The Senate Castle loomed with its stern marble walls and towering columns, an eternal reminder of Rome's grandeur and the weight of its politics. As Nathan crossed the gates, his white hair catching the faint glow of the torchlight, he barely had time to breathe before a Roman soldier intercepted him.
The man's armor gleamed dully in the fading light, his bronze-plated cuirass marked by the scars of old battles. His expression was grim, his gaze sharp as a gladius.
"The Emperor has been looking for you," the soldier said, his voice carrying the weight of an unspoken warning.
Nathan gave no reply. His silence was deliberate, his face calm as he followed the soldier through the echoing marble corridors of the Senate Castle. The rhythmic clatter of their footsteps bounced off the high, vaulted ceilings, blending with the faint murmur of distant senators debating in another hall.
