The time after her birthday was characterized by great busyness. Her days consisted of court duties, research work and a lot of time with the duke. He was particularly attentive and affectionate, as if to compensate for the harshness of that night. His touches were gentler, their conversations more profound, his gifts thoughtful – small gifts, rare books, or exquisite hair clips that he had brought to her bed in the morning.

"He's really trying," Vyxara remarked with amusement one evening as the duke stroked Valentina's hair tenderly. "You see? I was right – you can still enjoy his company."

And it was true. Even though something had broken between them, Valentina found herself in a new, clearer dynamic. She now knew exactly where the boundaries of their relationship lay. It made a lot of things simpler, although not necessarily easier.

At the hospital, the days went by in an orderly fashion. She and Lorenzo worked together professionally but avoided any allusion to his catastrophic proposal. Instead, they concentrated on their research. The Essence patterns became more complicated every day, but also more promising.

"Look at that," murmured Master Wilford one morning as he examined their latest results. "The response is almost perfect. A few more adjustments and we could actually try to link it to the Greystone Cascade."

Many evenings belonged to the duke's inner circle. After the brutal lesson of her birthday night, Valentina threw herself into the cultured debauchery of this exclusive society with a kind of desperate abandon. Master Bloomfield had only been the first – by now she had enjoyed the attentions of every male member of the circle, even if the duke was the only one she slept with. Only Lady Celestine's persistent advances did she continue to rebuff with polite resolve.

"You've become braver," Vyxara noted one night as Valentina sank into her bed, exhausted but satisfied. "Freer. As if his well-measured cruelty had somehow freed you."

"Maybe you're right," Valentina murmured into the darkness.

The pain at the sight of Lorenzo gradually became more bearable, turning into a kind of wistful acceptance. She caught his gaze across hospital tables, sensed his unspoken longing – but they both knew that there would be no future together.

Instead, she immersed herself in her work and research. They were on the verge of a decisive breakthrough – they could feel it.

"Just be careful," warned Vyxara as Valentina sorted her notes for the next day. "Sometimes the biggest successes are right next to the biggest disasters. You have to be very careful when modifying the Greystone Cascade."

~

Valentina reached the hospital before sunrise. She wasn't the first – she could already see light in Lorenzo's room through the high arched windows. Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to calm down. They were colleagues, nothing more.

"Oh, how your heart is pounding," Vyxara teased her gently. "Yet you know very well that it's pointless."

"Please Vyxara, not now. I have to keep my cool today," Valentina murmured as she pushed open the heavy oak door. The familiar smell of herbal liqueur hit her.

Lorenzo looked up from his papers. His green eyes briefly showed a hint of... something before his professional mask was back in place. "Good morning. I've checked the calculations again. I think we're ready for the final test."

Valentina stepped up to the large work table, careful to keep her distance. "Show me."

His notes were, as always, precise and methodical. The complex Essence patterns they had developed together were carefully recorded. Her fingers accidentally brushed his as she reached for one of the diagrams. The brief touch made them both flinch.

"Sorry," she mumbled and pulled her hand back.

"You two are really cute together," Vyxara commented. "I wish you-"

"Quiet!" Valentina thought sharply.

The sound of heavy footsteps announced Master Wilford, who entered the room with his usual grumpy expression. "Ah, you're here already. Good. Let's not waste any time."

Claire, one of the other healers, brought freshly prepared test surfaces. "Yesterday's samples show perfect results," she reported. "The modified samples have completely removed the mysterious interaction with the Leb Essence. If the theory that the interaction is caused by invisibly tiny beings is correct, there are no more of these beings left on yesterday's test surfaces."

Valentina and Lorenzo exchanged a glance. Months of work crystallized in that moment.

"The new pattern is stable," explained Lorenzo as he drew the first Essence lines in the air. "We've successfully isolated and amplified the purifying effect of Valentina's original water pattern. If we connect it properly to the Cascade, it should continuously kill all these tiny creatures."

Valentina stepped next to him and began to weave her own patterns. Their Essence structures merged seamlessly, dancing and consolidating into something greater. She could feel his familiar Weavings next to her own, how they complemented and reinforced each other.

Master Wilford watched them with narrowed eyes. "The Cascade will lose some of its power," he warned. "The constant drain-"

"Will be minimal," Valentina interrupted gently as she formed a particularly complicated link. "We have calculated carefully. The profit far outweighs the cost."

The test surfaces began to shimmer as the Essence patterns penetrated them. A fine, barely visible film of Essence covered the surfaces.

"By all the Martyr's flames," Claire whispered in awe. "If it works..., it would be a dream."

"No more infections," Master Wilford murmured, his eyes shining with professional interest. "No wound fevers. No infections during treatment." He straightened up. "The resonance is perfectly balanced. We can risk it. But" – his gaze turned stern – "with extreme caution. A mistake at this stage could be catastrophic."

Valentina felt her heart beat faster. This was the moment they had been working towards.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"A big step," Vyxara murmured appreciatively. "I don't think you even realize how big. Centuries ahead."

"We should start right away," Lorenzo said eagerly. "The morning hours are best for complex Essence work."

Master Wilford nodded curtly. "Good, follow me to the Cascade. And by all the Flames of the Martyr – be careful when we modify the Cascade."

They left the workroom and made their way to the heart of the hospital, where the powerful Greystone Cascade pulsed. Valentina could already feel its power, the familiar warmth of the highly concentrated Leb-Essence.

The Greystone Cascade flooded the central treatment room of the hospital, the heart of the circular building. Its overwhelmingly complex Essence patterns ran through the walls like glowing veins, pulsing to the rhythm of a gigantic heart. The air was filled with the warm, vibrant energy of the Leb Essence. This was where they usually treated the emergencies that most needed the concentrated healing power of the Cascade.

"I'm going to mark the primary resonance points," Master Wilford said as he methodically paced the room. His hands moved in precise gestures, leaving shimmering anchor knots in the air. "Valentina, you start with the outer structure. Lorenzo, you stabilize the core. Claire, Manwise – be ready to intervene if anything goes wrong."

The other healers at the hospital had gathered at a respectful distance. Valentina felt their tense attention like a tingling sensation on her skin.

"Concentrate," warned Vyxara. "This is the trickiest part."

Valentina took a deep breath and began to weave. Her hands moved in the familiar patterns that she had spent weeks developing, studying and practicing. The Essence followed her will, forming itself into fine grids and complicated spirals.

Lorenzo worked alongside her, his own patterns complementing hers perfectly. Despite what stood between them, their collaboration was seamless – as if their Essence structures were conducting a silent dialog of their own.

"The first connection is stable," Claire reported from her observation position. "The resonance is completing itself."

Master Wilford nodded curtly. "Good, go on."

Sweat poured down Valentina's forehead as she built up the next layer. The Cascade was incredibly powerful – its raw power threatened to tear apart her delicate patterns. But Lorenzo skillfully intercepted the excess energy, redirecting it into stabilizing channels.

"It's almost there," Manwise gasped. "The patterns are starting to synchronize."

A low hum filled the room as the new structure connected with the Cascade. Valentina felt the Essence flowing through her creation, spreading out and permeating the entire building.

"Now comes the critical moment," warned Master Wilford. "If the resonance is not perfect-"

A sudden burst of energy made the air crackle. Valentina's patterns threatened to tear apart, but Lorenzo intervened immediately. His hands flew through the air, reinforcing her structures in exactly the right places.

"Stabilization is almost complete," Claire called out. "A few more seconds..."

The Essence pulsated, fluctuated – and then found its rhythm. The humming became deeper, more harmonious and then quieter and quieter until it was inaudible. Valentina felt her pattern merge completely with the Greystone Cascade, becoming a seamless part of the greater whole.

"It's fully synchronized," Manwise announced triumphantly. "The pattern is stable!"

Master Wilford stepped forward and examined the new structure with a critical eye. His fingers felt through the Essence currents, checking every knot and every connection.

"Remarkable," he finally murmured. "The resonance is perfect. The loss is minimal." He turned to the assembled healers. "Start the tests immediately. I want to know if it really works."

The next few hours flew by. Sample after sample was examined, every surface in the hospital was tested. The results were clear – the new pattern reliably killed all invisibly tiny creatures, not a single surface in the entire hospital showed even the slightest of the mysterious interaction with the Leb Essence.

"Nothing," Claire whispered in awe as she did the final test behind a large shelf. "I found not even one interaction. The city's herbal liqueur producers will be in tears."

"A triumph," commented Vyxara with satisfaction. "Even if you don't yet realize how significant it really is."

Master Wilford cleared his throat. All eyes turned to him. "Well," he said slowly, "I think it's fair to say that the experiment was a complete success. You've done a good job." He nodded approvingly at Valentina and Lorenzo: "A very good job indeed."

That was the highest praise one could expect from him.

Valentina smiled, exhausted but happy. She felt Lorenzo's gaze on her and for a brief moment, they happily held hands, sharing their joy at their joint success. Then they both remembered the reality of their situation and hastily turned away.

"We should also test the effect inside the body," Valentina suddenly said. She had discussed this idea with Lorenzo a few weeks ago. "If the little creatures really are the triggers of diseases and we could modify the pattern so that it also works inside the body-"

"Careful," Vyxara warned sharply. "This is definitely dangerous."

But Lorenzo had already turned to her with interest. "Right, that would actually be worth a try," he said eagerly. "We need a pig..."

"Getting a pig is no problem," Master Wilford said slowly as they made their way out. "But are you sure you really want to try this?"

"That's better," muttered Vyxara. "As long as you don't try it on yourself – that would have been really stupid. But a pig..." The demon chuckled darkly in Valentina's thoughts.

"We only need to modify the pattern slightly," explained Valentina, as she sketched out the first changes. "We can overcome the skin barrier with a Schate component. A single application should be enough – then we observe the effect."

Lorenzo bent over her notes. His green eyes shone with enthusiasm, all awkwardness between them blown away in the face of this scientific possibility. "The theory is conclusive. If we calculate everything correctly..."

Claire returned not long after with a small pink piglet. The animal sniffed curiously at the post they tied it to.

"Oh, how cute it is," Vyxara purred along. "It still has no idea what's about to happen."

Valentina and Lorenzo lined up on either side of the piggy. Their hands moved in perfect synchronization as they wove the modified pattern. A fine web of Essence floated above the piglet, interacting shimmeringly with the dark Schate Essence.

"Ready?" asked Valentina. Lorenzo nodded.

"Oh yes," whispered Vyxara with relish. "Very ready."

With a precise gesture, they let the pattern sink into the small body. The piglet twitched briefly, but then relaxed again. Claire carefully noted its pulse and breathing.

"And now?" asked Manwise from the edge of the room.

"Now we wait," said Master Wilford. "And watch closely to see what happens."

The first half hour was uneventful. The piglet behaved completely normally, even ate some of the grain that Claire gave it.

"In a moment," Vyxara murmured, amused. "It'll just take a while longer..."

After about forty minutes, the animal began to get restless. It walked in circles, pulled at the peg it was tied to and began to stagger. Foam came out of its mouth and its legs trembled. It collapsed with a tortured squeak.

"By all the Martyr's flames," Lorenzo whispered. He wanted to go to the pig, but Master Wilford held him back.

"Don't touch it," he ordered sharply. "We don't know exactly what the pattern has done."

They had to watch helplessly as the animal twitched in convulsions. Less than an hour after the application, it was dead.

The silence was overwhelming. Claire had tears in her eyes. Valentina felt bad. She was glad they had done this experiment first.

"Just as I expected," muttered Vyxara. "The pattern did not distinguish between useful and harmful life. You should always remember this pig when you remove something you consider useless or harmful without understanding exactly what it might be important for."

Master Wilford carefully examined the lifeless body with a grim expression. "Complete organ failure," he stated. "We have created something very dangerous."

Valentina felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over her. The realization hit her like a blow – they had almost developed a weapon.

"All notes on the internal application must be destroyed," she said in a trembling voice.

Lorenzo nodded pale. "Agreed. This mustn't fall into anyone's hands."

They burned the records that very afternoon. Master Wilford personally supervised as each piece of parchment turned to ash.

"This is between us," he said seriously. "The surface application is a triumph. But what happened here..." He shook his head. "Some things are too dangerous to know."

Claire and Manwise also swore to secrecy. The dead piglet was discreetly disposed of.

When they left the hospital that evening, Valentina felt exhausted and thoughtful. The day had begun triumphantly and ended in a terrifying realization.

"Don't be so dramatic," said Vyxara, amused. "You've learned something important. And who knows if this knowledge won't come in handy one day."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.