiently and nodded approvingly.

  "An ambitious idea, but I can immediately see the appeal it has to someone with your background," she said, "I'm looking forward to see how you will prove your theoretical model in practice."

  As the professor walked on, Valentina felt her self-confidence grow. She felt as if she could move mountains.

  The hours flew by. Valentina experimented with different variations of her Essence pattern, jotting down results and refining her theory. In between, her thoughts kept wandering back to the previous night, a slight smile flitting across her face at the memory of the tenderness she had experienced.

  Towards evening she had a breakthrough. There was a crucial interaction between the Leb Essence and something in the water. Perhaps there were small plants or creatures in the water that could not be seen with the naked eye? In any case, the result was astonishing – the water in the test container in front of her began to shimmer as the Essence pattern did its work. Within minutes, all the impurities had disappeared.

  "I did it," she whispered in disbelief.

  "Of course you did," said Vyxara proudly. "You are extraordinary, little Weaver."

  Exhausted but satisfied, Valentina packed up her things. When she left the lab, she felt as if she had conquered the world. She knew that there was still a lot of work ahead of her, but she was sure that she would manage it.

  With a smile on her lips, she made her way back to her room.