The morning of the competition, a beautiful spring morning, crept through Valentina's small window. She was already awake, staring at the ceiling and trying to get her pounding heartbeat under control.

  "You're nervous, little Weaver," Vyxara's voice in her head sounded half sympathetic half amused.

  "Scared to death would be more appropriate," Valentina mumbled. She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. The night had been short – too many thoughts, too many worries, too many last repetitions of complex Essence patterns.

  "There's no reason to," the demon insisted. "You are perfectly prepared. Your patterns are perfect, your technique flawless. And..." – Vyxara chuckled softly – "...thanks to our night out, we have more than enough Distilled Essence at our disposal."

  Valentina glanced nervously at her bag, where the stolen vials were hidden. "I hope they don't catch us..."

  "They won't. Your illusion at the storage was a masterpiece. No one suspects anything."

  With trembling fingers, Valentina opened the bag and checked her supplies for the hundredth time. The vials glittered in the faint morning light, the Distilled Essence trapped inside glistening like moonlight.

  She went to the washbasin and poured the cold water over her face and neck. The cold helped her to think more clearly. When she looked in the small mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes – as she had almost always in recent months.

  "You could easily conceal them," Vyxara commented. "A little Leb Essence here, a touch of Lieht there..."

  "No." Valentina shook her head. "I have to save my strength for the competition."

  She put on her best dress – the red one, in the hope that it would bring her luck. It was worn and patched several times, but at least it was clean and tidy. She combed her hair carefully and plaited it into a tight braid – she had gotten some information from Professor Horne, but she didn't know exactly what she was in for and didn't want to risk any strands of hair blowing through her face at the wrong moment.

  Outside, the university came to life. Excited voices came through her window. As she looked out, she saw the first students in their best clothes hurrying towards the main hall.

  "Time to go," urged Vyxara. "You don't want to be late."

  Valentina nodded, strapped on her bag and left her room. The corridors were full of people. Groups of people were standing together everywhere, whispering excitedly, pointing at the first magnificent spring-loaded carriages that rolled through the main gate, watching Valentina with undisguised curiosity.

  "This must be the Duke's Affinity," she heard an older student say. "Look at the crests!"

  "I heard he's bringing his whole court with him," a girl whispered to her friend. "Even his personal Essence Weavers!"

  Valentina made her way through the crowd. Her stomach felt as if she had swallowed stones.

  "Val! Val, over here!"

  Innogen waved to her from one of the pillars. Her friend was wearing a splendid dress in the colors of her house, and her golden curls were pinned up artfully. Crispin stood next to her, still looking a little rumpled even in his best doublet.

  "You look terrible," Innogen stated outright and with merciless severity. "Have you slept at all?"

  "A little." Valentina tried a smile. "Is the duke here yet?"

  "Not yet," said Crispin, "but his steward is currently inspecting the hall. Apparently, everything must be perfect."

  Another magnificent spring-loaded carriage rolled through the gate, its wheels crunching on the cobblestones. Valentina saw the Greystone crest on the door – a silver crescent moon on a grey background. The moon had a sinister face, with deep red eyes.

  "That's him," Innogen whispered in awe. "Duke Cosimo himself."

  Valentina felt her stomach tighten even more. In a few minutes, she would have to show off her skills in front of the most powerful man in Duskenshire, a magnate of the realm.

  "Don't worry," Vyxara purred in her head. "You'll amaze them all. Even the good Duke Cosimo."

  The crowd began to move towards the main hall. Valentina took a deep breath and followed the flow of people.

  The main hall of the university was barely recognizable. Magnificent wall hangings in the colors of the Greystones – grey and silver – adorned the otherwise bare stone walls. Dozens of Essence lamps bathed the room in warm light.

  "Your seats!" shouted Professor Emberfell, shooing the students to the lined-up benches. "His Grace will be arriving any moment!"

  As soon as she had spoken these words, fanfares sounded from the entrance. The heavy oak doors opened and Duke Cosimo Greystone entered the hall.

  The duke was an imposing man – not by his size, but by his sheer presence. His ample girth, draped in sumptuous green silk, spoke of his taste for the pleasures of life. His light brown hair was streaked with the first strands of grey, and his carefully trimmed beard emphasized his jovial smile. But there was a sharp, calculating look in his eyes.

  A bunch of courtiers followed him like a colorful flock of birds – splendidly dressed men and women who filled the hall with the scent of expensive perfumes and the jingling of their jewelry.

  "Look at his eyes," Vyxara murmured in Valentina's head. "The way he scrutinizes every pretty young woman in the room."

  Vyxara was right. The duke let his gaze wander over the students like a merchant over his wares. When his gaze lingered on Valentina for a long moment, she felt an unpleasant tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

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  "My dear friends!" Duke Cosimo's voice boomed through the hall. He had reached the podium and spread his arms out like a father greeting his children. "What a pleasure to be here today! Bridgewater University has always been a jewel in Sommerland's crown, and this competition will undoubtedly bring forth new raw diamonds just waiting to be cut!"

  A polite round of applause broke out. Valentina noticed how the whole atmosphere in the hall had changed. The Decan and the professors seemed more nervous, the students stiffer. Everyone was trying to catch the duke's eye – or to avoid his scrutinizing gaze.

  Faustus Boarfend had pushed his way to the front row, his face beaming with smug confidence. He was wearing a new, obviously custom-made robe in the colors of his house.

  "The competition," Professor Emberfell explained after the duke had taken his seat, "will take the form of a direct duel. Complex Essence patterns will appear between our two finalists, Faustus Boarfend and Valentina of Palewood. Both must manipulate the same pattern at the same time – but with different objectives. Whoever manages to transform the pattern according to their target will receive one point. The other competitor's manipulation will naturally be felt as resistance. So it's not just a test of pure Weaving skill, but also a direct competition of willpower."

  She smiled thinly. "The first person to reach five points will be declared the winner of the Greystone Competition. The respective targets will only be communicated to the participants immediately before each round."

  She pointed to the row of professors who had lined up next to the duke. Professor Veilford nodded gracefully, while Professor Horne gave Valentina a strangely intense look. His advice to Valentina about what would happen in the tie-break, his tips and preparation, had been spot on, Valentina had to admit.

  "The first round will begin in a few minutes," Emberfell continued. "Participants, please get ready."

  Valentina stood up on shaky legs. Her bag with the stolen Essence vials suddenly felt as heavy as a rock.

  "Good luck," Innogen whispered and briefly squeezed her hand.

  Valentina walked forward and stood next to Faustus. "Enjoy your last moment of hope, yokel," he hissed at her. "Soon everyone will see where you really belong."

  "Let him talk," purred Vyxara. "He has no idea what we've prepared for him."

  The duke leaned forward in his armchair, his interest obviously piqued. His eyes wandered back and forth between Valentina and Faustus, as if he were weighing up the odds.

  Professor Emberfell stepped into the middle of the hall. "May the finalists take their positions. The competition begins!"

  Valentina and Faustus stood opposite each other in the center of the hall. Professor Emberfell stepped between them and raised her hands. A complex Essence pattern immediately appeared in the air, floating between the opponents like a spider's web of golden light.

  "For the first round," Emberfell announced, turning to Faustus, "your task is to turn the pattern into a self-sustaining heat structure." Then she turned to Valentina. "Your task is to create a cold structure. Begin!"

  Valentina felt her fingers fill with the familiar tingle of Essence. She carefully began to manipulate the first threads of the pattern while watching Faustus' movements.

  "Slow down," warned Vyxara. "Let him make the first move."

  Faustus immediately attacked aggressively, tugging at the Essence threads and trying to process Viur Essence into the pattern. His movements were powerful and precise – years of expensive private lessons did have an effect.

  But Valentina was well prepared herself. She waited patiently for his first wave of manipulations and then began to subtly counteract it. Where he wove in Viur, she inserted small knots of Wazzer Essence that undermined his structure.

  The pattern between them began to fluctuate, shimmering sometimes reddish, sometimes bluish. The spectators held their breath.

  "Impressive dexterity," Duke Cosimo murmured approvingly and sighed, "especially from the young woman. I wish I could see what it is they do exactly." Of course – the duke wasn't an Essence Weaver, he couldn't see what they were doing with the Essence at all, he only saw the effects.

  Faustus' face turned slightly red with exertion. He increased the pressure, pumped more Viur Essence into the pattern, opened several vials of Distilled Essence on his belt. "Give up, farmer's daughter," he hissed. "You can't hold out forever."

  Valentina did not answer. She concentrated fully on the finer ramifications of the pattern, feeling the flow of Essence through her fingers. Then, in a precisely timed moment, just as Faustus was gathering new strength, she turned three central nodes in a flash.

  The entire pattern shone in icy blue.

  "Point for Valentina of Palewood!" announced Professor Emberfell.

  A surprised murmur went through the room. Faustus stared in disbelief at the frozen pattern around which the surrounding air was now condensing. To Duke Cosimo, it probably looked as if a fine frost had formed in mid-air.

  "Next round," Emberfell shouted and dissolved the old pattern. A new one appeared, this time even more complex, with twisting spirals. "Faustus, your goal is levitation. Valentina, your task is grounding."

  The dance of the Essence threads began again. This time, Valentina went on the offensive, skillfully weaving Ard Essence into the basic structure. Faustus countered with an elegant combination of Luvt and Lieht to create a floating effect.

  "Watch out!" warned Vyxara. "He's trying to lure you into a trap."

  And indeed, Faustus had built a second layer into his weaving that was supposed to block Valentina's grounding attempts. But she hadn't spent weeks studying forbidden books for nothing. With a series of subtle manipulations, she undermined his blockade and incorporated it into her own structure, reinforcing it even.

  The pattern trembled, seemed to hover for a moment – and then crashed thunderously to the ground.

  "Second point for Valentina of Palewood!"

  Duke Cosimo leaned forward so far that his armchair groaned. His eyes sparkled with interest. "Amazing," he said to Professor Emberfell. "That was quite a rumble for such a young Essence Weaver. She seems to be a commoner. I take she didn't have private lessons as a child?"

  "A natural talent," Emberfell replied diplomatically.

  The third pattern appeared, a cascading structure of intertwined geometries. This time, Faustus had to condense it, while Valentina had to expand it.

  Faustus trembled with suppressed rage. His next movements became more frantic, less controlled. He tried to overpower Valentina with brute force.

  "Go on, show us your oh-so-great skills," Faustus sneered as he wove aggressive condensation patterns. "Or has your strength already waned?"

  Valentina could actually feel her arms slowly becoming heavy. The continuous manipulation of the patterns, the precise movements and the sheer concentration took a lot of strength – and Distilled Essence. But the stolen vials in her bag gave her peace of mind. She had more than enough Distilled Essence at her disposal.

  She began to infiltrate Faustus' compression with precise, sparing movements. Where he contracted, she created tiny nodes of expansion. Where he strengthened, she placed subtle weak points.

  The pattern between them pulsed like a living being, expanding and contracting to the rhythm of their struggle.

  "There!" shouted Vyxara in her head. "His right side is weak!"

  Valentina saw the gap in Faustus' defense. With an elegant twist of her wrists, she activated all of her prepared expansion nodes simultaneously. The pattern literally exploded outwards, too fast for Faustus' hasty countermeasures. A loud bang could be heard in the hall.

  "Third point for Valentina of Palewood!"

  The applause grew louder. Even some of Faustus' usual supporters clapped politely.

  Duke Cosimo half rose from his seat. "Remarkable," he said, his gaze resting on Valentina for far too long. "Truly remarkable."

  Faustus' face was dark red by now. His hands trembled with suppressed rage as the next pattern appeared. Valentina knew he was going to act like a cornered animal now. He had a reputation to lose – and Faustus Boarfend was not the man to accept defeat easily.

  "Be vigilant," Vyxara whispered. "He'll try to bring the Eye of Deceit into play at any moment, and we have no idea what he's capable of when he realizes his dirty trick is ineffective..."

  Valentina nodded imperceptibly, a dangerous smile on her lips. This was the moment of decision.