Lunch was drawing to a close, and the dining room of Bridgewater was beginning to empty. Valentina and Innogen sat for a moment longer. Their plates were already empty, but they were reluctant to part ways.


    "I have to go," Innogen finally said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Professor Veilford''s tutorial on advanced planar geometry is waiting for me. I''ll see you later?"


    Valentina nodded with a smile. "Of course. Have fun with the triangles," she joked.


    As Innogen hurried away laughing, her long blonde hair swinging behind her, Valentina stood up as well. She made her way to the Tower of Healing, where Professor Gwendolyn Whitehall''s lecture on Essence-enhanced medicine would take place.


    The Tower of Healing was one of the oldest buildings on campus, its walls overgrown with ivy and its windows narrow and tall. The university had once evolved from a place where Essence Weavers healed and nurtured the people of Bridgewater with their scholarly art. Valentina climbed the winding staircase, past niches with stuffed exotic animals and shelves full of mysterious bottles and herbs.


    The lecture hall was already full when Valentina entered. She found a seat in the third row, next to a red-haired girl she knew from her Ethics Lecture.


    "Hi," whispered the girl – Rosalie, if Valentina remembered correctly. "It’s so exciting, isn’t it? I''ve heard that Professor Whitehall wants to show us something very special today."


    Before Valentina could answer, the door at the end of the hall opened and Professor Whitehall entered. The conversations fell silent immediately.


    Despite her small size, Gwendolyn Whitehall was an impressive figure. Small, with friendly curves and a slightly tousled crown of gray hair that lay around her head like a halo, and warm hazel eyes. Her practically cut emerald green dress, covered in stains, rustled softly as she walked to the lectern.


    "Good afternoon, students," she said in a gentle voice. "Today we''re going to look at a fascinating aspect of Essence Weaving that also plays an important role in Essence-enhanced Medicine: the Amplifying Incantations in Altothal."


    An excited murmur went through the room. Altothal, the ancient language of the first Essence Weavers, was famous for its powerful formulations and complexity. Many Essence Weavers used to say: If you can''t say it in Altothal, you can''t even think it.


    Professor Whitehall raised her hand and silence fell immediately. "As you all know, the right incantation in Altothal can greatly enhance the effects of an Essence Weaving. Today we are going to take a closer look at some of these Incantations and explore their application in the healing arts."


    "Take, for example, the incantation ''Berstanes Bein, binden gebuewet, gebrestenen Gliedern, baldan gebettet''" she continued. "This is a type of incantation the Altothal call a ''staff rhyme'' and they''re especially powerful. When combined correctly with a healing Essence Weaving, it can accelerate the regeneration of bone tissue significantly."


    Valentina listened intently, but part of her wondered why a natural power like Essence would even respond to a random language like Altothal. It seemed kind of... arbitrary.


    Listening to her thoughts, Vyxara spoke up. "You''re asking just the right questions there, little Weaver," purred the demon. "But the answer may not be what you expect."


    Valentina tried to concentrate on the lecture, but Vyxara''s words had aroused her curiosity. "What do you mean?" she thought.


    "The truth is," Vyxara explained, "it''s not really about Altothal at all. In reality, it could be any sound. There are amplifying incantations that no one has ever found because they aren''t intelligible words in any known language."


    Valentina frowned. "But then why do the Altothal incantations work so well?"


    "You keep asking the right questions," Vyxara praised. "You see, the sounds and incantations are used to encode parameters and boundary conditions for the scalar field operators."


    Valentina blinked in confusion. "I don''t understand a word you''re saying."


    Vyxara laughed softly. "Of course not, little Weaver. Let me put it another way: think of Essence as a large, complex carpet. The incantations are like a pattern that you weave into this carpet. The more precise and fitting the pattern, the stronger your Weaving becomes."


    Intrigued by this concept, Valentina tried to focus on Professor Whitehall again. The professor was demonstrating the application of a complex Altothal incantation to a healing weaving.


    "Notice how the Essence reacts to the incantation," explained Professor Whitehall. "The color of the Weaving intensifies, a sign of its increased strength."


    Valentina watched spellbound as the pale blue of the original Weaving transformed into a deep, luminous azure. She could literally feel the power of the Essence increasing in the room.


    "You see?" whispered Vyxara. "The incantation shapes the Essence, gives it structure and direction. But it doesn''t have to be Altothal. It could be any sound, any vibration that creates the right... well, let''s call it ''patterns''."


    The rest of the lecture flew by. Valentina was so engrossed in her internal discussion with Vyxara that she barely noticed the time passing. By the time Professor Whitehall dismissed the class, her head was full of new ideas and questions.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As the other students left the room, Valentina sat for a moment to organize her notes. She was alone in the lecture hall when Vyxara spoke again.


    "Would you like to see something special, little Weaver?" the demon asked, its voice full of suppressed excitement.


    Valentina hesitated. She knew it could be dangerous to accept Vyxara''s offers. But her curiosity was stronger. "What do you mean?"


    "I could show you two simple but useful Amplifying Incantations that no one else knows," Vyxara suggested. "Incantations that aren''t from Altothal or any other known language."


    Valentina''s heart began to beat faster. This was exactly the kind of knowledge she was looking for – something that could give her an advantage in the competition, something that belonged only to her. "And what do you want for it?" she asked cautiously.


    She felt Vyxara''s smile in her mind, like a cat that had licked cream. "Oh, nothing big," the demon purred. "I just want us to repeat what we did last night."


    Valentina froze. The memories of last night flooded back. She felt her face grow hot. "I... I don''t know if this is a good idea," she stammered.


    "Come on, little Weaver," Vyxara urged gently. "You enjoyed it, I know you did. Just like me. And think of all the knowledge I can give you. Knowledge that will help you achieve your goals."


    Valentina bit her lip. She knew she should refuse Vyxara''s offer. But the thought of this secret knowledge that she couldn''t get from anyone else... "Okay," she finally whispered. "Show me."


    Vyxara''s satisfaction flowed through her like a warm wave. "Excellent," the demon said. "Now, pay attention."


    Valentina concentrated. She felt Vyxara directing her perception, focusing her attention on the subtle vibrations of the Essence around her.


    "The first incantation," explained Vyxara, "is for healing Weavings. It particularly strengthens the regeneration of nerve tissue. Listen carefully."


    And then Valentina heard it – not with her ears, but somewhere deep in her mind. It was not a word, not a phrase she had ever heard before. It was a strange, vibrating sound that felt like it was running straight through her spinal cord.


    "Try it," Vyxara encouraged her.


    Hesitantly, Valentina looked for the Ambient Essence around her and wove a simple healing Leb-pattern with her hands. Then, carefully, as if speaking a foreign language for the first time, she ‘chanted’ the incantation Vyxara had shown her.


    The effect was immediately noticeable. The pale blue of her Weaving transformed into a deep, pulsating indigo. She could feel the power of the Weaving increasing, the pattern directing itself to nerve tissue, ready to heal even the most severe damage.


    "That''s... incredible," Valentina whispered breathlessly.


    "And that''s just the beginning," said Vyxara with satisfaction. "The second incantation is for protective Weavings. It creates a kind of... Resonance in the Ambient Essence around you that absorbs and disperses hostile Weavings."


    Again, Valentina "heard" the strange, non-linguistic incantation in her mind. This time it was a more complex sound, like the humming of a strange melody.


    She tried it out, formed a protective Weaving from Luvt-Essence and "sang" the new Incantation. The silvery shimmer of the Weaving condensed into a solid, opalescent shield that refracted the light in rainbow colors, visible only to other Weavers.


    Valentina gasped in astonishment. She gently traced the patterns of the Weaving with her fingers and could feel the robustness and elasticity of the shield.


    "You see?" said Vyxara proudly. "This is the true power of Essence. Not limited by the words of any language, but open to anyone who finds the right... vibrations."


    Valentina nodded slowly, her head buzzing with new possibilities. "This is... this is incredible, Vyxara. Thank you for showing me this!"


    "You''re welcome, little Weaver," purred the demon. "See you tonight."


    With these words, Vyxara fell silent and Valentina was alone again in the empty lecture hall. She took a moment to collect herself before standing up and packing her things.


    When she left the Tower of Healing, the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon. The last remnants of golden evening light bathed the campus in warm colors, and the shadows of the trees stretched long across the paths.


    Valentina walked slowly back to her dorm, her head full of new ideas and possibilities. As she entered her room, Valentina felt a strange mixture of excitement and trepidation.  She dropped her bag on the desk and lay down on her bed, exhausted. Her eyes wandered over the familiar objects in her room – the piles of books on the table, the amulet her brother had given her and, of course, her two forbidden books well hidden in the cupboard behind her clothes.


    "You look thoughtful, little Weaver," Vyxara spoke up. "Are you already regretting our deal?"


    Valentina shook her head. "It''s just... everything is so overwhelming. Those incantations you showed me – they''re so powerful. I wonder what else I don''t know, what else is hidden out there."


    She felt Vyxara''s satisfaction radiating in her consciousness like a warm sun. "You have no idea. The secrets of Essence are endless, deep and fascinating. And I know them all."


    Valentina turned her head to the side and looked out of the window. Outside, people were lighting the first lanterns, small islands of light in the gathering dusk.


    "Why are you helping me?" Valentina suddenly asked. "What do you have to gain from teaching me all these things?"


    Silence reigned in her mind for a moment. Then she felt Vyxara''s mental smile, like the touch of silken fingers on her mind.


    "Maybe I just enjoy your company, little Weaver," the demon said gently. "Maybe I see potential in you that you haven''t yet recognized yourself. Or maybe... maybe I have my own plans that you wouldn''t yet understand. But I know that we will spend the rest of your life together, so I want to make the best I can out of the experience."


    Valentina shuddered slightly. She knew she had to be careful, that despite all her help and knowledge, Vyxara was still a demon with its own hidden motives.


    "And now what?" she asked quietly.


    "Now," said Vyxara tenderly, "now you will fulfill your part of our agreement. And then... then you''ll lie down, close your eyes and finally get a full night''s sleep. You''ve slept far too little in the last few weeks."


    Valentina swallowed hard. She thought back to last night, to the overwhelming pleasure, how good it had felt. Part of her longed for it, wanted to experience it again. Another part was anxious, unsure.


    "I don''t know if I can do it," she whispered.


    "Oh, little Weaver," Vyxara laughed softly. "Not only can you do it, you want to. I can feel your arousal, your curiosity, your desire. Why are you fighting it?"


    Valentina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought of everything she had learned today, the powerful incantations that were now in her hands. And she thought of the promise of even more knowledge, even deeper insights into the secrets of Essence, of all the possibilities.


    "Okay," she finally said, her voice barely more than a breath. "Let''s get started."


    She felt Vyxara''s triumph like a wave of heat rolling through her body. "My pleasure, little Weaver. Lie back and relax. Remember the talk you had with Innogen. This is nothing to be ashamed of."


    With trembling hands, Valentina began to unbutton her dress. The cool evening air brushed against her heated skin, making her shiver. She lay on the bed, her heart beating wildly in her chest.


    And when she had finished, she fell into a deep and pleasant sleep, as content as the demon slumbering in her head.