Leo Carter: The Accidental Time Traveler of Ancient Rome

The sun was falling in the sky as the feast of Lupercal ran to its climax. Stretches of streets thundered with revelry and laughter, and the rhythmic pounding of drums. In the depths of the celebration lay a tension. The ominous warning of the soothsayer still lingered like an uninvited guest sitting at the grand feast of life.

Leo walked through the jammed streets, going over and over again the argument with Cassius. The power he'd shown wasn't merely in his body-it was a declaration, a stamp of how powerful he was in this world. He couldn't help but feel that each thing he did was sending him away from being just a bystander to history.

As he turned a corner near the Forum, he caught sight of Mark Antony. The man was leaning against a marble column, his tunic slightly disheveled, a goblet of wine in his hand. But there was a sharpness in his gaze that belied his relaxed demeanor.

Antony straightened up as Leo approached. "Ah, the man of the hour," he said, playfully twisting his lips around the words. "I have heard that your. conversation with Cassius has already drawn the attention of the house. You have certainly made waves."

Leo shrugged, keeping it lighthearted. "He left little option."

Antony took a sip of his goblet, his eyes never losing Leo's face. "Cassius is as a serpent—wounded, but not dead. He will strike again when least you look for it."

"Well, I'll be prepared," Leo said with firm tones.

Antony smiled softly. "You speak with such assurance. I can't tell if you are a fool or a visionary." He pointed toward the Senate building in the distance, where Caesar's figure was just visible amidst the crowd. "The question is, where does your vision align? With Caesar, or. elsewhere?"

Leo met Antony's gaze, the weight of the question pressing on him. "What do you think?"

Antony's smile spread. "I think you're an enigma, Leo. And I like enigmas."

Just as Leo was opening his mouth to respond, a scene erupted nearby. A group of senators had congregated in a darkened alcove, their voices low but their words heated. Leo saw Brutus among them, his face etched with the lines of inner conflict. Cassius stood nearby, his face black and hard.

Antony followed Leo's gaze and let out a sigh. "The wolves are circling, as they always do. But even wolves need a leader. Watch closely, Leo. This is a moment you won't want to miss."

Leo and Antony drew closer, keeping themselves hidden behind the column. The senatorial murmurs became louder as they argued.

"Caesar grows too powerful," Cassius hissed, his voice low but venomous. "If we do not act, Rome will fall under his tyranny."

Brutus frowned, his brow furrowed. "I know your concerns, Cassius. But to take such drastic action. it feels—"

"Necessary," Cassius interrupted, leaning in closer. "Brutus, you are the heart of Rome. The people trust you. Without your support, this plan will fail. Think of the Republic, not the man."

Brutus was visibly hesitant. Leo could see the way Cassius reached out and touched Brutus's shoulder, his voice gentle, almost begging.

"Join us, Brutus," Cassius said. "Help us make Rome great again."

The tension was unbearable. Brutus looked away, his eyes gazing into the horizon as if seeking an answer in that far-off distance.

Leo felt the anger rise in him. "He's playing on his sympathies," he told Antony, his voice almost a whisper. "Brutus doesn't want to do this."

Antony's face grew stern. "Cassius has a silver tongue, and Brutus has a heart that easily bends. If they make a convert of him, then it will be the ruin of Caesar—and possibly of Rome itself."

Leo's head was spinning. He could step in here and confront them, but that would blow his cover. That was when something began to fall into place. He edged closer to Antony.

"Let's make our own play," Leo said. "If Brutus backtracks then we need to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of the rest. If we weaken the plot, then it may crumble even before it has a chance to take shape."

Antony raised an eyebrow, drawn in. "And how might we do that?"

"By doing what Cassius does best," Leo answered with a smirk. "Using words to sow chaos."

Antony laughed, looking at him with a glimmer of approval. "I might have underestimated you, Leo."

The two men moved off into the shadows, their minds already a working tandem. The Feast of Lupercal raged around them, but Leo knew that the true battle was just starting. These conspirators were playing with fire, but they were far from being the only game in town that could move pieces on the board.

Rome was a city of shadows and secrets, and Leo intended to master them both.