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, I''ve never seen such an approach."


    "Of course not," Vyxara purred contentedly. "The mortal teachers here have no idea of the true depths of Essence."


    Valentina suppressed a smile and concentrated on her notes again, while the admiring whispers of her fellow students swelled around her.


    In the breaks between lectures, she watched Crispin look at her with a mixture of admiration and confusion. She knew her sudden improvement raised questions, but she pushed the thought aside. It was inevitable, that her improvements raised some suspicion – and maybe caused some envy. But still, she had to keep an eye on that.


    The most difficult exam of the semester was coming up today: Professor Emberfell''s infamous practical test in Applied Essence Manipulation.


    When she entered the lecture hall, the tension lay over the students like a heavy blanket. Even Faustus Boarfend looked pale and nervous, his usual arrogance tempered by the prospect of the challenge ahead.


    Professor Emberfell stood at the lectern, her silver hair tied in a severe knot, her green eyes cold and calculating. "Today," she began, her voice cutting like a knife, "you will have to prove everything you have learned so far. And beyond."


    She revealed a series of complex Essence patterns on the board, each more intricate and dangerous than the last. "You have three hours," she announced, "Begin."


    Valentina stared at the patterns, her heart hammering in her chest. These were far more advanced techniques than she had ever seen before. She felt panic rising inside her.


    "Easy, little Weaver," whispered Vyxara. "Together we can do this. But it will come at a price."


    Valentina swallowed hard. "Of course. What price?" she thought, her mental voice barely more than a whisper.


    "Oh, nothing big," Vyxara replied softly. "Just a small favor. Something that will really put your skills to the test. But we''ll discuss that later. Now concentrate."


    Valentina began to weave with trembling hands. The Essence flowed through her fingers, forming complex patterns in the air in front of her. She felt Vyxara''s influence like a warm current, guiding her movements, deepening her understanding.


    The hours flew by. Around her, her classmates struggled with the tasks. She heard frustrated sighs and saw Essence patterns falling apart and being reshaped. But Valentina remained focused, her concentration unbroken.


    When Professor Emberfell finally announced the end of the exam, Valentina sank into her chair, exhausted. She looked at her work: a complex, pulsating web of interlocking Essence patterns, more beautiful and powerful than anything she had ever created before.


    Professor Emberfell walked from student to student, her face a mask of neutrality. When she reached Valentina''s work, her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Remarkable," she murmured, more to herself than to Valentina. "Absolutely remarkable."


    As the students left the hall, many with hanging heads and despairing expressions, Valentina felt a strange mixture of triumph and unease. She had made it, had exceeded all expectations. Although she was slightly worried about what Vyxara would want her to do in return.


    "You were brilliant," Vyxara praised as Valentina made her way out of the lecture hall. "See what we can achieve together? And this is just the beginning." Valentina nodded silently, too exhausted to give a long answer. The tension of the day, the mental and physical exhaustion of the exam, was taking its toll.


    "What did you mean by ''a favor''?" she finally asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.


    "Oh, nothing bad," Vyxara replied gently. "Just a little challenge. Something that will really put your newfound skills to the test."


    Valentina felt her stomach tighten. "What exactly?"


    "There''s a certain area in the library that you should take a closer look at," Vyxara explained. "It''s not a forbidden area, but there are some really interesting tomes there. I want to have a look at them. Maybe... we even have to borrow something. We’ll see when we are there."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "You mean you want me to steal something," Valentina said flatly.


    "''Steal'' is such an ugly word," Vyxara purred. "Think of it as an extended study resource. We''ll bring it back, of course... Eventually."


    Valentina sighed and rolled her eyes. "But not today," she said firmly and felt Vyxara relentingly move to the back of her consciousness and remain silent for now. She was enjoying the peace and quiet after the exhausting ordeal.


    Nevertheless, she still had more homework to do. Valentina sat down at one of the back tables in the library, away from the other students, near a high shelf that reached to the ceiling, and opened a heavy book covered in complicated diagrams and formulas.


    Valentina took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. This task was particularly complex. Stabilizing Essence streams in an unstable environment while shaping them to form a solid focal point was an exercise that demanded everything of her. The basic theory was clear but in practice... That was the problem. The math behind it, the exact understanding of the forces that influenced each other, seemed to slip through her fingers no matter how long she studied it.


    With a soft sigh, she dipped the quill into the inkwell and slowly began to write down an equation. The quiet, calming atmosphere of the library helped her to keep her focus, even as the pressure in her aching shoulders grew. She knew the task was not easy. Only the best students would be able to master it, and Valentina felt that familiar, pressing ambition throbbing inside her – the need not just to be good, but to be better than the others. But at the same time, there was this uncertainty, this quiet whisper of doubt that kept gnawing at her determination.


    When she finally put the quill down after an hour and looked at her work, she felt a slight sense of relief. It wasn''t perfect but it was a step in the right direction. She leaned back in her chair, stretched her fingers, which were cramped from writing for so long, and took a deep breath. The task was not yet complete, but she had made progress. Her knees stiff from sitting for so long, she left the library and climbed up to her room. Once in her room, she flopped heavily onto her bed.


    She felt physically and mentally exhausted, but the tension in her body just wouldn''t let up. As she usually did when the stress overwhelmed her, Valentina decided to give it a helping hand. It was a small luxury, but one that she – who had to share a room with at least three siblings her whole life – had come to appreciate since she had been given her modest but oh-so-wonderfully own little room here in Bridgewater. She began to undress, dropping her dark red dress to the floor and crawling under the thin blanket on her narrow mattress. Her fingers routinely found their way between her thighs, tracing gentle circles over the fabric of her undergarment.


    She closed her eyes and tried to relax, to concentrate only on her body. The touch of her own skin felt good – familiar and comforting at the same time. Valentina closed her eyes and let her imagination wander as her fingers slid deeper and deeper. Thoughts of what it would be like to be touched by the hands of a lover filled her mind. She imagined fingers that were not her own caressing and fondle her until she writhed in ecstasy. But then, just as Valentina began to lose herself in her fantasy, to her shock, a familiar voice broke through her immersion. "It feels so good when you touch yourself," whispered Vyxara. "I can feel your lust, your desire... It''s such an intense experience."


    Valentina froze, her cheeks burning with shame. Vyxara hadn''t said anything for hours – Valentina had completely forgotten about the presence in her consciousness. "Get out," she hissed silently, trying to ignore the disturbing presence.


    Vyxara laughed softly in her head. "Oh no, little Weaver. I''m not going anywhere. On the contrary, I love being here right now." The demon''s voice seemed to caress her mind, sending shivers down her spine.


    Valentina thought about simply stopping. But her body betrayed her. She was already far too aroused, the heat between her legs demanding release. With a muttered curse, she continued, trying to block out Vyxara''s intrusive comments. Her fingers slipped under the fabric of her undergarment, caressing the damp folds beneath.


    The demon seemed to sense her determination and changed tactics. "Picture it, Valentina," Vyxara purred, painting vivid images in her mind. "A handsome nobleman, his hands roaming over your body as he takes you there on the lecture hall floor. All your classmates watching, their eyes full of desire."


    The scene was humiliating but also arousing, and Valentina felt a shiver run down her naked spine at the idea. She could feel herself getting wetter by the second, her hips beginning to move to the rhythm of her fingers.


    "Or maybe it''s Professor Horne," Vyxara continued, her voice dripping with innuendo. "He''s taking you over his desk, pounding into you while he moans your name."


    Valentina couldn''t help but imagine it – the stern professor, his usually focused expression replaced by a look of raw hunger as he ravaged her. Her imagination – or was it Vyxara''s? – provided every detail: the rough stubble of his beard on the inside of her thighs, the heat of his breath on the side of her neck, the firm grip of his hands on her hips.


    Her fingers moved faster, circling and stroking until she was panting with desire. She could feel Vyxara''s presence growing stronger in her mind, feeding off her arousal like a feast.


    "Come for me, Valentina," Vyxara commanded in a seductive voice at the back of her mind. "I want to feel it. Just let yourself go."


    With a strangled cry, Valentina’s body obeyed. Her orgasm crashed over her like a wave, more intense than any she had ever experienced before. Her body tensed with pleasure, her back arched up off the bed as ecstasy coursed through every nerve.


    A cozy fatigue overcame her almost immediately afterward, her limbs feeling heavy and satisfied. Too tired to think about what had just happened, what it meant, or the intensity of her climax, Valentina turned on her side and let the demon''s silent satisfaction lull her to sleep.


    As she drifted off, a single thought floated through her mind – what would happen if Vyxara wanted more of this? She pushed the thought aside, too tired, too satisfied to dwell on such considerations. Tomorrow was a new day and for now, sleep offered a welcome escape from the complications of her life.