Lady Severa leads Brother Diaz into the Athenaeum and shows him the vast central rotunda. Diaz is overwhelmed by the scale of the collection, with shelves rising high beneath a dome painted with scenes from Troy’s ancient history. Severa points out that the rotunda is only part of the library, with separate wings for subjects such as medicine, theology, and maps, which emphasizes the depth of knowledge Eudoxia gathered there.

As Diaz looks down from the shelves to the floor, his wonder turns to alarm. The marble is covered in dense circles, symbols, and inscriptions that remind him of Balthazar’s magical workings in Venice, only on a much greater scale. At the centre stands a blackened copper rod with wires and two strapped benches, making it clear that the rotunda also served as the site of dangerous magical experiments.

When Diaz asks about the apparatus, Severa explains that it was used for Eudoxia’s final experiment, the one during which she died. Severa says Eudoxia had long been physically frail and grew resentful in the shadow of stronger siblings, which helps explain, though not excuse, her obsession with control. According to Severa, Eudoxia tried to protect the Empire by creating perfection through magic, but repeated betrayals and disappointments drove her deeper into isolation, and her efforts to save Troy instead helped ruin it.

Diaz notices jars attached to the copper rod and sees what looks like a large black feather inside one, increasing the mystery of Eudoxia’s aims. Severa suggests that Eudoxia may have been trying to free herself from her failing body and her own mistakes. Although Severa condemns her as a tyrant, she also admits she understands how Eudoxia became trapped by her flaws. Diaz takes that lesson to heart, grips Duke Michael’s demands, and resolves that with a new Empress coming, Troy’s only choice is to do better as Severa leads him onward to the archives.