In her small attic room, Valentina woke slowly from a restless sleep in the early morning. She blinked at the faint light streaming through the tiny window and suppressed a shiver. The night’s air had brought with it the chill of approaching winter, and the thin blanket offered little protection against the cold reaching through the cracks in the old walls.

With a soft sigh, Valentina swung her legs out of bed and put her bare feet on the cold wooden floor. She winced, longing for the warmth of her childhood home in Palewood, where the large fireplace in the kitchen warmed the whole house. Here, in her tiny room under the roof of the dormitory, there was no such luxury.

Valentina got up and went to the washbasin in the corner. She poured some water from the jug into the bowl and splashed the icy water on her face to wash away the last remnants of sleep. Her gaze fell on the faded mirror above the washbasin, and she looked critically at her reflection. Dark circles under her eyes bore witness to too many nights spent awake over books and notes. Her long brown hair was tousled and unruly.

Valentina put her hair into a simple plait with practiced movements. She didn't have the time for elaborate hairstyles like some of her wealthier fellow students. Every minute she didn't spend studying felt like a waste.

Valentina took off her nightgown and shivered in the cold morning air. She reached for one of her dresses – a simple red dress that had been carefully sewn and mended many times before. The dress was worn and thin at the elbows, but it was clean and well maintained. Valentina stroked the fabric lovingly. It had been a gift from her older sister Cecily, carefully fitted and with extra reinforcements at the seams to make it last longer.

While she got dressed, Valentina let her gaze wander around the small room. It was very simply furnished: a narrow bed, a rickety desk, a decrepit chair, and a small cupboard for her few belongings. Next to it, on a small shelf, was a collection of worn books – borrowed copies from the university library and a few that she had been able to afford herself through hard bargaining and a flirting smile at Barnaby's Necessities, a pawn store in the city.

The contrast with the rooms of her wealthier classmates could not have been greater. Valentina thought of Innogen's spacious room on the first floor, with its elegant furniture and soft carpet. Or Faustus Boarfend's lavish suite, which was said to be decorated with Essence-soaked tapestries and Weaving artifacts.

Valentina shook her head to dispel the envious thoughts. She wasn't here to compare herself to the rich and privileged. She already knew she was poor. She was here to learn, to become the best – and to give her family a better future.

With one last scrutinizing glance in the mirror, Valentina reached for her worn leather bag. She carefully stuffed her notes into it, along with the few writing utensils she had. Every piece of parchment, every drop of ink was precious and had to be carefully guarded.

As she opened the door to leave her room, her eyes fell on the small wooden amulet hanging on a nail next to the door. It was a gift from her brother, a roughly carved Burning Tower. Valentina touched it briefly and murmured a silent prayer to the Martyr before stepping out.

The courtyard was already full of life. Students were hurrying in all directions, some still sleepy, others already engrossed in lively conversations about the upcoming lessons. Valentina locked her door carefully – not that she had much to steal, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She was just about to descend the steep staircase when a familiar voice made her pause. "Val! Wait for me!"

Valentina turned and saw Innogen coming elegantly up the stairs. As always, the daughter of the Marquess of Timberpine looked immaculate. Her golden hair was artfully pinned up in an intricate hairstyle, her dress of the finest fabric shimmered slightly in the morning light – no doubt given a touch of Essence to prevent wrinkles.

"Good morning, Innogen," Valentina greeted with a smile. Despite their different backgrounds, an unexpected friendship had developed between the two girls.

Innogen reached Valentina and scrutinized her with a worried look. "You look tired, Val. Have you been sitting up half the night over your books again?"

Valentina shrugged her shoulders. "There's so much to learn. I can't afford to waste even a minute."

Innogen sighed softly. "You have to look after yourself too, you know. Here, I have something for you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in silk. When she handed it to Valentina, she immediately felt its warmth.

"A warming stone," Innogen explained. "I've noticed how cold your room is. It works on Viur Essence and should stay warm all night."

Valentina hesitated. The stone must have cost a fortune. "Innogen, I can't accept this..."

"Nonsense," Innogen interrupted her gently. "What are friends for if not to help each other? Please, accept it."

With a grateful nod, Valentina put the stone in her pocket. The warmth that reached her through the fabric was comforting.

"Come on," said Innogen and hooked up with Valentina. "Let's go and have breakfast. I've heard there's fresh bread from the bakery in town today."

Together, the two young women made their way to the dining room, where breakfast was served. Valentina felt her empty stomach tighten at the thought of fresh bread. It was a small luxury, but one that she appreciated.

As they walked down the stairs, Valentina noticed the curious and sometimes envious glances that followed them. Innogen didn't seem to notice them or skillfully ignored them. Valentina, on the other hand, was aware of every single one of them. She knew that many wondered how a simple peasant girl and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the kingdom could be friends.

At the foot of the stairs, they were greeted by a group of students on their way to class. Valentina recognized Edgar of Ashford, the quiet young man who had so eloquently summarized the story of the Martyr in yesterday's lecture.

"Good morning, Lady Innogen, Valentina," he greeted with a slight bow. His fingers were stained with ink, as always, and Valentina noticed the heavy books he was carrying under his arm.

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"Good morning, Edgar," Innogen replied amiably. "Ready for Professor Veilford's tutorial on advanced planar geometry?"

Edgar nodded eagerly. "I can hardly wait. I've heard he's going to explain the Vanderlieu spiral to us today."

Valentina felt a twinge of envy. The Vanderlieu spiral was a complex geometric figure used for advanced Essence manipulation. She had read about it, but the tutorial was only for students who could afford the expensive extra courses, or were sponsored by a benefactor – and even for those, places in Professor Veilford's famous tutorial were limited.

When they reached the dining room, they were greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread and the hum of dozens of conversations. Valentina took a deep breath and tried to suppress the mixture of excitement and worry that rose up inside her.

~

After a hasty breakfast, where Valentina savored every bite of the fresh bread, the students made their way to their lectures. The scent of herbs and the light mist of Essence hung in the air as Valentina entered the corridor leading to the Practical Essence Weaving lecture hall.

Professor Lydia Emberfell, a tall woman with silver hair and piercing green eyes, was already at the lectern. Her hands moved through the air in flowing patterns as she wove complex Essence patterns that floated in the air before her as shimmering lines.

Valentina hurried to her seat, clutching her worn leather bag tightly. She felt the warming stone Innogen had given her through the fabric and was grateful for the comforting presence, even if she would have preferred to be in Veilford's tutorial with Innogen right now. As she sat down, she noticed that the chair next to her was empty. Crispin wasn't there yet.

"Good morning, class," Professor Emberfell began, her voice clear and authoritative. "Today we will be studying advanced patterns of Leb Essence. Please take out your Essence containers and begin the warm-up exercise I'm showing on the board."

A soft rustling went through the room as the students took out their utensils. Valentina carefully opened her bag and pulled out a small, worn leather pouch. Inside was her precious supply of Distilled Essence – just enough for today's exercise, if she used it sparingly.

Next to her, Faustus Boarfend made a theatrical gesture and pulled out an ornate crystal container filled with shimmering distilled Essence. "Oh, sorry," he said to Valentina with a condescending grin. "Do you mind the gleam? I know some eyes aren't used to such a sight."

Valentina bit her lip and ignored him. Instead, she focused on the intricate pattern Professor Emberfell had written on the board. It was a variation on the basic structure for healing spells, but with added loops and twists Valentina had never seen before.

With trembling hands, she opened her Essence container and began to trace the pattern. The Leb Essence, green and pulsating like a heartbeat, flowed from her fingertips and formed delicate lines in the air. Valentina concentrated with all her might, every movement precise and deliberate.

Around her, the buzzing and flickering of Essence increased as her classmates began their own exercises. To her right, Elara of Willowbrook, a scholar's daughter, wove a perfect pattern, her hands sure and practiced. On the other side, Gareth of Millstone, the son of a miller, visibly struggled with the complexity of the exercise.

Professor Emberfell walked through the rows, commenting here and there or offering assistance. As she approached Valentina's table, she felt her heart beat faster. She knew her pattern wasn't perfect – the outer loops were too thin, the inner swirls not quite symmetrical.

"Valentina," said Professor Emberfell as she stopped next to her. Her eyes scrutinized the floating Essence pattern critically. "Your basic structure is solid, but you're losing too much energy in the peripheral areas. Try to focus the flow here and here." She pointed to two places in the pattern.

Valentina nodded eagerly and tried to follow the instructions. She noticed how her supply of distilled Essence was running low and didn't dare use any more. Every drop was precious.

"Very good, Master Boarfend," she heard Professor Emberfell say next to her. "Your control over the Essence currents is impressive."

Faustus beamed with pride. "Thank you, Professor. I've been practicing all summer with a private tutor. Perhaps I could demonstrate an advanced technique to the class?"

Before Professor Emberfell could reply, there was a loud bang, followed by a startled cry. All heads turned to Gareth, whose Essence pattern had collapsed and had now burned a hole in his table with a considerable amount of sparks.

"Gareth!" Professor Emberfell shouted and hurried to him. "What did I say about the importance of basic stability? You could have put the whole class in danger!"

Gareth's face was red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Professor. I thought I could enhance the texture by adding more Ambient Essence..."

"Essence Weaving is not a question of quantity, but of precision," Professor Emberfell explained sternly. She turned to the class. "This is an important lesson for all of you. Overconfidence and carelessness can have disastrous consequences."

Valentina watched as Gareth tried to get the dispersed Essence back under control. She felt for him – she knew only too well what it was like to try desperately to keep up with the others.

The hour wore on, and Valentina struggled to maintain her pattern. Her supply of Distilled Essence was almost depleted, and she could feel her concentration waning. Beside her, Faustus experimented with ever more complex variations of the pattern, his crystal vat seemingly inexhaustible.

When Professor Emberfell finally announced the end of the lesson, Valentina sank into her chair, exhausted. Her pattern was far from the perfection she had hoped for, but at least it had remained stable.

"Excellent work, class," said Professor Emberfell. "For the next lesson, I expect each of you to provide a written analysis of the energy flows in this pattern. Faustus, I would like to speak with you briefly after class."

While the other students packed up their things and left the room, Valentina remained seated for a moment. She stared at her almost empty Essence container and wondered desperately how she was going to get through the rest of the month.

"Well, yokel," Faustus' voice rang out beside her. "Looks like you're having trouble keeping up. Maybe you should concentrate on milking cows instead, that's probably more in your league."

Valentina clenched her fists under the table. "Leave me alone, Faustus," she hissed.

He just laughed. "Oh, did I hit a sore spot? Don't worry, I'm sure Professor Emberfell will give you a good grade out of pity. After all, she has a heart for... charitable causes." With a final sneer, he turned away and walked to the desk where Professor Emberfell was waiting for him.

Valentina forced herself to take a deep breath. She would not give Faustus the satisfaction of upsetting her. Instead, she packed up her things and left the room, her head held high.

Outside in the corridor, she came across Crispin rushing towards her. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he looked as if he had run the whole way.

"Valentina!" he called out of breath. "I'm so sorry, I overslept and missed the first lecture. How was it?"

She sighed. "Difficult. Professor Emberfell taught us a really complicated Leb Essence pattern."

Crispin's eyes widened. "Oh no, I missed that? Can you... can you maybe show me sometime later in the week when you have time?"

Valentina hesitated. She barely had any Distilled Essence left, but Crispin's pleading look was hard to ignore. "I don't know if I have enough Distilled Essence for this," she finally confessed.

"Oh," said Crispin, visibly disappointed. Then his face brightened. "I have an idea! Why don't we share my Distilled Essence? I still have enough, and that way we can practice together."

Valentina was surprised by this offer. Distilled Essence was extremely expensive, and most students guarded their supply jealously. "You would do that?"

Crispin smiled shyly. "Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

A warm feeling of gratitude spread through Valentina's chest. "Thank you, Crispin. That really means a lot to me."

At that moment, the bell rang, announcing the start of the next lecture. Valentina and Crispin exchanged a startled glance.

Together they hurried along the corridor, past hurried students and floating Essence balls that served as signposts.