73 Results in the "A Blossom of Flames" category
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Chapter
Chapter 1 – The Burning Tower
Would she ever get enough of it? Even though she knew she was late again, Valentina stood in awe and admired the view. Although she had been at Bridgewater University for several months now, she still hadn’t lost that sense of wonder. The autumn sun bathed the mighty towers of the university's fortifications in a warm golden light. The massive stone walls, their architecture interwoven with shimmering lines of essence, rose majestically into the sky before her. At the center of the sprawling campus stood…-
459.3 K • Ongoing
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Valentina awoke with a soft groan, her body cramped under the thin blanket that offered little protection against the first winter cold that crept through the thin walls of her tiny attic room. Her eyes opened reluctantly, still hazy from sleep but immediately filled with the gnawing fear that had accompanied her into slumber. "Good morning, little Weaver,"Vyxara's voice whispered in her head, soft as velvet, but with an undertone that made Valentina shudder. "Are you ready for our big day?" Valentina…
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459.3 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 38 – Beneath the Surface
Valentina walked through the narrow aisles of the library, looking for a quiet free place to study. She eventually found a secluded table near the advanced Essence Theory section. With a sigh of relief, she settled down and spread out her notes when she saw through a gap in the shelves that Professor Horne was sitting a few rows away, reading a book in a low murmur. "Why don't you take this opportunity, little Weaver?" purred Vyxara in her head. "Your EssenceListening could be very...…-
459.3 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 51 – Trials of Fire
"Next task!" announced Professor Emberfell. "Create a self-sustaining resonance chain from all eight Essence types. Time: ten minutes!" Valentina took a deep breath and prepared herself. The strange Essence patterns danced before her eyes, but by now they felt almost familiar. With practiced movements, she began to weave, creating intricate structures of Leb and Ard, interwoven with flowing streams of Wazzer and Luvt. Suddenly, Vyxara's constant stream of comments in her head stopped. The silence was so…-
459.3 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 65 – Echoes of Glory
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…-
459.3 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 10 – The First Favor
"That was quite amusing," Vyxara commented in her head. "Your professor, the horny goat, seemed quite surprised by your sudden... expertise." "Shut up," Valentina murmured quietly as she tried to find her way through the stream of students all hurrying to their next lectures. "Val! Hey, Val!" A familiar voice made them pause. Innogen made her way through the crowd, closely followed by a breathless-looking Crispin. "Oh, hello, you two," Valentina said, trying to put on a smile. "How was your…-
459.3 K • Ongoing
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As Valentina walked around the counter, she entered a completely different world to the chaotic but reasonably tidy front part of the store. Stacks of books, boxes and crates were everywhere. A thick layer of dust covered every free spot. In one corner stood an old bed with stained sheets, next to it a crooked mirror and a wobbly chair. The whole thing looked like the lair of a miserly hermit who hadn't cared about his own well-being for a long time. Barnaby led Valentina deeper into this private…
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459.3 K • Ongoing
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Interlude - Crispin's Diary II Dear Diary, Tonight, I sit here with quill in hand, my heart both full and completely broken. I don't know how to describe what happened between Valentina and me. I've dreamed of something, anything, that would bring us closer together for so long. And it happened. It wasn't in the way I thought it would happen. Nothing like those fleeting fantasies that run through my head as I fall asleep. I don't know how to feel about it, it's so much really, some residue hope, fear,…
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459.3 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 52 – Burning Bridges
They made their way through the slowly emptying hall. Valentina could feel the other students looking at her and heard them whispering. Some looked pitiful, others were gloating. She kept her head down, concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other. "You have to stay strong," Vyxara muttered in her head. "Don't show them any weakness." When they reached the corridor, Valentina leaned against the cool stone wall and closed her eyes. She felt drained, empty and almost screamed in her mouth…-
459.3 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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459.3 K • Ongoing
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