The second day of the gladiatorial tournament unfolded with even greater frenzy and splendor than the first.
Rome, under the pale silver glow of the moon, refused to sleep. The city was alive, buzzing with feverish energy that coursed through every street and alleyway. Torchlight flickered along the stone roads, shadows danced across the marble facades of temples, and the laughter and shouts of feasting citizens rolled like waves through the night. The air carried the smell of roasted meat, wine spilling from overflowing cups, and the raw anticipation of violence yet to come.
