Valentina stood in front of judges and audience, taking a deep breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her hands remained steady as she began to weave her Essence pattern in the air.

  "Honored judges," she began, her voice soft but firm. "Today I am presenting you with a project that is not only of academic interest, but could improve the lives of many people."

  With a fluid movement, she created a complex web of Leb and Wazzer Essence in front of her. The pattern created a swirling vortex, shimmering softly blue and green in the air.

  "What if in ten or twenty years, Sommerland were a kingdom," she continued, her voice gaining strength, "where clean water is no longer a luxury, but a given. Where diseases from contaminated water are a thing of the past."

  She grabbed a small bag of dirty water she had prepared. With an elegant gesture, she poured a few drops into the Essence Vortex. The water that came out the other side was crystal clear and the audience gasped when they saw it.

  "My project uses the cleansing power of Leb-Essence combined with the flowing nature of Wazzer-Essence to remove impurities," explained Valentina. Her nervousness was forgotten, replaced by enthusiasm for her work.

  She demonstrated the effect on various water samples, each with different impurities. Each time, the water was perfectly purified. The judges leaned forward with interest, their feathers scratching eagerly over the parchment.

  "There are many possible applications," continued Valentina. "From the purification of drinking water in remote villages to the treatment of wastewater from tanneries and dye works in the large craft factories of the larger cities. With enough Distilled Essence, this pattern could purify entire rivers."

  Professor Emberfell nodded approvingly, a small smile playing around her lips. Valentina felt her self-confidence grow.

  "Fascinating, Valentina," Professor Veilford spoke up. "But what about efficiency? How much Distilled Essence is needed to purify large quantities of water?"

  Valentina smiled. She had been expecting this question. "An excellent question, Professor. The efficiency of the pattern depends on the amount and type of impurities. However, I have developed a method that optimizes the consumption of Distilled Essence."

  She manipulated the Essence pattern in front of her, allowing it to transform into even more complex structures. "By introducing a modified Vanderlieu spiral into the basic pattern, I can vary the required cleaning performance while keeping the Essence consumption generally the same."

  A murmur went through the hall. The Vanderlieu spiral was known for its complexity and instability. Modifying it and successfully integrating it into a functioning pattern was a remarkable achievement.

  "Impressive," nodded Veilford. "And how do you ensure that no harmful residues remain in the purified water?"

  "Another excellent question," Valentina replied. She could feel Vyxara purring with pride in her head. "The Essence pattern here contains an area that is a kind of correlate for a filter that works on the basis of Leb Essence. It reacts with substances that interact with Leb Essence obviously, so pretty much all potentially harmful substances imaginable, and converts them into inert mass."

  She demonstrated the process by running a sample containing toxic substances through her pattern. The resulting water was not only clear but, as an alchemical test expertly conducted by Professor Veilford showed, free of all recognizable toxins.

  The presentation continued, Valentina confidently answered question after question. She explained the theoretical basis of her project, discussed possible applications and limitations. Her confidence grew with every answer.

  She saw Faustus standing at the edge of the hall, his face a mask of barely suppressed anger. But she didn't let it upset her. This was her moment and she would make the most of it.

  "One last question, Valentina," Professor Emberfell spoke up. "How stable is the pattern with large volumes of water? You mentioned that it could be used to clean a river, would that really be a viable use case?"

  Valentina smiled. She had been hoping for this question. "In fact, I simulated that very scenario, Professor. With appropriate scaling and a constant supply of Distilled Essence, the pattern could theoretically clean a medium-sized river continuously without any problems."

  She began to weave an extended Essence pattern that simulated the cleansing of a river. The air around her vibrated with energy as the complex weave of Leb and Wazzer Essence expanded.

  "As you can see," explained Valentina, while her pattern simulated the load from a larger amount of water, "the pattern remains stable and effective even with larger quantities."

  The audience was visibly impressed. Even some of the other participants nodded appreciatively. Valentina felt like she could move mountains.

  "Wonderful, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered in her head. "You've got them all in the palm of your hand. Now finish it."

  Valentina nodded barely perceptibly. She was ready to conclude her presentation, to present the grand finale. With one last sweeping gesture, she began to weave the Essence pattern into its final, most complex form.

  "Finally, I'd like to demonstrate the full capacity of the pattern," she announced, her voice full of confidence. "This is a simulation of cleaning a heavily polluted lake, based on..."

  But she stopped in mid-sentence. Something felt wrong. The Essence pattern, which had just been so stable and harmonious, began to flicker and distort.

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  Valentina felt the blood freeze in her veins. "What the..." she mumbled, her eyes wide with shock. With quick, precise movements, she tried to stabilize the pattern, but it seemed to resist her efforts.

  The audience became restless. Whispers spread, some of the front rows even moved away from the presentation area. Valentina saw the worried looks on the judges' faces, the alarmed expressions of her professors.

  "Easy, little Weaver," Vyxara hissed in her head. "Panicking won't help you now. Think!"

  Valentina forced herself to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on the Essence pattern. And then she felt it – a strange dissonance in the fabric, a disturbance that was not part of her original design.

  "Someone tampered with it," she whispered in disbelief. Her gaze shot to Faustus, who was standing at the edge of the hall. A smug grin played around his lips.

  Anger rose up in her, hot and consuming. How could he dare? How could he be so ruthless? The pattern was complex enough, charged with so much Distilled Essence, if she lost control of it, there could be deaths and Faustus seemed to simply accept that possibility. But she knew she had no time for anger now. She had to act, and quickly.

  "Use it," urged Vyxara. "Turn it to your advantage."

  Valentina nodded barely perceptibly. She took another deep breath, then turned to the increasingly worried onlookers with a smile and lied coldly to their faces.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice surprisingly calm, "as you can see, the pattern is extremely sensitive to unexpected changes in the environment. This is an important safety function that I have not yet mentioned."

  She began to carefully manipulate the Essence pattern, trying to isolate and neutralize the foreign interference. "In a real-world application, such a reaction could indicate the introduction of a new, possibly dangerous substance, an instability in the Essence fabric, or perhaps even... sabotage."

  The judges exchanged interested glances. Professor Emberfell frowned, but then nodded slowly, as if she understood what Valentina was trying to do.

  "Let me demonstrate how the pattern deals with such a disturbance," Valentina continued. She concentrated intensely, letting her fingers dance through the air in complex movements. The Essence pattern began to change, the wild fluctuation slowly becoming more orderly.

  "As you can see, the pattern identifies the interference and begins to isolate it." Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she tried to isolate the foreign tampering. "This process can be used in a practical application to identify and neutralize new or unexpected contaminants or to alert the Weaver to foreign interference."

  The unstable flickering of the pattern diminished and became a controlled pulsation. Valentina felt her tension slowly easing. She had regained control.

  "Now comes the crucial part," she explained, her voice gaining confidence. "The pattern will analyze the isolated disruption and develop a countermeasure."

  With a final, powerful gesture, she allowed a wave of life Essence to flow through the pattern. The strange dissonance was dissolved and the pattern returned to its original, stable form.

  A collective gasp of relief went through the hall. Some of the audience even began to applaud.

  "As we can see," Valentina concluded, "the pattern is now not only able to remove known contaminants, but also to react flexibly to unexpected disturbances. This makes it particularly valuable for use in unknown or rapidly changing environments."

  She looked at the judges, whose faces now showed a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

  "An impressive demonstration," said one of them. "I must admit, for a moment I thought the experiment was out of control."

  Valentina smiled modestly. "In Essence Weaving, as in life, we must always be prepared for the unexpected. The ability to adapt and turn challenges into opportunities is crucial."

  Professor Emberfell nodded approvingly. "A wise attitude, Valentina. And a remarkable achievement in practical application."

  "Thank you, Professor," Valentina replied. She felt the tension slowly drain from her body, replaced by a wave of relief.

  "Brilliantly done, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered appreciatively. "You've turned a disaster into a triumph."

  When Valentina returned to her seat, she felt everyone's eyes on her. Some of her fellow students looked at her with respect, others seemed intimidated. Faustus' face was a grimace of barely suppressed rage.

  Innogen hugged her tightly as she sat down. "That was incredible, Val," she whispered, "How did you do it?"

  Valentina smiled tiredly. "To be honest, I don't really know myself. I just... reacted."

  Crispin leaned over to her. "It was like you were dancing with the Essence pattern. I've never seen anyone be so flexible and creative with it."

  Valentina nodded gratefully, too exhausted to give a detailed answer. The tension of the last few minutes was taking its toll. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment.

  "Get some rest, little Weaver," Vyxara murmured. "You've earned it. But don't forget that's not the end of it. That fat sack of flour has tried to sabotage you. We have to be careful."

  Valentina opened her eyes and let her gaze wander around the room. She saw Faustus staring at her with undisguised hatred. She saw the other participants, some of whom looked over to her with admiration, others with envy. And she saw the judges, engrossed in quiet conversation, repeatedly glancing in her direction.

  Vyxara was right. This was just the beginning. The competition was far from over and she had to be on her guard. But for now, she allowed herself to enjoy the triumph. She had overcome a seemingly hopeless situation and perhaps even improved her project in the process.

  When the next participant was called, Valentina turned her attention back to the front. She was exhausted, but also filled with a new determination. Whatever else was to come, she was ready to face the challenge.

  The presentations continued, but Valentina could hardly concentrate on them. Her thoughts revolved around the events of her presentation. How had Faustus managed to manipulate her Essence pattern without her realizing it? Did he have any help? And most importantly, what would he try next?

  She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Professor Emberfell was standing behind her, a thoughtful expression on her face.

  "Valentina," she said quietly, "I'd like to talk to you briefly after the event. It's about your... unexpected demonstration."

  Valentina nodded, a nervous flutter in her stomach. "Of course, Professor."

  As Professor Emberfell walked away, Innogen leaned over to Valentina. "What do you think she wants from you?"

  Valentina shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe she wants to know more about the 'safety feature' I improvised."

  "Or she noticed the sabotage," Vyxara interjected. "Be careful, little Weaver. Don't trust anyone completely."

  The last few presentations passed Valentina by as if in a fog. She was physically and mentally exhausted, but at the same time wide awake, every fiber of her body on alert.

  When the judges finally retired to deliberate, there was a buzz of excited voices in the courtroom. Valentina stood up, her legs feeling wobbly.

  "I need some fresh air," she mumbled to her friends. "I'll be right back."

  She made her way through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances and whispered comments. When she reached the corridor, she leaned against the cool stone wall and took a deep breath.

  "You did well," Vyxara said softly. "But the fight isn't over yet. We have to find out if Faustus is really behind the sabotage and who helped him."

  Valentina nodded grimly. Someone had tried to bring her down, and she couldn't let it happen again.

  When Valentina returned to the competition hall, she saw Faustus standing in a corner, surrounded by his usual admirers. His smug grin made her anger flare up again. With determined steps, she walked towards him.

  "Faustus," she said, her voice icy. "I think we need to talk."