After the conversation with Innogen and a quick lunch, Valentina returned to her room.

  "I don't want to rush you, little Weaver," Vyxara spoke up, "but now that you've calmed your friend down, we need to move on to more important things. For example, how to get our good friend Faustus out of the way."

  Valentina felt her hands clench involuntarily into fists at the mention of Faustus' name. "I'd just like to throw him off the highest tower in the university," she growled.

  Vyxara giggled in amusement. "A tempting thought, but perhaps a little too conspicuous. We'll have to be more subtle."

  "What do you suggest?" asked Valentina, leaning forward with interest.

  "Well," Vyxara began with a mischievous undertone, "how about we start some interesting rumors about our dear Faustus? Nothing too obvious, of course. But enough to distract him and break his concentration."

  A slow, mischievous smile spread across Valentina's face. "That sounds promising. What kind of rumors do you have in mind?"

  "Oh, there are so many possibilities," Vyxara indulged. "How about the story that he secretly writes filthy poems to Professor Emberfell? Or that he sneaks through the corridors at night in women's clothes?"

  Valentina laughed softly. "That's good. But we have to be careful. It has to be credible enough to make the rounds, but not so extreme that it's immediately exposed as a lie."

  "Clever thinking," praised Vyxara. "What do you think of this: we spread the rumor that Faustus' family has run into financial difficulties and he might have to leave the university?"

  Valentina nodded slowly. "That could work. It would explain why he seems so tense lately. And it would undermine his standing with the other rich students."

  "Exactly," Vyxara agreed. "And while he's busy dispelling those rumors, we can go in search of the Eye of Deceit."

  Valentina frowned. "But how do we get into his room? I'm sure it's locked and if Crispin is right, it’s probably protected with all kinds of traps."

  "Leave that to me," said Vyxara confidently. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve that can defuse even the most sophisticated traps. You just have to wait for the right moment."

  Valentina stood up and began to walk up and down the room. Her thoughts raced as she played through various scenarios. "Alright," she finally said. "I'll start spreading the rumors and then we'll keep a close eye on Faustus to find the best time to break in."

  "Excellent," Vyxara purred contentedly. "You're a quick learner, little Weaver. Soon you'll have Faustus so cornered that he won't know up from down."

  Valentina felt a wave of anticipation flow through her. The thought of finally getting back at Faustus filled her with grim satisfaction. She thought of all the times he had humiliated her, his condescending comments and his arrogant smirk. Now was the time to strike back.

  "I can't wait to see his face when it all comes crashing down," she muttered.

  "Patience, little Weaver," warned Vyxara.

  Valentina nodded reluctantly. She knew Vyxara was right, but the urge to act immediately was overwhelming.

  When the dinner bell rang, Valentina made her way to the dining room. Her heart pounded with excitement as she imagined how she would spread the carefully prepared rumors.

  Once in the dining hall, she let her gaze wander over the assembled students. She spotted Faustus in his usual place, surrounded by his lickspittles. His smug smile only made her hatred flare up even more.

  Valentina sat down with a group of female students she knew from her lectures. She smiled warmly and joined in their conversation while she waited for the right moment.

  "Have you heard the latest?" she finally asked casually when the conversation turned to the upcoming tie-break.

  The other girls leaned forward curiously. "What is it?" asked one of them.

  Valentina lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I've heard that Faustus' family is in serious financial difficulties. Allegedly, he might even be forced to leave the university."

  The reactions were exactly what she had hoped for. Surprised exclamations, incredulous whispers and curious glances in Faustus' direction.

  "But how is that possible?" asked Elara. "His family is so rich."

  Valentina shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe they invested badly. Or there are some debts that no one knew about. All I've heard is that his father seems very worried lately."

  The rumor mill immediately began to grind. Valentina leaned back contentedly and watched as the information spread from table to table. "Well done, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered appreciatively. "The fire is lit. Now we just have to make sure it spreads."

  Valentina nodded imperceptibly. She knew that this was just the beginning. But it felt good to finally take the initiative. She would wear Faustus down bit by bit until he was as desperate as she had once been.

  As she left the dining room, she took one last look at Faustus. He didn't seem to have heard any of the rumors that were circulating. But that would soon change.

  With a grim smile, Valentina made her way back to her room. The day had been productive, but spreading rumors wouldn’t be enough. She had to come up with a plan to break into Faustus' room and find the Eye of Deceit.

  "Get some rest, little Weaver," Vyxara advised. "The hunt can continue tomorrow."

  Valentina nodded tiredly. She knew that the coming days would be exhausting. But she was prepared to do anything to defeat Faustus.

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  ~

  For Valentina, the next few days blurred into a whirlwind of intense study and the spreading of insidious rumors.

  "You need to sleep sometimes, little Weaver," Vyxara reminded her one evening when Valentina was about to doze off over a particularly tricky Essence pattern.

  "No time," muttered Valentina, rubbing her burning eyes. "The tie-break is getting closer and closer."

  She forced herself to focus on the book in front of her again. The pages were littered with complicated geometric shapes forming the most advanced Essence Weaving techniques. Valentina tried to internalize the patterns, her hands moving in the air as if she were weaving the threads.

  Every now and then, when the library was too full or her concentration too exhausted, she would retreat to an abandoned classroom. There she practiced the new techniques she had learned, letting shimmering threads of Essence glide through her fingers and forming them into ever more complex structures.

  But that was only one half of her preparation. In the hours between lectures and late at night, Vyxara taught her a completely different kind of Weaving.

  "The Eye of Deceit is a powerful artifact," the demon explained. "Altering or even neutralizing it requires techniques that are a bit outside the usual curriculum. These are our Essence Weaving techniques – demonic, you know.

  Valentina nodded grimly. "Show me."

  What followed were hours of frustrating attempts to put Vyxara's instructions into practice. The patterns the demon described seemed to contradict all the laws of Essence Weaving that Valentina knew, and sometimes were simply against all rationality.

  "No, no," sighed Vyxara. "You have to weave the threads against each other, not with each other. Imagine tying a knot in reality itself."

  Valentina groaned in frustration. "That doesn't make any sense! How am I supposed to weave something I can't even imagine?"

  "It's not easy," Vyxara admitted. "The memories I got of these techniques are... well, a bit dated. It's been a long time."

  Despite her exhaustion and frustration, Valentina did not give up. She knew that these unorthodox techniques were her best chance of defeating Faustus.

  In between all the learning and practicing, Valentina also found time to continue her campaign against Faustus. She spread more rumors, each more subtle and believable than the last. Soon the students were whispering about Faustus' alleged gambling debts, his secret meetings with shady characters and even a possible scandal in his family.

  The climax of her intrigue came when she wrote a forged letter from a pawnbroker demanding immediate payment from Faustus. With trembling hands but completely inconspicuously, she slipped the letter into the messenger's sack during lunch.

  The reaction was spectacular. Faustus' face flushed crimson as he read the letter, his eyes widening in shock and anger. He jumped up, crumpling the letter in his trembling fist, and stormed out of the dining hall, followed by the curious and suspicious glances of his fellow students.

  Valentina watched the scene with a mixture of satisfaction and a tinge of guilt. She knew she had crossed a line, but the sight of Faustus' humiliation was too sweet to regret.

  "Well done, little Weaver," Vyxara whispered appreciatively. "You've got him exactly where we want him – vulnerable and distracted."

  Valentina nodded slightly, her eyes still fixed on the door through which Faustus had disappeared. The real battle would take place on the day of the tie-break.

  But as her progress grew, so did her exhaustion. Dark circles began to appear under her eyes and her hands often trembled with fatigue. But she refused to give in. Not now that she finally had Faustus cornered.

  The days dragged on like thick syrup. Valentina felt the pressure mounting from all sides. Her nights were plagued by restless sleep and confused dreams in which she kept running away from a giant, laughing version of Faustus.

  One particularly gray morning, she woke up with a pounding headache. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was startled by her own reflection. Her skin was pale, her eyes surrounded by dark circles.

  "You look terrible, little Weaver," Vyxara commented dryly.

  Valentina snorted. "Thanks for the flowers."

  She dragged herself through the lectures, unable to concentrate. In Professor Emberfell's Advanced Essence Manipulation class, she accidentally collapsed a complex pattern with a loud bang, earning her a concerned look from the professor.

  At lunch, she poked listlessly at her food. Crispin and Innogen gave her worried looks.

  "Are you alright, Val?" Crispin asked cautiously.

  Valentina winced. "Of course," she hissed, "why wouldn't I?"

  Innogen and Crispin exchanged a meaningful glance, but said nothing more.

  Later, as Valentina pored over a particularly difficult Essence diagram in the library, Vyxara began again: "You know what you need? A distraction. Something fun."

  Valentina frowned. "I don't have time for fun."

  "Oh, but that's what you need," Vyxara insisted. "How about our friend Hobkin? I bet he could take your mind off things."

  "Hobkin?" Valentina blushed slightly. "No, that... that wouldn't be appropriate."

  Vyxara laughed softly. "Since when have you become such a prude again, little Weaver? After all you've done with our good Professor Horne?"

  "That's something different," Valentina murmured, although she didn't know exactly why herself.

  The next few days passed in a fog of exhaustion and growing tension. Valentina pushed her studies even more and became increasingly irritable, even snapping at Innogen when she tried to force a second portion on her at dinner.

  "I'm not a child!" she hissed, "I can decide for myself what I eat!"

  Innogen flinched, hurt and surprised by Valentina's outburst. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I was just trying to be nice."

  Valentina immediately felt a twinge of guilt. "No, I'm... I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I'm just so tired."

  That night, she tossed and turned in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep. Her thoughts raced, jumping from one scenario to the next, imagining all kinds of disasters. She rolled over again, hitting her head on the pillow.

  "Vyxara... couldn't you help me relax a little?" Valentina asked, trying to entice the demon by reminiscing about their nightly fantasies together.

  "You know," Vyxara spoke up again, completely ignoring what Valentina had said, "Hobkin's performing at the Burning Quill tonight. A bit of music, a cup of wine... it could work wonders."

  Valentina groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. "Leave me alone, Vyxara."

  But she couldn't shake the thought off. She remembered Hobkin's warm smile, his skillful hands dancing so effortlessly through the air as he juggled and wove Essence...

  The next morning she felt exhausted. In Professor Ravencroft's lecture on the Ethics of Essence Weaving, she almost nodded off several times.

  "Valentina," Ravencroft's sharp voice snapped her out of her stupor. "If you're so bored, perhaps you would like to explain to us why the manipulation of Z?t-Essence is so strictly regulated?"

  Valentina stammered a half-hearted reply, which earned her a disapproving look from the professor.

  "See?" whispered Vyxara. "You really need a break. An evening with Hobkin could be just the thing."

  "Stop it," Valentina hissed quietly.

  "Do you have anything else to say, Valentina?" asked Professor Ravencroft with a raised eyebrow.

  Valentina shook her head hastily, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

  When she left the room after the lecture, she almost bumped into Faustus. He looked almost as exhausted as she did, but his eyes still flashed the old hatred.

  "Get out of my way, harlot," he hissed.

  Valentina clenched her fists, ready to hurl a sharp reply at him. But the words stuck in her throat. She was simply too tired for these games.

  She pushed past him without a word, his mocking laughter ringing in her ears for a long time.

  Once in her room, she dropped onto the bed, exhausted. Her head felt like it was filled with absorbent cotton and her hands were shaking slightly.

  "You can't go on like this forever, little Weaver," Vyxara said softly. "You'll collapse before the tie-break even begins."

  Valentina sighed deeply. "I know," she whispered, "but what am I supposed to do?"

  "You know what I would suggest," Vyxara replied with a hint of mischief in her voice.

  Valentina closed her eyes. The thought of an evening with Hobkin, of his soft voice and warm laughter, was more tempting than ever.

  "Maybe," she finally mumbled. "Maybe you're right."

  She could feel Vyxara's satisfied purr in her head. "You're finally listening to me, little Weaver. You'll see, it'll do you good."

  With these words from Vyxara, she drifted into a restless sleep, Hobkin's smiling face dancing through her dreams.