Kleo Erili
Stories
3
Chapters
279
Words
645.6 K
Comments
210
Reading
2 d, 5 h
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"And what kind of pattern is that?" Adeline asked, pointing to the invisible lines Valentina was drawing in the air. "That's a simple Leb pattern," Valentina explained patiently. "See how the lines intersect here? That creates a focal point for the Essence." Adeline frowned intently and tried to imitate her sister's movements. Her hands moved uncertainly through the air. "I can't see anything." "That's normal," Valentina reassured her. "Very few people can even perceive Essence. But the theory behind it…-
425.2 K • Ongoing
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After breakfast, Valentina stepped out into the crisp morning with her father. The sun was still low and the dew glistened on the grass. A light haze hung over the fields, giving the landscape an almost surreal atmosphere. "It's good to have you back," Aldwin said quietly as they walked side by side along the well-trodden dirt path. "We've missed you." Valentina felt a lump in her throat. "I missed you too," she replied. The familiar smells of damp earth and freshly scythed grass brought back memories of…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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Valentina woke to the creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath the bare feet of her sisters, who were already getting ready. The mattress she had shared with Adeline when Cecily had lived here felt strangely familiar and softer than her hard bed in Bridgewater, but also more confining. "Ah, back in the bosom of the family," Vyxara mocked in her head. "In the rather narrow bosom of the family, if you'll forgive me for saying so. Now I understand better why you were so relieved to finally have a room to…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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Adeline tried to press Thomas' little face against her shoulder while she hid behind her father's broad back. The two-year-old was restless, whimpering softly and trying to squirm out of her embrace. She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he murmured "Val, Val", which where his favorite word for weeks, ever since her big sister had sent the letter. The wealthy yeoman Aldred Brentwood stood like a looming mountain on the courtyard outside their house. His massive figure was made even more imposing…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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The Burning Quill was well attended that evening. Students were celebrating the end of exams, saying goodbye to friends or drowning their disappointment in ale and fire tongues. The smell of roasting meat and spicy sauce drifted from the kitchen into the bar. Valentina, Innogen and Crispin had managed to get a quiet table in a corner. Wilbur, the innkeeper, had served them his best lamb chops and even brought a bottle of wine from his private cellar. Innogen's name and money made it possible. "Here's to…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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Valentina woke up long before sunrise. The pale light of dawn was only just creeping through her small window, but sleep was no longer an option. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she eagerly awaited the inevitable announcement of the exam results. "Awake already?" Vyxara's amused voice echoed through her head. "You're almost as excited as before the Greystone Competition." "But it's a very different kind of excitement," Valentina murmured as she got out of bed. The wooden floor felt cool under her…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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In her small attic room, Valentina sat at her table and stared into a medicine book, reading the same paragraph for what must have been the third time. She let go of the book and began to rub her eyes hard. The exhaustion of the day lay heavy on her limbs, and for the first time in hours she allowed herself to think of the doubts she had been pushing back all day. "You're brooding," Vyxara noted. "That's never a good sign." "Tomorrow is the last exam," Valentina murmured. "Essence-Enhanced Medicine with…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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When Valentina woke up on the first morning of the exam week, still half asleep, her first instinct was to feel in her mind for Vyxara's familiar presence, for the demonic force that had so often paved the way for her in recent months. "Ah, you're awake, little Weaver," Vyxara purred in her head. "Ready for the first test?" "Yes," Valentina said quietly, sitting up in her narrow bed and getting ready to discuss what she was about to tell Vyxara. "But I've decided to try it on my own. Without your…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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Professor Horne's message was short and formal, written in his characteristically shaky handwriting: "I expect you in my office this evening at the eighth hour. The matter cannot be delayed." "He'll want to... adjust his demands," Vyxara said thoughtfully. "Your new status changes the rules of the game." "Maybe he just wants to congratulate me," Valentina mumbled without conviction. "Oh, sweet naivety," purred the demon. "You know exactly what he wants." The corridors of the university were almost…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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When Valentina woke up the next morning, she blinked in the bright light and tried to block out the throbbing aftermath of yesterday's banquet. "Good morning, little Weaver," Vyxara purred in her head. "How does the triumph feel today?" "As if I've drunk too much of Duke Cosimo's expensive wine," Valentina mumbled and sat up carefully. Her head was pounding. Perhaps she really had drunk a little too much of the wine, despite Innogen's warnings. The red velvet dress Innogen had lent her hung carefully…
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425.2 K • Ongoing
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