When Valentina woke up on the first morning of the exam week, still half asleep, her first instinct was to feel in her mind for Vyxara's familiar presence, for the demonic force that had so often paved the way for her in recent months.

  "Ah, you're awake, little Weaver," Vyxara purred in her head. "Ready for the first test?"

  "Yes," Valentina said quietly, sitting up in her narrow bed and getting ready to discuss what she was about to tell Vyxara. "But I've decided to try it on my own. Without your help."

  An amused laugh echoed through her mind. "Are you sure about this? Professor Horne's exams are notorious for their pitfalls. Not that he would fail you, of all people."

  "Absolutely sure," Valentina replied, ignoring Vyxara's attempt to distract her by mentioning Horne and their arrangement, as she stood up and walked to the washbasin. The cold water helped her shake off the last remnants of sleepiness. "I need to know what I can really do. What I've really learned."

  She looked at her reflection in the stained mirror. The young woman looking back at her had changed since that first day at Bridgewater University. Back then she had been insecure. Intimidated by the rich students, the imposing professors and the massive buildings of the university, of the large city. She could still remember her trembling hands during her first Essence Weaving exercise.

  "You were so sweetly naive," Vyxara commented on her memories. "Like a lamb among wolves."

  "And now?" Valentina combed her long dark hair. "What am I now?"

  "Now you're a wolf yourself. Or at least well on the way to becoming one." The demon sounded almost proud. "But why do you want to do without my help now, of all times?"

  Valentina put on her best red dress – not the gorgeous velvet dress that Innogen had obviously given her, but her old one, which had been mended several times. It seemed much more appropriate for the exams.

  "Because I have to prove it to myself," she said quietly. "After everything that's happened – the Greystone Competition, the thing with Professor Horne, the stolen Distilled Essence, your help all the time... I need to know that I can survive without all that."

  She packed her books and writing utensils into her worn leather bag. All the Essence patterns she had studied over the last few months flickered before her inner eye.

  "That's very noble, of course," Vyxara mocked gently. "But don't forget – all the knowledge I've given you is part of you now. You can't just block it out."

  "And I don't want to." Valentina checked her supplies of Distilled Essence, thinking about how much she was taking with her. "But I want to use it on my own terms. Don't you understand that?"

  A thoughtful silence followed. "Perhaps I understand it even better than you think," Vyxara finally said. "Very well, little Weaver. Show me what you can do. I'll watch – but I won't interfere. Unless..."

  "Unless what?"

  "Unless you specifically ask for it." The demon laughed softly. "I wonder how long your pride will be greater than your despair."

  The bell of the Burning Tower tolled the full hour. The first test would begin soon.

  Valentina stepped to the window and looked out over the awakening university. Students were already hurrying across the courtyard, books tucked under their arms, nervous faces on display.

  She took a deep breath. This was her attempt to prove that she was more than just a farmer's daughter with a demon in her head. That she really belonged here, at this university. Even if she wouldn't prove it to anyone but herself.

  "Well then," Vyxara purred, "let's see how well you get on without me."

  Valentina picked up her bag, checked her appearance in the mirror one last time and left her chamber. Time to face her first test.

  ~

  The main hall was shrouded in eerie silence when Valentina entered. Where the Greystone Competition's elaborate installations had stood not so long ago, individual desks now stood in neat rows, each with a stack of empty parchments and an inkwell.

  Professor Horne stood at the podium, his gaunt figure looking even more nervous than usual. When his gaze glanced at Valentina, a smile twitched across his face.

  "He's probably already thinking about how well he's going to grade you," Vyxara commented with amusement.

  Valentina looked for a seat in the middle of the hall. To her left, Edgar sat down, his face pale. Elara took a seat on the right, her fingers already smeared with ink.

  "Quiet, please!" Professor Horne's voice echoed through the room. "The exam will begin in a few minutes. I remind you that the use of Distilled Essence is strictly forbidden during the theoretical examination."

  Valentina took out her quill and checked the tip. Her hands trembled slightly.

  "The exam tasks are being handed out now," Horne announced. "You have three hours."

  The rustling of parchment filled the hall. Valentina stared at the first question:

  "Explain the resonance patterns between Leb and Wazzer Essence, taking into account the Vanderlieu spiral."

  "Oh, how convenient," purred Vyxara. "That's exactly what you worked on in detail when..."

  "Shut up," Valentina thought resolutely. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she had learned about the resonance patterns without letting Vyxara whisper additional knowledge to her.

  The quill scratched across the parchment as she formulated her answer. She described the basic principles, the geometric patterns, the natural amplification effects. With each word she became more confident. The Vanderlieu spiral and its effects she knew by heart now, of course, after using it extensively in the competition.

  The second question was more difficult: "Discuss the theoretical limits of Essence concentration, taking into account the Ashbourne threshold."

  Valentina bit her lip. She knew that Vyxara could have given her the perfect answer. But instead, she fell back on her own knowledge, on the endless hours in the library, on the discussions with Innogen and Crispin.

  Time flew by. Sweat beaded on Valentina's forehead as she answered question after question. Around her, she heard the desperate scratching of feathers, occasional sighs and the rustling of parchment.

  She nearly faltered at the penultimate question. The complex interactions between Z?t and Schate Essence were a subject she had understood mainly through Vyxara's help.

  "Shall I give you a little hint?" the demon offered. "Just a little reminder?"

  "No." Valentina stared at the parchment until the letters began to blur before her eyes. Then, slowly, she began to draw a diagram based on what she could remember from her lessons.

  The last half hour passed in a frenzy. When Professor Horne finally announced the end of the exam, Valentina's hand was completely cramped.

  "Leave the parchments," barked Horne. "And leave the room in an orderly fashion."

  Valentina stood up, her legs trembling slightly. As she walked past Horne's desk, she felt his intense gaze.

  "Valentina," he said quietly. "I'm looking forward to reading your answers."

  She nodded curtly and hurried out of the hall. Outside, she leaned exhausted against a cool stone wall.

  "Well?" asked Vyxara. "Was it worth it? This... demonstration of your independence?"

  Valentina smiled faintly. "Yes," she said quietly. "It's the only way I know that I can really do it. That I've really learned something."

  "How touching." But the mockery in Vyxara's voice sounded half-hearted. "And the next exam? Professor Emberfell's practical test will be even more difficult."

  "I'll manage that one too." Valentina straightened her shoulders. "Come on, let's go and eat something. I feel like I could eat a whole ox."

  As she made her way to the dining room, she felt a precious, satisfying sense of triumph resonate in her exhaustion. She had overcome the first hurdle.

  The canteen was filled with the excited murmur of students sharing their exam experiences.

  "Val! Over here!" Innogen beckoned from one of the tables at the back. She had already organized a large pot of soup, steaming hot and smelling tempting.

  At the next table, a group of students were having a heated discussion about the exam questions. "No, no," Valentina heard one of them say, "the Vanderlieu spiral only amplifies the resonance at certain angles!"

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  "Nonsense," countered another, "it's about the geometric progression of the patterns!"

  Valentina sank down next to Innogen, exhausted. Crispin sat opposite them, his curly hair even more disheveled than usual, ink stains on his fingers.

  "How did it go?" Innogen asked as she slid Valentina a piece of bread. "That question about the Vanderlieu spiral was really tricky."

  "You could explain to them that both theories are wrong," Vyxara whispered, amused. "The true power of the spiral lies in its fractal nature..."

  "Shut up," Valentina thought energetically and said aloud, "Okay, actually. I was trying to concentrate on the basics."

  "Modest as always," Vyxara commented with amusement.

  "The question about the Ashbourne threshold gave me a headache," Crispin confessed. "How did you solve it?"

  "I was thinking about Professor Veilford's lecture on Essence concentration," Valentina explained. "Do you remember when he showed us those experiments with the different levels of concentration?"

  Desperate moans came from another table. "The interactions between Z?t and Schate! I've totally failed!"

  "Amusing," commented Vyxara, "how they all scratch the surface without understanding the deeper context."

  Just ignore it, Valentina reminded herself.

  "There was something different about you during the exam," Crispin said thoughtfully. "You seemed so... focused. Not as stressed and fidgeting as you have been for the last few months."

  Valentina smiled faintly. "You should concentrate on the exam, Crispin, not watching me. But maybe you're right. I'm trying to have more trust in myself."

  "It's about time," Innogen said gently, squeezing her hand. "You've always been brilliant, Val. Even without... er, in any case, you're brilliant."

  Innogen had almost brought up Valentina's arrangement with Professor Horne in front of Crispin, but got her act together just in time. Valentina gave her a stern look and Innogen answered with a quick apologetic look back.

  A shadow fell across their table. Faustus Boarfend stood there, his face red. The first real interaction between them since the competition.

  "Well, yokel," he hissed. "And what trick are you going to use to pass the exams? Break into someone's room again?"

  "Shall I show him what tricks you really have up your sleeve?" Vyxara offered, but Valentina ignored the demon.

  "Get lost, Faustus," she said calmly. "You're not wanted here."

  "Just be careful," he continued, his voice quivering with hatred. "Someday, when there's no one around to help you, when we meet in some dark corner..."

  "She told you to get lost." Innogen had stood up, an imposing movement. "Do I need to remind you that you're still on probation?"

  Faustus' face became even redder, but he pulled back. The hateful look he gave them did not bode well.

  "You should be careful," Crispin said when Faustus was out of earshot. "He's still frustrated because you beat him in the competition."

  Valentina tried to shake off the unpleasant encounter. She simply couldn't waste any thoughts on Faustus Boarfend right now. She ate another spoonful of soup while she thought about the next exam. Professor Emberfell's practical test would demand her full attention.

  "You can do it," Innogen said firmly. "Don't let him get to you."

  "And I... I mean… we're here for you," Crispin added. A slight blush crossed his cheeks. "Whatever you need."

  "I'll get going," said Valentina and stood up. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

  "They're so sweet," Vyxara scoffed. "It's a bit of a shame that true friendship isn't a part of Emberfell's test."

  "It doesn't have to be," thought Valentina.

  ~

  The large training room had been completely redesigned for the practical exam. The usual training equipment had disappeared and was replaced by several examination stations spread around the room.

  Professor Emberfell stood in the middle of the hall, her tall figure straight as an arrow. "Welcome to your practical exam," she announced. "You will have to solve different tasks one after the other. Each station will test different aspects of your skills."

  Valentina looked at the stations. At one, a complex geometric structure of Essence patterns floated in the air. At another was a table full of different colored liquids in glass vials. The third station consisted of a single crystal on a pedestal.

  "Interesting," muttered Vyxara. "The crystal is an Essence absorber. That could be tricky."

  "Please be quiet, Vyxara," thought Valentina. "I need to concentrate."

  The students were divided into groups. Valentina found herself in the first group with Edgar, Ignacio and two other students. Professor Emberfell led them to the first station.

  "Your first task," she explained, "is to stabilize this Essence structure and to transform it at the same time. You have ten minutes each."

  Edgar was the first. His hands trembled as he tried to manipulate the complex patterns. After a few minutes, the structure collapsed with a soft hiss.

  Ignacio fared better, but he also failed to complete the transformation at the last second.

  When it was Valentina's turn, she took a deep breath. The Essence structure floated in front of her like a three-dimensional spider's web of golden light. She could recognize the different Essence types – Leb and Viur dominated, with fine veins of Wazzer in between.

  "I could show you how to-"

  "No," Valentina thought and began to weave. Her fingers moved through the air in precise patterns. She could feel how the Essence reacted to her touch, how the structure changed under her manipulations.

  A critical moment came when she tried to untie a particularly complex knot. Her hands hesitated briefly.

  "You know I could help you," Vyxara purred. "A little hint..."

  But Valentina gritted her teeth, ignored Vyxara and worked her way through the problem. She remembered Professor Emberfell's lectures on geometric transformation. Step by step, she unraveled the knot until the structure gently fell into its new shape.

  "Well done," said Professor Emberfell approvingly. "On to the next station."

  Working with the liquids proved to be even more challenging. They had to extract different types of Essence from the solutions and recombine them. Valentina's fingers ached from the precise control this required.

  A soft clink startled her – one of the other students had accidentally knocked over a vial. The pungent smell of spilled vinegar filled the air, but she didn't let it bother her.

  The last station with the crystal was the most difficult. They had to create a complex Essence pattern from Ambient Essence and at the same time prevent the Absorber Crystal from dissolving it.

  "This is the most critical part of the test," Professor Emberfell explained. "Be extremely careful."

  Valentina felt sweat running down her back. The crystal pulsed menacingly, ready to devour the Ambient Essence in its vicinity.

  She began to weave carefully, creating layer upon layer of her structure. She constantly had to maintain small shields of Ard Essence between her work and the crystal.

  Suddenly, one of her shields flickered. The structure began to disintegrate.

  "Quick!" shouted Vyxara. "Let me-"

  "No!" Valentina's fingers flew through the air. She hastily reinforced the weak spot, sacrificing part of the outer structure to save the core. For a moment, everything seemed to waver...

  Then the pattern stabilized. It wasn't perfect – some of the finer details had been lost – but it held.

  Professor Emberfell made notes on her parchment. "Interesting solution," she murmured. "Not conventional, not pretty, but effective."

  When the exam was finally over, Valentina felt completely exhausted. Her arms ached and she had a headache from the intense concentration.

  "Not bad," Vyxara commented as she left the hall. "A few mistakes, but all in all... Not bad."

  "Thank you," Valentina thought dryly. "That really means a lot to me."

  She could hear the mocking undertone in Vyxara's laughter, but there was something else there too – perhaps something like pride?

  Outside, the next students were already waiting nervously for their exam. Valentina gave them an encouraging nod, then made her way to Professor Veilford's Advanced Weaving exam. The day wasn't over yet.

  "Are you sure you want to take this test without my help?" asked Vyxara.

  "Absolutely sure," Valentina replied as she climbed the stairs. She felt exhausted, but satisfied.

  The next exam would probably be even more difficult – Professor Veilford was a stickler – but Valentina was cautiously optimistic that she could master this challenge too. Even without demonic support.

  Professor Veilford's examination room was on the top floor of the west wing. When Valentina entered, she immediately felt the intense concentration of Essence in the air – the gaunt professor had obviously made special preparations.

  "Oh, that was a lot of work," Vyxara commented. "See the Essence patterns on the walls? He's turned the whole room into a resonance network."

  In fact, complex geometric structures shimmered on the walls, pulsating to the rhythm of the Essence currents. The other students stared nervously at the patterns.

  "Welcome to the last test I have for you this year," Professor Veilford announced. His thin lips curved into a thin smile. "Today we'll see if you really understand what Weaving means."

  He went to one of the prepared workstations. "You will have to create a series of Essence patterns. Each new pattern must harmonize with the existing ones. One mistake..." – he snapped his fingers – "and everything collapses. Please avoid that."

  Faustus Boarfend, who was of course allowed to take part in the exams despite his probation, snorted contemptuously. "Child's play," he muttered.

  "Ah, Master Boarfend." Veilford's smile grew a touch colder. "Perhaps you would like to begin?"

  Faustus stepped forward confidently. His first Essence patterns were indeed impressive – precise geometries of Viur and Luvt. But when he tried to connect them to the patterns on the walls of the room, they began to flicker.

  "Careful," warned Veilford, but it was too late. Faustus' constructs collapsed with a loud bang. The characteristic pungent odor of collapsing Essence patterns, which could sometimes also be smelled during thunderstorms when lightning struck nearby, filled the air.

  One by one, the students stepped forward. Most of them already failed at the basic patterns. Elara made it to the third stage before her control failed. Edgar gave up in frustration after ten minutes. Only Ignacio so far managed to complete all of Veilford's tasks and received an acknowledging nod from Veilford, Edgar patted him on the back.

  "See how their hands are shaking?" Vyxara remarked, amused. "They don't understand the basic resonances. I could show you-"

  "No," Valentina thought firmly. "I know what I'm doing."

  "Valentina," Veilford called out. "It's your turn."

  She stepped forward, her heart hammering against her ribs. The Essence patterns of the room seemed to be watching her, waiting for her first step.

  Valentina closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Then she began to weave.

  She started slowly, creating basic patterns that were as simple but stable as possible. Leb and Ard for the foundation, with fine structures of Lieht on top. With every movement of her fingers, the weave became more complex. It wasn't about creating the most fantastic patterns possible, it was about stability and compatibility.

  "Exactly the right approach," commented Vyxara. "You're doing a fantastic job."

  Valentina ignored the demon. She concentrated fully on her work, feeling the Essence flowing through her fingers, the patterns forming and connecting.

  The first connection with the patterns of the room was the most critical moment. Valentina carefully felt with a thin thread of Leb Essence, searching for the right resonance point...

  "Very good," muttered Veilford. "Go on."

  Valentina built up her structure layer by layer. She wove Schate Essence in inverted spirals, reinforced weak areas with Viur and created small cascades of resonance with Wazzer.

  A surprising flicker in one of the room's patterns forced her to improvise quickly. She adjusted her geometry, letting the energy flow through alternative paths.

  "Risky," purred Vyxara, "but elegantly solved."

  Sweat was running down Valentina's forehead, gathering in her eyebrows, but she continued to work with concentration. The other students watched her intently – some full of envy, some with genuine respect.

  After fifteen minutes of intensive work, she finally stepped back. Her Essence pattern floated perfectly balanced in the room, merging with Veilford's patterns to form a harmonious whole.

  The professor slowly circled her work, checking every knot, every connection. "Remarkable," he finally said. "Especially the integration of these inverted Schate spirals. A very unconventional geometric solution, I wouldn't have expected it to work so well. Perhaps this approach should be pursued further in theory."

  Faustus made a sour face. "She must have cheated again," he hissed. "How would-"

  "Silence, Master Boarfend," snapped Veilford. "I know real skill when I see it."

  When the test was finally over, Valentina felt as if she had run an endurance race. Her fingers were still tingling from the intense Essence manipulation.

  "Happy with yourself?" asked Vyxara as she left the room.

  "Yes," thought Valentina, exhausted but content. "Very happy."

  The sun was already low as she descended the stairs. The evening was going to be another long one – she had to prepare for the last exam tomorrow.