"Spit it out peasant girl," Faustus Boarfend snarled. He broke away from the group and stood in front of Valentina, his face contorted into a condescending expression. "How exactly are you cheating?"

  Valentina felt her stomach tighten. She had hoped to avoid this confrontation. "I've worked hard, Faustus," she said calmly, trying to keep her voice neutral.

  Faustus laughed humorlessly. "Worked hard? And under which professor's body did you work so hard? Horne? Veilford? No one makes such progress in such a short time."

  Some of the surrounding students turned to look at them, curious to see what was about to happen.

  "What are you trying to say?" asked Valentina, her voice now with a hint of sharpness.

  Faustus stepped closer, his eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm saying something's not right here. You've been given help. Or you have access to information you shouldn't have. Or both."

  Valentina felt the blood rush to her face. "Those are serious accusations, Faustus," she said, her voice now icy. "I hope you’re aware of that."

  "Oh, I'm very aware," Faustus replied with a sardonic grin. "Perhaps we should ask Professor Emberfell what she thinks. I'm sure she'd be very interested to know how a mediocre student suddenly rises to the top of the class."

  The whispering around her grew louder. Valentina could feel the curious and suspicious glances of the other students on her.

  "Careful," Vyxara warned. "He's trying to upset you."

  Valentina ignored Vyxara, took a deep breath, and straightened to her full height. "You know, Faustus," she said, her voice angry but controlled as she looked up at him, "I understand that it must be hard for you. All your money, all your privileges, and still you get beaten by a poor little peasant girl like me."

  Faustus' eyes widened in surprise at her sudden sharpness.

  "But instead of blaming others," Valentina continued, "maybe you should think about why you're not doing better despite all your advantages. Maybe it's because you're simply of inferior quality as an Essence Weaver. No amount of money in the world can make up for that."

  A quiet "Ooh" went through the crowd. Faustus' face ran red with rage.

  "You little harlot..." He took a step towards her, his hand raised to strike.

  "Is there a problem here?" A stern voice interrupted the tense situation. Professor Emberfell was suddenly standing next to them, her sharp gaze wandering back and forth between Valentina and Faustus.

  "No, Professor," Valentina said quickly. "We were just... comparing our experiences of the exam."

  Faustus stared at her angrily but then nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Professor. Everything's fine."

  Professor Emberfell looked at them for a moment longer, gazed into Boarfend's eyes for a long time, then nodded curtly. "Good, the break is almost over. I expect you all to be in your seats."

  With these words, she turned and left. The crowd of onlookers began to disperse, but the excited whispers remained.

  Faustus leaned towards Valentina, his voice now a menacing hiss. "This is not over yet. As soon as the slightest opportunity presents itself, I will ruin you."

  With one last hostile look, he turned and stalked off, his friends in tow.

  Valentina stood there frozen momentarily, her heart hammering in her chest. She had stood up to Faustus, yes, but at what cost? She could feel the curious glances of the other students on her.

  "That was risky," muttered Vyxara. "But well done. You've shown that you won't be intimidated. That's important."

  "Yes," Valentina thought grimly, "but now I have an enemy who is determined to bring me down."

  She made her way back to her seat, Faustus' words still ringing in her ears, her heart still racing with anger and excitement. The next round would begin soon, and she needed to focus. But a part of her knew that this conflict would go far beyond the competition.

  As she sat down, she noticed Innogen and Crispin giving her worried looks. She forced herself to smile reassuringly, although she felt anything but calm.

  The bell rang again, and Professor Emberfell stepped forward to announce the end of the break. Valentina took a deep breath and tried to organize her turbulent thoughts. She had made it this far, and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her – especially not the fat bastard Faustus Boarfend. The confrontation with Faustus had shaken her up, but she forced herself to concentrate. She couldn't afford to be distracted now.

  "The next task," Emberfell explained, "will test your ability to analyze complex Essence interactions. You have two hours."

  Another Essence diagram materialized in the air in front of each participant. Valentina stared at the pulsating pattern in front of her, her eyes widening. It was one of the most complex Essence structures she had ever seen.

  "That's advanced theory," Vyxara murmured appreciatively. "They test the limits of your knowledge."

  Valentina nodded imperceptibly, read the task, and began to analyze the structure. It was a hypothetical scenario in which different Essence types interacted in unusual ways. She recognized patterns of Leb-, Viur- and Schate-Essence winding around each other in a convoluted triple helix. Fine threads of Z?t-Essence pulsed between them, keeping the entire construct in a precarious balance.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  With trembling hands, she reached for her quill and began to write, her thoughts racing. She remembered theories from the banned books, experiments that were not even mentioned in the official university textbooks.

  Around her, she heard the frustrated murmurings of her companions. Many seemed overwhelmed by the complexity of the task.

  "That's impossible," someone whispered desperately. "How are you supposed to solve this in two hours?"

  Valentina tuned out the voices and concentrated fully on her work. Her quill flew over the parchment as she analyzed the various interactions and considered possible manipulations.

  After an hour of intensive work, she felt her neck muscles tense up. She paused briefly and stretched, her gaze wandering around the room.

  Many of her companions looked exhausted and frustrated. Even Innogen, normally the calm one, chewed nervously on her lower lip. Faustus, on the other hand, seemed to be working obsessively, his face flushed with exertion.

  Valentina allowed herself a small smile. She was well on time and was confident that her analyses were correct. Perhaps too confident.

  When she returned to her task, she decided to go one step further. She began to develop a practical application for the theoretical concepts, something that was not explicitly required.

  "Be careful," warned Vyxara. "You're treading on thin ice."

  But Valentina was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed the warning. She was in the process of designing a complex Weaving Pattern that would use the Z?t Essence – as in the analyzed structure – to stabilize the other Essence types.

  Her hands moved as if of their own accord, forming the needed patterns in the air. She felt the Essence around her begin to vibrate, attracted by her manipulation.

  Suddenly, she realized that something was wrong. The Essence currents were not behaving as expected. Instead of stabilizing, they began to fluctuate wildly.

  Panic rose up inside her. She had made a mistake, a fundamental error in her calculations. If she didn't correct it quickly, it could lead to a catastrophic discharge.

  "Stay calm," urged Vyxara. "Think about it. What have you missed?"

  Valentina forced herself to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes, listened and allowed her consciousness to immerse itself in the Essence currents. There, almost invisibly, she discovered it: a tiny dissonance in the Z?t-Essence that destabilized her pattern.

  With a quick, precise movement, she corrected the mistake, redirecting the excess energy into a rapidly woven stabilizing pattern. For a moment, the air around her seemed to shimmer, then the streams of Essence calmed.

  Valentina opened her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. That had been close. Too close.

  "An impressive rescue," Vyxara commented. "But let's be more careful in the future, shall we? It would be a shame if you blew your beautiful head off through carelessness."

  Valentina nodded slightly, her heart still beating fast. She glanced at the large hourglass behind Professor Emberfell. She had to hurry to complete her analysis.

  With renewed concentration, she set to work. Her experience with the practical application had given her new insights, which she now wanted to incorporate into her theoretical analysis.

  When the bell announced the end of the exam, Valentina was just putting the last stroke to her answer. She leaned back and took a deep breath, exhaustion and satisfaction flowing through her.

  "Time's up!" shouted Professor Emberfell. "Please put down your feathers and step away from your desks."

  A buzz of excited and relieved voices erupted around Valentina. Many students looked exhausted, but there were also triumphant faces.

  She let her gaze wander around the room and met Innogen's eyes. Her friend smiled encouragingly at her, even though she looked tired herself. Crispin, on the other hand, chewed nervously on his lower lip and stared at his notes.

  Then her eyes fell on Faustus. He was standing at his table, arms folded, staring at her with anger and suspicion. When their eyes met, he silently formed a word with his lips: "Cheater."

  Valentina felt her stomach tighten. She knew that this was not the end. Faustus would not rest until he had found a way to discredit her.

  "Don't let him intimidate you," Vyxara said gently. "You've proven what you can do. No one can take that away from you."

  Valentina nodded slightly, even if she wasn't entirely convinced. She had done brilliantly, yes, but at what cost? The line between her own knowledge and what she had learned from Vyxara and the forbidden books was becoming increasingly blurred.

  "The results will be announced tomorrow," announced Professor Emberfell. "Please be in the hall before breakfast."

  An excited murmur went through the crowd. Valentina felt her heart tighten. She would have to wait a whole night. Would her hard work – and the risks she had taken – pay off?

  She took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever was to come. No matter what the results would show, she knew that this was just the beginning – there would be many more tests to come.

  As Professor Emberfell left the hall, a tumult of excited voices erupted. The tension of the last few hours was released in a crescendo of relief, frustration and feverish discussion.

  Valentina stood there for a moment in a daze, her head buzzing from the day's exertions. Groups of students formed around her, eager to share their experiences.

  "By the Martyr's flames, what kind of test was that?" she heard Edgar groan. "I thought my head would explode with that Z?t-Essence riddle and all!"

  "Tell me about it," Elara replied. "I'm sure I completely messed up half of it."

  Valentina felt the eyes of the others on her. Some looked at her with undisguised respect, others with barely concealed skepticism. She heard her name mentioned in hushed conversations.

  "Did you see how Valentina manipulated the Schate-Essence?" someone whispered in awe. "That was incredible!"

  "Yes, incredibly strange," muttered another. "Faustus is right. Something's not quite right."

  Valentina tried to block out the voices, but she felt a knot forming in her stomach. She knew her performance would attract attention, but the reality was more disturbing than she had expected.

  "Don't let yourself be unsettled," whispered Vyxara. "Envy and mistrust are the price of extraordinary achievements."

  Before Valentina could answer, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into Innogen's astonished face.

  "Val, that was... wow," Innogen said, her voice a mixture of admiration and confusion. "I knew you were talented, but that was just mind-blowing."

  Crispin, who was standing next to Innogen, nodded eagerly. "Yes, you were brilliant! But, um..." He hesitated, his eyes darting around nervously. "We heard about Faustus. Are you all right?"

  Valentina forced herself to smile. "Of course! I'm just exhausted from the exam, that's all. Let's not talk about that jerk." She saw the concern in her friends' eyes and felt a twinge of guilt. "Listen, I know I've been a little distant lately because I've been obsessively studying for this competition. What do you say we have breakfast together tomorrow after the results are announced? Just the three of us?"

  Innogen's face brightened. "That would be wonderful! We've really missed you, Val. Let's go to my room tomorrow. And who knows, maybe we can go to the tavern in the evening?"

  Crispin nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, let's do that. Maybe we can talk about the exam then? I'm sure you could give us a few tips."

  Valentina smiled more genuinely this time. "I'd love to. I'm looking forward to it."

  At that moment, she heard muffled voices from a corner of the hall. She recognized Professor Emberfell and Professor Veilford, who were engaged in a quiet but intense discussion. About her.