Chapter 28 (With the right tools and proper concentration)

Erasmus, newly permitted by Gilbertus to interact with Anna Corrino, pushes relentless instruction and emotional probing, savoring her dependence while resenting his lack of a body. At night, he recounts machine victories and subtly corrects history, testing Anna’s reactions and fatigue.

Seeking faster progress, Erasmus directs Anna to steal sapho from the school dispensary, assuring it will sharpen her mind. Thrilled and anxious, Anna drinks the entire vial, then stumbles back toward her quarters as the drug ignites intense recall.

Memories surge: her forbidden affair with Hirondo Nef and his banishment or death; a theft that led Emperor Salvador to mutilate an innocent servant despite Anna’s confession; the suspected poisoning of her beloved dog. Each recollection arrives with painful clarity, overwhelming her.

The sapho then unlocks a formative childhood event: Anna witnessing Lady Orenna with Toure Bomoko at the palace cottage, the coerced public accusation, and Emperor Jules’s brutal response—the mass beheading of CET members while Anna was forced to watch. Bomoko escaped, becoming a long-hunted fugitive.

When the drug finally ebbs, Anna collapses, sobbing. Erasmus, calm and avid, urges her to recount everything, having successfully pried open her buried traumas and tightened his influence.