The dining room hummed with life as Valentina entered with Innogen. The smell of bread and hot porridge filled the air. Students crowded around the long tables and benches, their conversations mingling into a constant background noise.


    Valentina mechanically took her breakfast, her mind still foggy with fatigue and the events of the night. She followed Innogen to an empty seat, nodding absently to the greetings of her fellow students.


    "Fascinating," Vyxara murmured in her head. "So many young minds, so full of potential and ambition."


    "Shut up," Valentina hissed quietly, which earned her a questioning look from Innogen.


    "Are you all right, Val?" her friend asked worriedly.


    Valentina forced herself to smile. "Yeah, just... tired. Didn''t sleep well."


    She took a bite of her bread but hardly tasted anything. Her head was full of questions, of fears. How should she deal with this new reality?


    "You should eat," Vyxara commented. "Your body needs energy, especially after last night''s exertions."


    Valentina ignored the demon and concentrated on the conversation around her instead. Edgar, who was sitting opposite them, was excitedly discussing the recent advanced tutorial with Professor Thornfield.


    "Professor Thornfield spoke at length about the Vanderlieu spiral," he said, his eyes shining. "I can hardly wait until the next lesson!"


    Valentina felt another stab of envy.


    "I could show you how to weave the Vanderlieu spiral," Vyxara whispered enticingly. "It''s really quite simple if you know the trick."


    Valentina froze. The temptation was great, she couldn''t deny it. But...


    "At what price?" she murmured quietly.


    "Oh, not much," Vyxara replied lightly. "Maybe a small favor. Nothing that would hurt you."


    Valentina frowned. "What do you mean by ''favor''?"


    "Well," Vyxara began, "let me explain it this way. Every time you enlist my help, we have to make a deal. A give and take, if you will."


    "What kind of deal?" Valentina asked cautiously, as quietly as possible so as not to attract attention.


    "That depends entirely on what you ask of me," Vyxara explained. "The greater the help, the greater the price. It could be something as simple as looking through your eyes at something that interests me. Or something more complex, like... well, let''s say a small task you fulfill for me."


    Valentina felt her stomach tighten. "What kind of task?"


    A soft laugh echoed through her mind. "Nothing bad, little Weaver. Maybe get a book from the forbidden section of the library. Or perform a certain ritual. Maybe a sweet little kiss on a tantalizing mouth. Nothing that would harm your precious morals."


    There was no mistaking the sarcastic undertone in Vyxara''s voice. Valentina swallowed hard. The idea of having access to such knowledge was tempting. But was it worth it?


    "I... I don''t know," she said hesitantly.


    "You don''t have to decide right away," Vyxara said gently. "But think about it. Imagine what you could achieve. The Greystone Competition would only be the beginning."


    Valentina closed her eyes for a moment. The temptation was great, she couldn''t deny it. With Vyxara''s help, maybe she really could solve all her problems. Lift her family out of poverty, pay off her debts, start a brilliant career as Essence Weaver...


    But what if the ‘favors’ that Vyxara demanded became ever greater, ever more dangerous? What if she ended up losing her soul?


    "Val?" Innogen''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You''re so quiet today. Are you sure everything''s all right?"


    Valentina forced herself to smile. "Yes, I''m sorry. I''m just... in thought."


    "A clever lie," Vyxara commented with amusement. "Maybe you do have more potential than I thought."


    "Shut up," Valentina hissed, quietly enough for no one to hear.


    The rest of breakfast passed as if in a fog. Valentina ate mechanically, nodding in the right places in conversation, but her mind was elsewhere. She weighed up the pros and cons, played through various scenarios.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    When they finally got up to go to their lectures, she still hadn''t made a decision. But she knew she had to be careful. Vyxara might seem helpful, but the demon certainly had its own plans.


    "You think too much, little Weaver," Vyxara said as they left the dining hall. "Sometimes you just have to go with the flow of life and see where it takes you."


    Valentina shook her head slightly. "Not if this flow leads down the drain," she muttered and entered the lecture hall.


    ~


    Valentina entered Professor Horne''s Essence Theory lecture hall with a sense of trepidation. The room was already full, the hum of hushed conversation filling the air. She found a seat near the exit, not far from Elara of Willowbrook, unsure if she could handle Vyxara''s presence in such a demanding environment.


    Professor Horne, let his eyes roam over Valentina and Elara, the smile of his yellow teeth a touch too wide. "Oh, how interesting," Vyxara giggled in her thoughts. "What do you mean?" Valentina whispered softly. "He wants you. Both of you. Preferably at the same time." Vyxara replied, amused. "Stop it!" Valentina hissed between her teeth. She knew how Professor Horne looked at his female students. Almost all the young women here knew that, and Valentina may have come from a very pious family, but she wasn''t stupid.


    "Today," Professor Horne began in a croaky voice, "we will be looking at the more complex aspects of Leb-Essence. In particular, we will examine how it interacts with Viur-Essence."


    Valentina pulled out her quill, ready to take notes. But no sooner had Professor Horne started to draw the first diagrams on the board than Vyxara spoke up.


    "Interesting," the demon muttered. "He''s got the basic structure almost right. But do you see the flaw in his second equation?"


    Valentina frowned. "Shut up," she whispered as quietly as possible. "I need to concentrate."


    "Oh, but I could teach you so much more than that... aging mortal," Vyxara replied, amused. "For example, he obviously knows nothing of the triple resonance between Leb, Viur and Z?t."


    Despite her reluctance, Valentina felt her curiosity being aroused. "Triple resonance?" she murmured.


    "Valentina?" Professor Horne''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Do you have a question?"


    Valentina blushed as all eyes turned to her. "I... uh... I was just wondering if there was a connection between Leb, Viur and Z?t," she stammered.


    Professor Horne raised his eyebrows in surprise. "An interesting question. Indeed, there are theories about complex interactions between these three Essence types, but that is far beyond the scope of this lecture."


    "You see?" whispered Vyxara triumphantly. "I could teach you things that your professors haven''t the slightest idea about, that their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s grandchildren will have no idea about."


    Valentina ignored the demon and concentrated on the lecture again. But she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Vyxara''s comments and observations, sometimes mocking, sometimes intriguing, sometimes lewd, kept distracting her.


    When Professor Horne finally announced a practical exercise, Valentina felt her stomach tighten. They were to weave a complex living-Essence pattern that interacted with Viur-Essence.


    "Remember," Professor Horne explained as he drew the pattern on the board, "balance is key. Too much Viur, and the Leb pattern becomes unstable. Too little, and it won''t have the desired effect."


    Valentina stared at the complicated diagram and felt panic rising inside her. She had barely had enough Distilled Essence for her exercises in the last few weeks. How was she supposed to cope?


    "You could accept my help," Vyxara suggested gently. "I could show you how to weave the pattern perfectly."


    Valentina hesitated. The temptation was great. She knew she needed this exercise so she wouldn''t fall behind in class. But the thought of trading with the demon scared her.


    "What would you ask for it?" she asked quietly, while around her the other students began to pull out their Essence containers.


    "Oh, nothing big," Vyxara replied lightly. "Maybe you could take a little trip to the forbidden section of the library tonight. There''s a certain book there that I''d like to... study."


    Valentina swallowed hard. Breaking into the forbidden section was a serious offense. If she was caught...


    "Valentina?" Professor Horne''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts again. "Are you having problems with the assignment?"


    Valentina looked up and noticed that most of her classmates had already started weaving. Fine threads of Leb and Viur Essence floated in the air, forming complex patterns.


    "I... I''ll be fine, Professor," she lied hastily, reaching for her meager supply of Distilled Essence.


    With trembling hands, she began to weave the pattern. But it soon became clear that she was overwhelmed. The Leb-Essence was too weak, the Viur-Essence too unstable. The pattern began to flicker and disintegrate.


    "Last chance, little Weaver," whispered Vyxara. "Accept my help or fail in front of all your classmates."


    Valentina bit her lip. She could feel Professor Horne watching her, some of her fellow students whispering and pointing at her failed pattern. The shame and frustration threatened to overwhelm her.


    At that moment, she made a decision. "All right," she whispered barely audibly. "Help me."


    She immediately felt a strange power flowing into her hands. Her movements became more confident, more precise. The Essence pattern in front of her began to stabilize and take shape.


    Professor Horne stepped closer, his eyes widening in surprise. "Impressive how you saved that, Valentina," he murmured. "A very... unusual technique. But extremely effective."


    Valentina smiled faintly as she looked at the now perfect pattern. A roaring feeling of triumph flowed through her, mixed with a deep unease. Had it been the right call?


    When the lecture ended and the students left the hall, Valentina stayed seated for a moment longer. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking slightly.


    "You see?" said Vyxara gently. "Together we can achieve great things. And that was just the beginning."


    Valentina nodded silently. She knew that she had just taken a dangerous path. But a part of her, a part she barely wanted to acknowledge, was excited by the possibilities that were now opening up to her.


    With a deep breath, she stood up and left the lecture hall. The night was going to be interesting, that was for sure. And as she made her way to her next lecture, she could hear Vyxara''s soft, contented laughter in her head.