A Struggle for Rome, v. 1

A sultry summer night in 526 A.D. drapes the ancient city of Ravenna in storm‑laden darkness. Thunder rolls over the Adriatic, and the crumbling ruins of a once‑great temple stand as silent witnesses to an empire’s slow decay. In this bleak landscape, a lone figure watches the city below, his beard soaked by the rain, waiting for the first signs of movement that will shatter the uneasy calm.

When torches flicker through the gloom, a small band of Goths arrives, led by a charismatic torch‑bearer whose voice carries a melodic, foreign cadence. Their presence signals the uneasy coexistence of Roman heritage and the rising barbarian powers that threaten to reshape the world. As the newcomer’s eyes meet those of the young, almost god‑like Roman, a tense alliance begins to form—one that will test courage, loyalty, and the very fate of a civilization on the brink of transformation.