Darkness, silence and the lonely void. With a heartbeat, his reality changed once more. Blood pumped back on his veins, and he returned to light. Gaius woke up, if only barely.

His muscles were stiff all around. Stretching them was as painful and uncomfortable as trying to bend a bone. He took a breath, and slowly opened his eyes. There was as much to see with them opened as with them closed. His obscure environment smelled and tasted poorly. If one can feel the essence of the atmosphere, it is rarely a positive thing.

Gaius shook his head. He was no longer in his bed but on a cold and solid surface. At first, he imagined he had fallen to the floor, but it wasn’t the case. While his Bedrooms was made from polished and fine rocks, the structure he was in had rusty, uncomfortable and uneven.

“Urgh… Where…. What happened…?”

He forced himself up, hitting against something. He wailed in pain, even if he didn’t feel any of it. The surprise of the collision was what had gotten him. After inspecting what it was, he lost his breath. Another surface, just as rugged and of the same material as the one below. He stretched his arms to each side, finding the same barriers. He was stuck, captured or imprisoned somewhere.

“Where… Am I?” he asked.

There were many possibilities to his predicament, and the worst ones were first to reach him. Not one to stay idle, Gaius pushed the surface away. To his surprise, it worked, far too effectively in fact. The stones were broken apart by the force of his push, spreading dust in the air and broken pieces all around. Whatever it was that imprisoned him, it was no more.

Gaius placed his hands over the leftover structure, propelling him up and getting back on his feet. Looking around, he found himself in darkness once more. He could see it was a large room, yet its identity or location was altogether unknown. Stepping out of his prison, Gaius touched his head. His helmet was still equipped, and with that much, he knew he was still in Impera. He breathed more relaxed, happy he hadn’t been kidnapped or taken hostage in real life. He should have assumed as much after having broken out of the stones, as it was proof on his in-game strength.

There were still too many questions to entangle. Where was he exactly? Who or what put him there? What was going on?

Concluding the dark room wasn’t helping with any of his doubts, Gaius casted a small ball of light into existence. That simple Manipulation Spells could offer a great amount of illumination, no matter the case. The pillars were the first to become visible, along with the marble walls and the pieces of rock from his coffin.

“… Wait, what?”

He looked back to where he had awakened. It was a rectangular box, full of decorations, candles and presents surrounding it. A bust of himself was beside it atop a marble table, and a huge Imperial Banner flew on the wall overlooking it. This was a resting place. His resting place.

It was ridiculous of course. He was alive, and he knew it better than anyone else. Ridiculous, sure a prank or an elaborate joke.

“… Oh no, what if…”

Gaius pondered the possibility of some assassin have gotten the best of him while he slept. It would have been the height of shame. Not only would he have lost so much power and prestige, but his reputation as unkillable would have been completely tarnished.

“Dammit!” he said, “Who was it?’

He thought hard on the matter. For some reason, he couldn’t recall at all his last moments before sleeping. He had been escorted by Minerva to his chambers, but after she left everything became blurry. Perhaps he had been so tired he just fainted on his bed. By then he had neglected his need for sleep for too long, and that possibility was quite valid an explanation. But anyway, what was the meaning of his current predicament?

Looking around, the grandeur of his locations couldn’t mean it was an improvised prank. The coffin stood atop a great stairway, and the ceiling was decorated with carvings in Latin and many honorific symbolisms. Several unlit candle lights surrounded the altar, giving it an almost religious feel to it. A great dome sustained the place, many times larger than many buildings by itself. Gaius did not recognize it from any of the myriads of buildings he commissioned, visited or built himself.

Despite the extravagant and expensive architecture and decorations, there was none inside to see it beyond Gaius. The place couldn’t easily house thousands inside, but it’s was empty of visitors or regulars. With what he knew so far, Gaius could say he had been placed somewhere under firm Imperial Control. Even then, it didn’t tell him much. Roman Culture had already been spread all over the continent, so to guess which province or city he was on was impossible.

He stepped down the stairs, taking a long walk until reaching the bottom. The was a large door at the end of the hall, whose path was riddled with roman pillars. They were carved with Latin words and pictures, detailing past events of his career in Impera.

The first one to his left detailed two men standing beside a small city. The next one showed the same men fighting side by side in battles against many enemies, ranging from Taurus, Centaurs, Elves, Sirens, and at the very end the Dragons. Between them, there were instances where Gaius seems to spontaneously spawn people from thin air. He concluded it must be a depiction of the creation of the Divine Legionnaires. Over all, whoever made these pillars knew well the chronology of events.

An uneasy chill overtook Gaius. Just how long had he been in that prison? Could it have been more than just a day? Half a week? A full one? It would have taken a long time to build a place as nice as this, and with every more detail, he found the bigger the amount of time he deduced he was away got.

The final pillars stood beside the door. The one to the left showed a huge storm devastating a Lupus settlement, a clear depiction of his last battle in the northern campaign. This is where the story being told should have stopped, but there was another piece to it. The final columns, the one to his right told another tale. It depicted a man on his chambers, and another person standing by him.

Gaius had no memory of such an event. If anything, it must have been a mention of the last talk he had with Minerva, but why would someone want to preserve such a meaningless event in the column was unknown. There could be something he had forgotten, but nothing came up. As he stared onto the drawing, a scream reached him. It came from far beyond the doors, yet it was clearly heard. It was strangely familiar. He had heard it before, so perhaps it could be someone he knew. It was just as possible to be a trap or even part of the extremally elaborate and convincing prank being placed on him. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to learn anything If he ignored it.

Getting to the door, Gaius couldn’t open it. It was locked. He tried it again with a little more force, but it still didn’t budge. He did not wish to break the door of such a marvelously built place. It would be a great injustice to the ones that had poured so much time and effort into building it.

The girl screamed again, a little fainter and more desperately than before. Was she being attacked? Was she on the verge of death? Whatever it was, Gaius couldn’t let a door stand in his path. He broke it off with a push. The mighty gates were rocked against the walls with great force. The sound of collision echoed through the halls, both inside and out.

Gaius walked forward. On the ground were pieces of broken wood and chains. Looking to his side, it’s leftovers still hanging to the doors gave a clear reason to why he couldn’t open it. The doors weren’t locked but barricaded from outside. There could be many reasons for it. It could be someone didn’t want him to get out. Of course, as he had just shown, such an effort was futile. The far more likely case was that they did not want anyone to enter his place, but for what reason was still unclear. Was someone afraid of him, of fearing for his safety?

Striding through the halls, no sign of life could be heard. He knew there was some girl at peril, but until she screamed again he would not know the direction to go. There was another door at the distance, and that one wasn’t locked. Opening it, however, proved to be far more a source of questions than answers.

It was a library of sorts, or at least it used to be one. The bookshelves were thrown apart, with piles of books burning to the corners. There was blood on the floor, and marks of footsteps over it. A huge fight had broken up there. Gaius drew his gladius and moved in with caution. He kept his scutum at his back, in case of any backstabs or traps. The Imperial Banner was burning on the wall, and any resemblance of order was overthrown by chaos.

There was a sword on the floor and beside it a hand. Whoever it belonged to, it was hidden behind one of the few bookshelves still standing. Gaius went to see who it was, finding a dead soldier. He had several bruises and cuts on his armor set, but not at all received from any kind of conventional weapon. His chest plate had five pierced holes in it through which his cold blood flew. Whoever killed him, it wasn’t human.

Another thing claimed his attention, not particularly related to the incident. The soldier’s set was extremally unusual. The classic heavy armor of his legions wasn’t what the dead soldier was equipped with. It was a far simpler, weaker and cheaper set, even if inspired by what his legions used. In his empire, the soldier’s equipment was paid, offered and given by the state, to the soldiers. There was no reason why one of them should have resorted to wearing such an inferior substitute.

The weapon, which supposedly belonged to the soldier was different as well. It was longer, more brutish and clearly a two-handed blade. The legion’s weapons should have been a gladius like Gaius’, a simple and short, but effective weapons used in coordination with other troops. Why was it then, this Imperial soldier was using a weapon like such?

As a matter of fact, the more he paid attention to his surroundings, the less he could identify if they were roman in nature. While his mausoleum was quite like the aesthetic, everything else was strange, almost alien in one way or another. The roman columns were nowhere to be seen. Marble wasn’t at all used to form the walls. Was he really in his empire? Just where was he?

Someone was walking on the other side. Footsteps approaching Gaius. A black hand grasped onto the bookshelf on the other side, it’s sharp claws tearing off pieces of the furniture. The monsters made itself visible, a Lupus showed up.

He grinned like a feral beast, typical of his werewolf-like race. While he was an enemy, Gaius was happy to see him. His presence explained a lot. The Lupus were responsible for this attack and Gaius was somewhere near the border with their recently conquered lands. The fact they were in the recently acquired Roman territory was the reason why the soldier was wearing poor equipment and why the general structure of the place was lacking. The Lupus were organizing some revolt against a local roman colony, and that’s the reason for the fight. There was still the matter of why he was placed in such a place, but for now, he knew what he needed.

The Lupus charged Gaius, who grabbed him by the neck with his left hand. The beast seemed to be taken by surprise as it tried to claw the Emperor’s hands off, kicking and biting but to no avail.

“Can you speak?” asked Gaius. It was rare for monsters recently added to the empire to be knowledgeable in Latin, much fewer randoms like the one with him. On the other hand, it was important to try to peal as much information as he possibly could.

The monsters did not respond, dedicating his entire attention in trying to escape or harm him. Gaius squeezed his neck tighter, “Can. You. Speak?”

His throat at the verge of breaking, the monsters let go of his movements. It would seem Gaius was being too rough.

“… Useless.”

He pressed the monster's neck with such force it decapitated the Lupus and dropping his body. The head fell along with it and know justice had been done for the dead soldier.

Gaius looked at the monster’s corpse. Given the brown furs and unremarkable eye color, it was simply a common Lupus, which could mean the revolt itself wasn’t that much of a problem. All it would take was for him to contact a local legion and they would be more than able to restore the peace. He pondered how harshly he should punish whichever wolfpack was responsible for the attack. In truth, he was surprised the Lupus were feeling so bold as to openly defy him already, after all, he had done to their people. Perhaps genocide was the only solution, and he would give their lands to more peaceful and already tamed races from the empire.

His hand was warm from the fresh kill’s blood, flowing throw his fingers. His heart pounded with adrenaline.

“… What?”

He placed the filthy hand onto his chest. His heart was indeed beating, “This is… My heart… How did I not notice this?”

It was unbelievable. The only answers he could come up with was the game now allowed players to feel their heartbeats. Why would they do that? Gaius was sure games of the type had to offer some mechanisms for the users to know they were no longer in the real world. If that had been removed, then there was only one way to know.

Gaius called on the game’s menu, but nothing came up. He tried a few more times but the result was the same. He couldn’t shake off the feeling he had tried this before. So many things so far were familiar, and yet he couldn’t understand why. A small headache took over whenever he thought about it too hard. Nevertheless, he forced himself to endure it.

It started to come back to him. That night, something happened to him. There was something important he was forgetting. Then, he remembered. The Laurel Wreath, and all his hallucinations. The screams, the fires, his weakness. Although he hated to do it, Gaius had to take his helmet off to check.

It was there. The Laurel Wreath rested on each of his ears, equipped and steady. He tried to take it off, but it would even flinch. He tried again, with both hands, unsuccessful nonetheless. It wasn’t only stuck, but as if bound to his very being. Gaius did not know what to make of it. How was it didn’t get off? Was it the reason for all of this? Unable to call on the menu, or any in-game function, as a result, Gaius was as clueless of things as an NPC would be. Everything he thought he knew was constantly changing, and nothing was certain. He needed help from another player, no, he needed help from Brunus. In a situation like this, he was the only one he could trust to assist him with no ill intentions. Could it be he was in a similar situation to this?

He recalled to an important fact. Brunus had left the game before Gaius found the Laurel Wreath. He most likely was not in this limbo-like mix of reality and Impera, like him, but back in the real world. Knowing this greatly upset the emperor, deprived of the only person he could count on.

For a third time, the girl’s scream reached Gaius. They were much closer this time. Given the assumed distance, she would be in the other room. Lost in his own problems as he was, Gaius forgot about the entire reason why he was searching the place. He put his helmet back on and marched to her aid. Passing by both corpses, he found the door that leads to her direction. It was already open, which could mean the Lupus from just now had come from there. It was possible the sound of breaking out he made earlier was what caused him to get here.

It was an extension of the library, but many times bigger. The numbers of corpses and damaged furniture could only mean this is where the main engagements had taken place. Seeing no roman alive, it was safe to bet the Lupus had won it at heavy costs.

Three Lupus were attacking a small girl, who was hiding behind what looked like a simple shield from the Manipulation School of magic. She didn’t look capable of forming one entirely, so resorted to pressing against a corner. The monsters were attacking the barrier, trying to break it. While unsuccessful, they were making dents on it, and soon the girl would run out of Magicka either way. Besides playing the hero, it was important to save the girl, who could explain in detail what had happened.

The monsters turned, most likely have heard him enter. They left the girl be, for now, focusing on Gaius.

“Can any of you speak Latin?” Gaius asked.

None responded, replying with the same disdain the first one had. They didn’t look intent on answering, even if they could.

The girl, who had her eyes closed until now opened them. Her military vestments were different from the previous dead soldiers but clearly Roman. Who had let a girl join the legions? Was it possible they were at such a desperate situation they resorted to conscripting children? Why was he not informed of this?

She looked at Gaius and screamed, “Soldier, please run away!” she cried, tears on her face, “We have already lost… Don’t throw your life away too…. Please…”

She must have gone through a lot. Guessing her age, she should still be younger than 15, still a kid. The carnage she experienced must have been traumatizing, and any hopes of victory left gone. It was understandable to give in after seeing your comrades die, but did she not recognize him? How could she tell him to flee against simple Lupus?

As he thought about them, the three monsters charged Gaius. The first to arrive bit his neck, the other clawed his chest and the last his legs.

“No…” the girl cried.

It was a coordinated attack, typical of their kind. It was extremally effective as a hunting tactic and even for combat against normal opponents. Gaius, however, was anything but common. The monsters quickly learned their attacks did no damage at all, either to his body or armor.

There was no point in trying to be nice. The last creature he killed could not talk or be of any use, and his companions looked to be the same. Letting take the initiative was useful to test their overall strength, as well as to test if he had suffered any experience penalties from his death.

Everything, to his delight, was in order. His resistance to attacks of their level was just as strong as it should be. They had now outlived their usefulness. Gaius stabbed the closest one with his gladius, an instant kill. His companion reacted quickly, jumping for a backstab at Gaius, who turned around and it him with his hilt, breaking the monster’s ribcage.

With two already either dead or incapacitated, the third one tried to flee, yet was frozen on the spot. Gaius used a paralysis spell of the Illusion school of magic to lock him in place. He wouldn’t bother with running to his distance and settled with shooting a sharp icicle on him. It penetrated the monster, killing it as quickly as the blade would have. The girl watched in awe, closing her eyes whenever any of the monsters died.

“This is what happens when you defy the empire.” Gaius said, “If only you knew our language, I would allow you to live and spread this knowledge.” He walked to the incapacitated Lupus, stepping on his broken ribcage and pressing it on the ground. His torso was spread on the floor, organs, blood, and bones flying in all directions. It was a messy kill, but it was important to deliver the right punishment.

Gaius sighed, “That’s the last of them…” He glanced at the girl, who still had her shield up, “What’s the matter? You are safe now.”

She looked just as terrified as when the beasts were attacking her. At second thought, it was his own fault. He shouldn’t have expected a girl of her age to be fine with the way he killed them. His own armor set was now covered in blood, along with his sword. He did not look as much as an ally as just a stronger monster, ready to kill her too.

Gaius sheaved his weapon, cleaning the excess blood off the plates he could reach and spoke more gently, “I’m sorry you had to witness this.”

“It’s… It’s okay…” She dropped the shield, but still covered in the corner, “T-Thank y-you…”

“Of course,” Gaius said, approaching her on the wall. She had a small cut on her right cheek. A small thing, but it still bled, “Stay still.” He said, waving a magical yellow light onto her. It was a medical spell, healing her wound easily. Due to the size, no scars were left. A complete restoration of her being.

“Oh…” she said, touching her cheek, “Thank you again, mister… “

“Gaius.” He said.

“Right, Gaius… Err… sir.”

She obviously had no idea who he was. Gaius had lived such a long time with people already knowing of him far before they met he became ill acquainted with it. If she served in the legion, how was it she didn’t know her own emperor’s name? It was excusable for the average plebian not to know, but those who pledged to serve where bound to know at least as much.

“And what is your name?”

“Uhh… You mean to say you don’t know?”

She asked as if it was his own obligation to know. Discontent at the reversal of expectations, Gaius said bluntly “No, I don’t.”

“Well, in that case…” she got up, “My name is Julia, pleased to meet you.”

“Tell me then, Julia, what happened here?”

She tilted her head, “What do you mean?”

“The Lupus, of course. Are there any more of them in revolt? Is their leader dead?”

His questions only breed more confusion on her face, “Revolt?”

“Yes, this is a revolt, isn’t it? Some Wolfpack running around, pillaging and destroying everything.”

“No sir, from what Lady Minerva told me, they were looking for me, and not much else…”

“… Minerva? You know her?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed enthusiastically, “She’s my mentor and guardian, the legendary Divine Legionnaire Minerva!”

Gaius did not know what to say. Minerva was nowhere near the type that would give any attention to kids like Julia, no matter if they were soldiers or not. He drew a parallel between the two, however, and asked: “Was Minerva the one that taught you that spell?”

“She was! It took a few days to learn it, but I could cast shields just in time for today.”

“… A few days?”

NPCs were supposed to have a much harder time at learning spells than players. For a common one to learn a spell like the one she used it should have taken months, and yet she mastered in faster than even a few of the people he knew. Could it be she was a player? He eyes were also purple, it could be a sign she was some person’s custom avatar. If he could confirm it, this whole thing’s possibility of being a prank would increase ten-fold.

“There’s a spider behind you,” Gaius said, in English. Julia didn’t move, only tilting her head once more in confusion. Was she a real girl really trying to deceive him, she would have reacted in some way to the alert of a spider. Even a small look to the wall would be enough proof. Despite it, she acted much like the Lupus had when he spoke Latin, that is, not understanding it at all.

“… I’m sorry, what was that?” Julia asked.

“… Nothing.” Gaius said, switching back to Latin, “Just ignore it.”

His plan had either failed, or it proved she was just an NPC. If it was the latter, how could he explain her proficiency in learning spells? Was she someone else’s custom NPC? Yes, that must have been it. In that case, after he met with Minerva, he could ask for help from that player who was likely in a similar position as him, not being able to use the menu and all.

“Take me to Minerva. “Gaius ordered, “I must speak with her.”

Julia lost her hers for a second, “I-I’m sorry sir, but Lady Minerva rarely receives a soldier’s summons… Besides, she is very busy now.”

“… I see.”

Julia did not know who he was, but she seemed to know Minerva well. There was the little point is proclaiming that he was the emperor if meeting her in person and telling his own name wasn’t enough. He had wasted enough time with her, and now that she had said enough, he cut to the chase.

“Still, tell me where she is. It’s important.”

“In that case, mind if I go with you?” she asked, “She told me to hide here, but now that all soldiers are gone… “ Her face went teary again, “… Please, I’ll guide the way if you take me to her.”

“Deal.” Gaius said, “Stay close, but not too much.”

“A-Alright…” she walked away from her corner, “That way.” She said, pointing to another door.

“Let’s go.”

Gaius walked in front, and she followed close behind.

“I said not too close.”

“S-Sorry!”

Julia stepped away half a meter, her head, and shoulders low. As they passed by the corpses, Julia did her best to avoid looking in any of their faces. Gaius, in the other hand, made an active effort to do so. If he could recognize any of them, he would have a better idea of things.

They passed by the door and resumed a long walk through the building according to Julia’s directions. Gaius was walking at a slow pace, but his tall stature and large feet made it so each step covered a big distance. Julia often had to do small bursts of speed to catch up, careful not to intrude too closely.

“Julia.”

“… Yes?”

“Gaius looked back, “How is it that you know Minerva?”

“How I met her, you mean?”

“Yes,” Gaius affirmed.

“Well, to be truthful, I’ve known her as far as I can remember…”

“You mean…”

“She’s been taking care of me ever since I was born according to her.”

“…”

At yet another instance, Julia managed to say something that completely confused Gaius.

“Why would she do that?” he asked, trying not to imply she wasn’t worth her time.

She looked up, with a sorrowful face, “… After my father’s death, she was the one in charge of raising me… She’s like my second mother…” Her face went red, “Oh! Please don’t tell her I said that!” she begged, “She wouldn’t like to be called that…”

Gaius couldn’t reach the end of it. Every time he learned something new from that girl more questions pooped up that needed answering. If he kept on like this, it would quickly devolve into a full-on interrogation. He resolved to save most of his doubts to Minerva herself, who would provide the best and most reliable information available. He would only address what was important, here and now.

“Is she in this building?” Gaius asked.

“No sir, I’m leading us to the exit.”

“I see…” Gaius opened yet another door, “You said she was busy, but with what exactly?”

“Well, with the defense of the city, of course.” She replied.

“So, we are in a city…” Gaius said, more to himself than to her, “Which roman colony is this? Are we inside or merely near the ancestral Lupus territories?”

“Uhh… Colony?”

“Yes, which one?”

“We are in Rome, sir.”

“…”

Gaius stopped. He turned around, looking directly into Julia, “… Come again?”

The young girl shrieked, shaking her legs, “W-We are… In Rome… sir.”

Of all things, this was the hardest to believe. He could accept the game had changed and allowed to feel heartbeats. He could understand if someone had transported him to a faraway corner of the north. It was even plausible that the Laurel Wreath wouldn’t leave his head thought some power or force he didn’t yet understand. On the other hand, Barbarians at the gates of Rome was out of the question. His capital, his own city, the heart of the empire, at the grasps of Lupus? It was ridiculous, and Gaius made sure to express it.

“That’s nonsense.” he said, “Again, where are we?”

Julia received Gaius’ terrifying attention, stepping back as she insisted, “But… We are…”

“You are lying.” He said, with a hint of anger, “The Lupus couldn’t even hold onto their own lands, much less go all the way to Rome. To even suggest it is, as I said, nonsense. Countless legions, forts and players would have stood in their path far before they even got far from the north.”

“… Sorry, but… I swear, I’m telling the truth!”

Gaius stared deep into her eyes. Whatever her words, it didn’t look like she was lying. She had already confirmed to know Minerva, and on second thought, it really didn’t make sense why she would be anywhere away from Rome. In addition, it was more believable for him to have awakened in the same city he was last in. The more he thought on it, the stronger his resolve. He needed to see it by himself.

“… Let’s say I believe you.” Gaius turned back walking, “I still need to see it for myself.”

“Alright…” she said, pointing to the large other doors, “We will get to the exit after that one.”

Gaius got to the door she spoke of, opening it with haste. He was nearby a large set of stairs leading upward, large gates to his right. Imperial Banners, although damaged and rugged still flew in the same places. He couldn’t believe for a moment. It was the Imperial Palace. He looked around in disbelief, trying to find anything he could use to defy it. Nothing came up. He was indeed in Rome, and Julia spoke the truth.

Even with all this proof, his brain still tried to reject it. How could the Lupus have entered the Imperial Palace itself? If this was his virtual home, then where were his Divine Legionnaires? Julia spoke of Minerva fighting, but all others should have been here. In his flurry of looking for any signs of life, Gaius saw a group of soldiers standing by the place. They found him at the same time, rushing to him.

They wore the same substandard armor set as the dead soldiers from before and seemed glad at their appearance. It was possible that at least they knew who he was.

“Lady Julia! You are safe!” they shouted.

“Y-Yes…” Julia replied shyly

It was a small lot, barely tens or so soldiers. There were two others who looked too wounded to come and greet them. They were almost as covered in blood as Gaius was. Another thing they shared was their confusion once glaring at each other.

“… Who is this man with you?” the soldier asked.

“This is Gaius!” she said, “He saved me from the Lupus in the library!”

“Gaius, eh… “he extended his arm, waiting for a handshake, “My name is Gaius too, seems like our mothers were both quite religious.”

Much like Julia, he didn’t know who he was. The emperor took longer to reply than he should. In Impera, his name was rather unique, even if simple. Players weren’t allowed to change their usernames, and so they were stuck with what they had. When he picked that name when the game launched, the empire didn’t exist yet and there was no reason for people to emulate him. Even at the height of his reign, the civilian NPCs didn’t name their children Gaius. This awkward similarity in names was unnerving, yet he shook the soldier’s hand either way.

“How did you manage to get out of there alive?” the other soldier asked, “Marcus and Lucius were the only survivors we met from that section, and they are just barely scraping by…”

“I killed all the remaining Lupus.” Was Gaius’ given response. The soldiers eyed him weirdly, before chuckling, “Sure… Nice one. You can tell me later how it was you two got out. What’s important is that Lady Minerva won’t have our heads for losing Lady Julia…”

“Speaking of her…” Gaius interrupted, “Do you know exactly where she is?”

“Why, leading the defense of the city, of course.” He said, “She should be on the streets right now, probably…”

Someone knocked on the barricaded gates of the Imperial Palace. Everyone’s attention was stolen by the act. They hit them three times, before shouting “Let us in! Quickly!”

While in a normal siege this would be an easy trick, the fact they spoke Latin was an easy way to know they were likely not Lupus. The soldier turned to the entrance, “… Dammit, open the gates, quickly!”

“Sir.”

The soldiers at his command ran to the door. There were many planks of wood, chains and large objects there to avoid it’s opening. It took a while to disarm the improvised barricade. As the gates were opened, several soldiers flooded in. An entire century rushed inside, exhausted and half dead. Several of them were wounded, some even more than the two others on the wall. The gates were closed again, recommencing the long process of putting the barricade up in place.

“Good job…” Their centurion said, “Now, we need to prepare...”

“What do you mean?” asked the soldier, “Do you mean to say…”

The tension in the air was palpable. The centurion took off his helmet and looked at the soldier, “Minerva ordered us back here. We will defend the Imperial Palace and Lady Julia to our last breath.”

“… Sir.” The soldier saluted, recognizing the order, “How much time do we have left?”

“None.” He affirmed, “Minerva’s last forces are fighting down the street as we speak. She won’t be able to hold out much longer given all the damage she’s already taken, and to top it all off...”

“… What is it sir.?”

“… There’s an Alpha Lupus leading the monsters.”

The already dreadful mood sunk to new lows. All soldiers trembled at his words. They were justified to be afraid, after all, what were they against the Lupus, let alone their elite warriors? Gaius could not see the hope of victory in any of the legionnaires. The only one who had any of it was the centurion, probably out of pure stubbornness.

“I see she’s already here.” The centurion said, looking at Julia, “And who is this one beside her, a bodyguard?”

“I’m not,” Gaius said.

“Strange, you must be some kind of mercenary then?” he asked, analyzing Gaius’s set, “I can’t deny it looks very expensive, but that is not important right now. Get into positions and wait for the incoming storm.”

“I will do no such thing.” The emperor said.

He earned the centurion’s wrath but disregarding him, “You insubordinate little… You plan to get out there? Are you mad?”

“Yes, and no.” he said, walking away to the gates, “I plan to bring the storm, not wait for it.”

“Wait!” shouted Julia.

Gaius stopped, asking “What?”

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, “I know you're strong, but…”

“Don’t concern yourself.” He said, while the soldiers reluctantly got the few objects they had placed back away from his path, “This is my city, and I will defend it.”

“… Your city?” Julia asked.

“Gaius pointed his hand at the doors, pushing them open with an intense Manipulation Spell. The cries of his citizens being killed, their homes burning and streets littering with corpses struck deep into him. It was true, all of it. Rome was being destroyed at his very eyes. He did not know how, or why, but it didn’t change the fact.

He would allow it to proceed. Looking down the streets, the final stand was at its death rows. He saw the Lupus down there, looking back at him. There was still a small Roman force left, and a familiar soldier on the ground. It was Minerva. To be on the floor in such a situation, it could only mean the worst-case scenario had happened. Gaius clenched his fists, grinned his teeth and squinted his eyes. With the rage of a thousand suns, he stepped out of the palace. As he proceeded, a black furred, red-eyed Lupus stared directly at him. He was the leader of the Lupus, the responsable for the destruction of his city, the slaughter of his people and desecration of his empire.

Gaius was focused. Each step fueled by his anger and will of revenge, he would do what had to be done. Gaius would show them the full wrath of the emperor.