In her small attic room, Valentina awoke from a fitful sleep. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she realized what day it was and that the second round of the Greystone competition was coming up.

  She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. The smell of fresh bread came through the cracks in her window – the kitchen had already started preparing breakfast. Normally this smell would have made her stomach growl, but today she only felt a nervous knot in her stomach.

  "Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head, the demon's voice as soft as velvet. "Today you can reward yourself for all your hard work over the past few weeks."

  Valentina sighed softly. "I don't know, Vyxara. What if something goes wrong? What if I fail?"

  "Nonsense," the demon snorted in amusement. "You've worked harder than anyone else. You've learned and mastered things your classmates couldn't even dream of. You're going to be brilliant."

  Valentina nodded slowly and stood up. She went to the small, stained mirror next to the door and looked at her reflection. Dark circles under her eyes bore witness to the sleepless nights she had spent working tirelessly on her project in recent weeks – well, not every night, she thought, thinking back to her night with Crispin. Her long, brown hair was tousled from sleep.

  As she began to dress, her thoughts drifted to the intense preparations of the last few weeks. She recalled the countless hours she had spent in the laboratory perfecting her water purification pattern. The complex weave of Leb and Wazzer Essence she had developed was of an extraordinary beauty and elegance.

  "Do you remember the moment you first made it work?" asked Vyxara, a hint of pride in her voice.

  Valentina smiled involuntarily. Yes, she remembered. It had been late in the evening, the laboratory empty except for her. When the dirty water had entered the vortex of Essence and emerged crystal clear, she had cried out in delight. Professor Emberfell, who had happened to be nearby herself, had rushed over in alarm – only to stand open-mouthed in front of Valentina's invention.

  "You have created something extraordinary, little Weaver," Vyxara said gently. "Something that could improve the lives of many people. You have every reason to be proud of it."

  Valentina nodded as she put her hair into a neat plait. She had done her best, had pushed boundaries and taken risks. Now she would find out whether it had been worth it.

  She put on her best dress, the dark red one. It was simple but elegant, and Valentina hoped it would give her a little more confidence.

  When she had finished dressing, she went to her desk and began to pack up her documents for the presentation. Her hands trembled slightly as she put the carefully labeled parchments and the model into her worn leather bag.

  "Remember," Vyxara murmured, "you know your project better than anyone else. You just need to get it across. Don't let nervousness or doubt get in the way."

  Valentina took a deep breath and nodded. She had worked hard, learned and achieved things she couldn't even have imagined a few months ago. She was ready.

  A knock on the door made her flinch. "Val? Are you awake?" came Innogen's voice from outside.

  "Yes, come in!" Valentina called out, smoothing her dress once more.

  Innogen entered, already perfectly dressed in an elegant blue gown that emphasized her eyes. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Valentina. "Oh Val, you look beautiful!"

  Valentina smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Innogen. You too."

  Innogen stepped closer and took Valentina's hands in hers. "Are you ready? I'm so excited, I've hardly been able to sleep all night!"

  Valentina squeezed her friend's hands. "Me neither. But yes, I think I'm as ready as I can be."

  "Good," Innogen nodded resolutely. "Then let's go. Crispin is waiting for us downstairs."

  As they walked to the door, Valentina felt the nervous knot in her stomach slowly turn into excitement and determination. Whatever the day would bring, she would do her best.

  "Show them what you're made of, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered one last time before they left the room.

  With her head held high and heart pounding, Valentina made her way to the competition hall with her friends. As Valentina, Innogen and Crispin entered the hall, they were greeted by a wave of excited voices and an atmosphere of nervousness. The large room, normally reserved for ceremonial occasions, had been transformed into a sea of eager faces and hastily erected presentation stands.

  Students rushed back and forth, balancing wobbly stacks of notes and finely tuned Essence instruments. In one corner, someone quietly muttered formulas as she desperately tried to stabilize an unruly Essence pattern. At the other end of the hall, a young man stood on a chair trying to nail a complicated diagram to the wall, only to drop it at the last moment and let out a multicolored curse that would have made even seasoned sailors blush.

  "By all the Martyr's flames," Innogen whispered, her eyes wide with amazement. "I didn't realize so many participants had been admitted."

  Crispin nodded nervously. "Yes, the competition is particularly tough this year. I've heard that even a student from outside the university has been admitted."

  Valentina felt her stomach tighten.

  "No doubts now, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head. "You're better prepared than all of them."

  She swallowed hard and nodded, more to herself than to her friends. "Let's find our seats," she said, her voice firmer than she felt.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  As they weaved their way through the crowd, they suddenly heard a familiar, arrogant voice. "Ah, if it isn't the farmer's maid and her entourage."

  Faustus Boarfend stood before them, surrounded by his usual clique of wealthy hangers-on. His expensive robe was embroidered with fine patterns that shimmered in the light – no doubt in an attempt to mimic the appearance of Essence patterns to the eyes of normal humans.

  "Faustus," Valentina greeted with a cool smile. "Do me a favor and eat a hedgehog."

  He laughed, a sound that sounded more like mockery than amusement. "Oh, you must be saving your charm for the presentation, wench. I hope you're not too disappointed if your little... project can't quite keep up."

  Innogen stepped forward, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Watch out, Faustus."

  His eyes were cold, but his smile grew even wider. "We'll see who ends up laughing, won't we?" He turned and stalked off with his clique in tow.

  Valentina felt Crispin putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't let him upset you, Val. He's not worth it, please."

  The anger was still boiling inside her, but she nodded. She closed her eyes briefly and concentrated, letting her newly acquired ability of Essence Listening take effect. The hall sounds changed, became sharper, more focused.

  "...heard that Faustus' father has hired a whole crew of experts..." she heard someone whisper.

  "...Essence amplifiers are supposed to be illegal, but who's going to prove it?" muttered another.

  "...Yeah, the girl from Palewood. It's uncanny how quickly she got better..."

  She opened her eyes again, a grim smile on her lips. Yes, rumors and speculation, but also useful information. She would have to be on her guard.

  "Well done, little Weaver," Vyxara praised. "Knowledge is power, and you gather both skillfully."

  "Come on," Valentina said to her friends. "Let's get our stalls ready. It will start soon."

  With the excitement inside her growing, Valentina and her friends walked to their assigned seats. This was her chance to make everything she had worked so hard for worth it. She would not waste it.

  The air in the hall was thick with anticipation and a little fear, and the hall continued to fill. In a corner, Valentina saw Professor Emberfell watching the scene with a watchful gaze. The professor nodded encouragingly at her, as their eyes met briefly.

  Finally, Decan Valemont stood up, his imposing figure immediately bringing calm to the room. "Welcome," he began, his voice echoing through the room, "to the second round of the Greystone Competition. May your Essence patterns be stable and your spirits be sharp. In five minutes, the first round of presentations will begin."

  Valentina checked her notes and the calculations for her Essence pattern one last time. She was ready. She would do her best whatever was to come.

  "Show them what true power is, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered, the demon's voice full of anticipation.

  The first presentations began and the competition hall was transformed into a kaleidoscope of shimmering Essence patterns and excited voices. Each project was unique and fascinating and she hadn’t expected such a mixture of interesting projects.

  Edgar presented patterns for improving the flow of water in water pipes through targeted manipulation of Wazzer Essence. He made precise patterns in the air with his hands, and his water pipe began to distribute the Water continuously. The judges nodded appreciatively, and took notes eagerly, but they didn't seem overwhelmed.

  Elara, whose project aimed to accelerate the healing of broken bones, stepped forward next. Her Essence pattern, a fascinating fusion of Leb and Z?t Essence, vibrated the air around her. But when the pattern started flickering and then dissipated as she started her practical demonstration, she got confused and botched it. With tears in her eyes, she left the presentation area.

  Valentina was feeling a pang of sympathy. She knew only too well how much work and hope went into each of these projects.

  "Focus on yourself, little Weaver," Vyxara admonished. "Compassion is all well and good, but it won't lead you to victory."

  Valentina briefly squeezed Crispin's hand when his name was called. "You can do it," she whispered encouragingly.

  Crispin stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly as he introduced his project: a method of preserving food using a unique combination of Leb and Z?t Essence. At first his voice was unsteady, but as he continued his explanations, his voice gained strength.

  "Imagine," he said, weaving a shimmering Essence pattern in the air, "fresh fruit and vegetables that will keep for months without losing their nutritional value or flavor." He demonstrated the effect on an apple that he had closed in a cupboard he had prepared three weeks ago under the eyes of Professor Emberfell and Professor Veilford and which had retained its freshness despite the time that had passed.

  The judges were interested and asked questions about scalability and possible side effects. His initial nervousness had disappeared and Crispin answered confidently. The audience applauded when he was finished with his presentation.

  Valentina smiled proudly. She remembered the long nights she and Crispin had spent discussing his approach. Seeing all that work pay off was nice.

  Next up was Innogen's presentation. Her project, a pattern for long-range communication using Essence Weaving, was brilliant in theory. But as she attempted to perform a practical demonstration, it didn’t quite work. The Essence patterns remained stable, but the intended message did not arrive.

  Innogen’s struggle to keep her composure as she tried to explain the mistake was hard to watch for Valentina. Innogen finished her presentation and the judges looked unconvinced, their faces impassive.

  When Innogen returned to them, Valentina whispered to her encouragingly: "You were great. This is groundbreaking theory, and the practice will follow."

  Valentina could see the disappointment in her eyes, but Innogen smiled gratefully.

  Then it was Faustus' turn, and the room seemed to fill with a palpable tension. He strode confidently to the presentation area, his smile as sharp as a knife.

  "Distinguished judges, esteemed colleagues," he began, his voice smooth as oil, "I present to you today a revolution in offensive Essence manipulation."

  He began to weave a complex Essence pattern, a fusion of Viur and Schate Essence that darkened the air around him and made it glow at the same time. "I present to you," he continued, "a weapon that uses Essence itself as fuel. A weapon that can penetrate any defense."

  The demonstration was impressive. Faustus unleashed a concentrated beam of dark, glowing Essence at a series of targets, which collapsed into rubble or burst into flames one after the other. The audience gasped in astonishment and perhaps a little fear.

  Valentina felt her stomach tighten. The project was undoubtedly brilliant, but she winced at the thought of what effect the Essence would have if it hit defenseless people. Apart from that, Faustus' Pattern was terribly inefficient and consumed horrendous amounts of Distilled Essence. She immediately saw a few places where she could improve his pattern – if she had wanted to. She saw some of the judges frowning, while others looked intrigued.

  "See, little Weaver?" Vyxara's voice was a low hiss in her head. "That's the kind of power that really impresses people. Dangerous, yes, but they find it irresistible."

  Valentina shook her head slightly. No, that was not the way she wanted to go. Her project was supposed to help, not destroy.

  As Faustus finished his presentation, applause broke out, mixed with worried murmurs. He returned to his seat, a smug grin on his face.

  "Impressive, isn't it?" he hissed at Valentina as he walked past her. "Let's see how your little water project measures up."

  Valentina clenched her hands into fists, but forced herself to smile calmly. "We'll see, Faustus. We'll see." She wondered how he even knew what her project was about.

  The presentations continued, a firework display of ideas and skillful Essence Weaving. Valentina felt her nervousness grow as her own presentation approached. She went through her notes again, visualizing every detail of her project.

  "Stay calm," Vyxara murmured. "You're ready and prepared."

  Finally, Valentina heard her name. Sighing deeply she got up and walked to the front to present her project. She walked to the presentation area and felt eyes all around her. This was her moment, time for her to show what she could do.