The roar of the crowd was like the crash of a thousand waves, rolling over the stone tiers of the Colosseum. Beneath the blazing sun, the sand shimmered—grains soaked in the ghosts of old blood. In the centre of the arena stood Dazler, his body lean beneath the simple folds of a subiculum, the humble garment clinging with sweat. His sandals slid slightly on the warm grit as he shifted his stance.

In his left hand, a small parma shield—hardly more than a toy in the eyes of the mob. In his right, the gladius: short, sharp, deadly—but only if he struck true. He could hear his own breath louder than the cheers, a desperate rhythm against the deafening roar of Rome.

The heavy iron gate groaned. From the shadowed maw of the tunnel, a low rumble escaped, deep and guttural, like the earth itself growling. Then it came—the lion. Golden fur catching the sun like molten fire, muscles rippling beneath its hide, eyes like twin embers fixed on him. It moved with the grace of a god and the hunger of a demon, claws cutting into the sand as it stalked forward.

Dazler whispered a prayer, lips trembling, words lost to the frenzy above. He lowered the shield, feeling its weight like a whisper of protection. The gladius felt heavier now, as though the moment had sucked all strength from his arm. The lion crouched, tail whipping, a living storm about to break.

The crowd roared again, chanting for blood, for spectacle, for Rome. Time slowed. A single bead of sweat slid down his cheek. The lion’s muscles tensed like drawn bowstrings—

—and then it leapt.

Claws flashed, jaws opened in a silent snarl. Dazler surged forward, shield raised, blade poised, heart pounding like the drums of war. Sand erupted beneath their feet. A cry split the air—not from the crowd, but from the pit where man and beast collided.

And then—

The arena fell into a stunned hush.

Did Dazler’s faith grant him strength, or was he torn apart in the jaws of Rome’s fury? The answer lay somewhere in that swirling cloud of dust, beneath the gaze of the gods and the deafening silence of men.