Conscience — Volume 4

Saniel, a fresh‑minded scholar drifting through the Latin Quarter, has built his reputation on a curious article that treats Shakespeare’s tragedies as a kind of pharmacology. Yet behind his literary pursuits lies a relentless battle with sleeplessness; the brief, dreamless nights he manages are haunted by fragments of Macbeth’s lament for “the innocent sleep.” As grief over the deaths of two women leavens his thoughts, he becomes convinced that his mind’s endless churn must be soothed by the simple, rhythmic rest of the laboring class.

Determined to reclaim that elusive “sore labor’s bath,” Saniel swaps late‑night research for long, brisk walks along the Seine, hoping muscle fatigue will coax his mind into peace. The streets of Paris, however, only amplify the specters of Madame Dammauville, Caffie, and Florentin, turning each stride into a mental tug‑of‑war. Faced with stubborn insomnia and mounting anxiety, he finally decides to turn the scientific tools he trusts for others onto himself, seeking a remedy that might finally allow his conscience to rest.