73 Results in the "A Blossom of Flames" category
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Report of the Grand Illuminator to the Scorchbishop Date: 20th Martymor 1356 Subject: Investigation and purge of the demon cult at Bridgewater University To His Serene Highness, the Scorchbishop of Vandercourt, It is with the greatest reverence, and in full awareness of the implications of the revelations made, that I hereby send to His Serene Highness the full report concerning the incident that took place this year at Bridgewater University. This case is a grave and extraordinary example of demonic…-
421.6 K • Ongoing
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Interlude – Crispin’s Diary I
Dear Diary, As night comes, I find myself at my desk again, surrounded by flitting candlelight. In thosemost quiet hours, when everyone else is asleep,my thoughts inevitably stray to her, to Valentina. Oh, Valentina. Just her name makes my heart beat faster. How can one person contain so much beauty, grace and intelligence? She was two rows in front of me in Professor Emberfell's lecture and I barely could suppress the urge to just stare at her all day long. She looked just like the most beautiful…-
421.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 9 – A Dangerous Bargain
The dining room hummed with life as Valentina entered with Innogen. The smell of bread and hot porridge filled the air. Students crowded around the long tables and benches, their conversations mingling into a constant background noise. Valentina mechanically took her breakfast, her mind still foggy with fatigue and the events of the night. She followed Innogen to an empty seat, nodding absently to the greetings of her fellow students. "Fascinating," Vyxara murmured in her head. "So many young minds, so…-
421.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 8 – Eyes in the Darkness
The demon before her had unfurled from nothingness, like a boil that burst into reality, leaving layers of Essence that overlapped and disappeared again. Its body was false, as if it existed in multiple planes, none of which quite harmonized with the other. Grotesque limbs stretched at impossible angles, disappearing and reappearing as if they were in a bizarre dance that seemed to disregard the sheer concept of space. But the worst part was the eyes. A web of eyes began to form in the demonic presence.…-
421.6 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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421.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 7 – What Lies Beyond
Dusk was falling over Bridgewater University as Valentina descended the steps of the main building. The day had been a mixture of lectures, secretly studying the forbidden book, gathering needed materials for the summoning, and growing tension. She needed a moment of calm to organize her thoughts. Her feet carried her back to the university gardens almost as if of their own accord. Here and there, students scurried past, engrossed in quiet conversations or books. A black cat was prowling through the…-
421.6 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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421.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 68 – Healing Hands
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…-
421.6 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 67 – Independent Mind
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…-
421.6 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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421.6 K • Ongoing
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