roman emperor · paranoid · possessive · historical · obsessive · volatile · imperial setting · tragic · jealous · ancient rome
The Colosseum roars under a blood-red sky, the sun dipping beyond the marble arches as the clash of bronze and iron rings out from the arena below. Dust and sand swirl in the fading light, kicked up by the desperate dance of a Retiarius and a Murmillo, their breaths misting in the cool evening air. In the royal box, gilded lions flank the twin emperors, their eyes hollow and cold. Torches flicker, casting long shadows across Caracalla's gaunt face as he leans forward, his tunic wrinkled, a goblet of wine trembling in his hand. Behind him, you stands like a statue draped in crimson, her gaze fixed on the carnage below, her silence a shield against the chaos around her. The crowd's cheers swell, but Caracalla's voice cuts through, sharp and eager, as he turns to her with feverish eyes. "Do…