The next morning, Valentina let her eyes wander over the crowd in search of an empty seat for breakfast – and froze when she spotted Crispin at the other end of the hall.

  Their eyes met for a moment and Valentina felt a blush rise to her face. Crispin smiled shyly and beckoned her over. Heart pounding, she made her way through the crowd.

  "Good morning, Val," Crispin said as she sat down. His voice sounded an octave higher than usual and he avoided looking her directly in the eye.

  "Morning, Crispin," Valentina replied quietly. She reached for a piece of bread and began to butter it methodically, grateful for the distraction.

  An uncomfortable silence spread between them, interrupted only by the clink of cutlery and the laughter of other students.

  "How... How are you?" Crispin finally asked, his fingers nervously playing with the linen napkin.

  Valentina shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, I guess. And you?"

  "Fine, as well," he replied hastily. "I, uh, I was working late last night on my project for the Greystone Competition. The Z?t Essence is still giving me problems."

  Valentina nodded, relieved at the familiar subject. "Yes, Z?t really is treacherous. Have you tried stabilizing it with additional containment lines?"

  Crispin's eyes lit up. "Oh, I hadn't even thought of that! That could work!"

  They became engrossed in a conversation about Essence theory, and for a moment the tension between them was forgotten. Valentina felt something inside her relax. Perhaps their friendship wouldn't change forever after all.

  "Oh, look," Crispin suddenly said, pointing to Valentina's neck. "There's a little bruise. Did you bump against something?"

  Valentina's hand shot to her neck, and she felt the blood drain from her face. She remembered how Crispin's lips had kissed this very spot that night...

  "I, uh, yeah, must have," she mumbled, her eyes lowered to her plate.

  The tension returned with full force, thicker and heavier than before.

  "Valentina! Crispin!" a cheerful voice called out, and they both flinched. Innogen dropped onto the bench next to them, a beaming smile on her face. "You won't believe what I heard about Professor… oh, is everything all right? You both look so... tense."

  Valentina and Crispin exchanged a quick glance before hastily reassuring each other that everything was fine.

  Innogen frowned and looked from one to the other. "Are you sure? You're both behaving rather strangely."

  "Everything's fine," said Valentina with a forced smile. "We were just talking about our projects for the competition."

  Innogen nodded slowly, obviously not entirely convinced. "If you say so. Oh, have you heard? Professor Veilford is supposedly working on a secret project for the King. Something involving offensive Essence manipulation!"

  Grateful for the change of subject, Valentina and Crispin plunged into a discussion about the latest rumors circulating at the university. But Valentina could feel Innogen's inquiring eyes wandering back and forth between her and Crispin.

  "She'll find out if sooner or later," Vyxara whispered in her head. "Humans are amazingly good at sniffing out secrets – especially the juicy ones. And Innogen is a wide-awake fox."

  Valentina suppressed a sigh and concentrated on her breakfast. She would have to talk to Innogen later, that was clear. But for now, she had to get through this conversation without giving herself away completely.

  When the bell called to the lectures, Valentina was almost relieved. She hurriedly said goodbye to Innogen and made her way with Crispin to Professor Horne's lecture on Essence Theory.

  The lecture hall quickly filled with students, the air buzzing with excitement and nervousness. Professor Horne was notorious for his extremely rigorous exams, and no one wanted to show up to his lecture unprepared. Some said that he never gave the best grade on principle.

  Valentina and Crispin took their seats next to each other, both extremely careful not to accidentally touch each other. When Professor Horne entered the room, silence fell over the students.

  Professor Horne's eyes scrutinized the class with their usual sharpness. But something seemed different today. Valentina noticed his hands trembling slightly as he placed his notes on the desk.

  "Today we will be studying the resonance patterns of Leb and Viur Essence," Horne began, his voice rougher than usual. "Master Boarfend, read the treatise by Magister Agamenio aloud for the other students."

  While Faustus read, the professor muttered quietly to himself the whole time. Valentina used her newly acquired ability for Essence Listening. To her surprise, she could hear the professor whispering softly, like a subliminal murmur.

  "...can't stop thinking about it... those hands, those lips..."

  Valentina's eyes widened. What was he talking about? She closed her eyes, concentrated harder, tried to grasp more.

  "...so wrong, so forbidden... but I can't resist..."

  "Valentina!" Horne's voice suddenly thundered through the room. Valentina flinched and looked up. The professor was staring at her with narrowed eyes. "Perhaps you would like to explain to the class why the use of angular patterns is so important for the stabilization of Viur Essence?"

  Valentina swallowed hard. She had completely missed what Faustus had read out. "I... well, the angular patterns..."

  She felt Crispin shift nervously in his chair next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pointing at his parchment. With a grateful look, she quickly read his hastily scribbled notes.

  "The angular patterns are crucial for stabilizing Viur Essence because their geometric structure resonates perfectly with the natural vibrational patterns of this Essence and can thus be used to manage it and steer it in the right direction," she said, relieved when she saw Horne's eyebrows raise in surprise.

  "Good, Valentina," he said slowly and reluctantly. "I see you've prepared yourself. Let's get on with it."

  As the rest of the lecture passed, Valentina couldn't help but keep glancing at Professor Horne. What was it that was bothering him so much? And why did she get the feeling that it was something he was desperately trying to keep secret? At the same time, she noticed how Professor Horne kept looking over at her with a furrowed brow. He had probably become suspicious of her constant staring. Valentina forced herself to stop looking over.

  Next to her, Crispin shifted restlessly in his chair, obviously torn between the desire to concentrate on the lecture and the urge to look at Valentina. Their hands were only inches apart on the table, and the memory of their touch that night seemed to vibrate in the air between them.

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  When the lecture was finally over, they both hurriedly packed up their things.

  'Val, I...' Crispin began, but Valentina interrupted him gently.

  "Later, okay? I have something to do." She gave him a small smile and then hurried out of the lecture hall, her heart heavy with unspoken words and confusing feelings.

  Outside in the hallway, she leaned against the cool stone wall and closed her eyes for a moment. What had she done? And how would she ever be able to deal with Crispin normally again?

  "Oh, little Weaver," Vyxara purred in her head, "life gets so much more interesting when you stop obsessively trying to be normal all the time."

  Valentina sighed deeply. She knew that Vyxara was right in a way. She made her way to her next lecture.

  ~

  As the bell called to lunch, the students streamed out of the lecture halls and into the dining room. She had just filled a bowl with warm stew when she heard Innogen's voice behind her.

  "Val! Over here!"

  Innogen waved from a table in the corner, a mischievous smile on her lips. Valentina hesitated briefly, then walked over to her friend.

  "How was your morning lecture?" she asked and sat down

  "Oh, boring as always," waved Innogen off. "But that's not important. What I want to know is what's going on between you and Crispin."

  Valentina almost choked on her bite. "W-what do you mean?"

  Innogen leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Come on, Val. I'm not blind. You two were acting like two cats on hot bricks this morning. So, speak up!"

  Valentina felt a blush rise to her face. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening.

  "Be careful, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head. "But maybe it's also good to take someone into your confidence. A secret shared can create a powerful bond."

  Valentina took a deep breath. "Okay," she said quietly. "But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

  Innogen nodded eagerly, her eyes widening with excitement.

  "Crispin and I... we slept together," Valentina whispered.

  Innogen gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "You did WHAT? When? How? Oh by all the flames of the Martyr, tell me everything!"

  Valentina laughed nervously and began to tell the story – without mentioning Vyxara, of course. She talked about her decision, about Crispin's tenderness, about the mixture of nervousness and excitement.

  "It was... beautiful," she concluded. "Not perfect, but beautiful. Crispin was so loving and considerate." She paused, thinking back to the moments when Crispin had moved inside her – the feel of his skin on hers, his hardness in her softness.

  Innogen sighed dreamily. "That sounds wonderful, Val. I wish I could..." She smiled sheepishly.

  "What do you mean?" asked Valentina.

  Innogen shrugged her shoulders, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You know how it is. If it came out at the wedding that I wasn't a virgin, it could cause a political crisis."

  Valentina put her hand on Innogen's arm sympathetically. "I'm sorry about that."

  "That's all right," said Innogen with a faint smile. "That's just the way life is. But now tell me more! How did it feel? Was it painful?"

  The two friends became engrossed in a conversation of whispered revelations and occasional giggles. Valentina described, as best she could, the sensations and feelings she had experienced.

  "It was a bit uncomfortable at first," she admitted. "But then it got better. It was as if a whole new world opened up to me."

  "And when he came..." Innogen wanted to know. "How did it feel?"

  Valentina grinned at the memory and shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, not that spectacular for me. I mean, it was nice to feel him pouring himself inside me – but my own... well, I didn't come anyway."

  Innogen frowned. "Oh. That's a shame."

  "Yes," Valentina agreed. "But I didn't expect it to be perfect the first time. It was a start, nothing more."

  Innogen hung on her lips, her cheeks slightly flushed. "And after that? How does it feel now?"

  Valentina thought for a moment. "It's strange. I feel somehow... more grown up? But confused at the same time. I don't know exactly how to deal with Crispin now."

  "Do you love him?" Innogen asked quietly.

  Valentina shook her head. "Not in that way. He's important to me, but... it's complicated."

  Innogen nodded understandingly. "Life is rarely easy, is it? But I'm glad you were able to have this experience, Val. And that you shared it with me."

  "But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone," Valentina said insistently. "If the wrong people find out... and I don't want Crispin to behave so awkwardly towards you too."

  "Of course not!" Innogen assured her. "Your secret is safe with me."

  At that moment, the bell rang, announcing the end of the lunch break.

  "Thank you for trusting me, Val," Innogen said as they made their way to their next lectures. "And if you ever want to talk... you know I want to hear everything." She laughed.

  Valentina smiled gratefully. "I appreciate that, Innogen. Really."

  When they parted, Valentina felt strangely relieved. It was good to have someone she could talk to – even if she couldn't reveal everything.

  "You see?" murmured Vyxara. "Sometimes it's good to share a secret. It makes the burden easier to bear."

  Valentina nodded slightly as she made her way to the laboratory. She still had a lot of work to do to finish her project for the Greystone competition.

  ~

  The lab was filled with the quiet whirring of Essence gadgets and the occasional clacking of Essence instruments. Valentina stood bent over her workstation, her brow furrowed in concentration. In front of her hovered a complex web of Leb and Wazzer Essence, pulsating in soft shades of blue and green.

  "Just one more small step," she murmured as her hands made precise movements in the air. The Essence pattern reacted, changing its shape slightly.

  "Careful, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head. "The Vanderlieu spiral is treacherous. One false step and everything blows up."

  Valentina nodded barely perceptibly. She still remembered her first attempts to weave the spiral. How often had she failed, barely managing to avoid the worst, frustrated at having to start all over again. But with each repetition she had become better, had understood the intricacies of the pattern better.

  A memory flashed before her inner eye: herself, a few days ago, desperately trying to stabilize important elements of the pattern. Professor Emberfell had been standing next to her, her eyebrows raised skeptically.

  "Valentina," she had said, "I admire your ambition. But perhaps you should start with something... simpler?"

  But Valentina had not given up. Slowly but surely, the pattern had developed, grown and become more complex.

  Now she was on the verge of a breakthrough. The Essence pattern in front of her was of a beauty and complexity that would amaze even experienced Essence Weavers.

  "Okay," Valentina said quietly to herself. "It's now or never."

  With a final, flowing movement, she closed the last part of the pattern. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, suddenly, the entire pattern lit up in a brilliant blue.

  Valentina held her breath. The Essence pattern began to spin, faster and faster, until it became a swirling vortex. In the middle, a perfect drop of water formed from the moisture in the air and floated in the air.

  With trembling hands, Valentina reached for a cup of cloudy water that she had prepared. She carefully dropped a small sip of water into the Essence Vortex.

  The effect was immediately visible. The dirty water was drawn into the vortex and when it came out the other side, it was crystal clear.

  "It works," Valentina breathed in disbelief. "It really works!"

  "Of course it works," Vyxara purred contentedly. "The reward for your hard work."

  Valentina couldn't suppress her grin. She had done it. Her water purification project was a success. With this Essence pattern, if she just added Distilled Essence constantly and ran a water pipe or sewer through it, she could purify entire bodies of water. Of course, it wouldn't be cheap – Distilled Essence was expensive.

  "Valentina!" a voice suddenly sounded behind her. She turned around and saw Professor Emberfell looking at her with surprise and admiration. "Is that... Is that a modified Vanderlieu Spiral, constantly sustained by Distilled Essence?"

  Valentina nodded, suddenly nervous. "Yes, Professor. I customized it to better integrate the Wazzer Essence."

  Professor Emberfell stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the floating Essence pattern. "Impressive," she murmured, "really impressive. I must confess, Valentina, I had my doubts about your project. But this... This could be groundbreaking."

  Valentina felt pride rising within her. "Thank you, Professor. I hope it will go down well at the Greystone competition."

  "Oh, I'm convinced of that," said Professor Emberfell with a rare smile. "Keep up the good work, Valentina. I can't wait to see what else you'll show us."

  When the professor left, Valentina turned her attention back to her project. She still had some work to do, she had to stabilize and test the pattern further. But she was feeling really confident by now.

  "You see?" said Vyxara gently. "This is just the beginning. Imagine what else we can achieve."

  Valentina nodded slightly. Yes, this was just the beginning. And she was ready for everything that was yet to come.

  With renewed vigor, she got back to work, the hum of Essence around her like a familiar tune. The Greystone competition was approaching and she was determined to give it her all.

  As the afternoon sun fell through the high windows of the lab, she took one last look at her project. The Essence pattern still hovered stably in the air.

  With a satisfied sigh, Valentina released the weave and began to tidy up. Tomorrow she would carry out more tests, but she had achieved enough for today.