Circa 476 CE – The Fall of the Western Roman Empire
The echoes of the Roman Empire were still heard across the land, but the empire itself was crumbling under the weight of corruption and barbarian invasions. Marcus found himself in the heart of Rome once again, a city he had walked through in centuries past. It had been more than a thousand years since he first advised Caesar. Now, he stood before a different man—Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, a boy king with little power.
Rome was no longer the mighty empire it once was. The Visigoths, led by Alaric, had sacked the city years before. Now, it was the Ostrogoths, under Theodoric the Great, who loomed at the gates. Rome's future was uncertain, its glory fading into the shadows of history.
Marcus was no stranger to endings. He had seen the fall of other empires, the rise of new kingdoms. But this time was different. He had watched as the city of Rome, once the center of the world, decayed into dust. As he roamed the streets, he met with scholars, soldiers, and everyday citizens, listening to their fears and hopes.
In one of the crumbling forums, he found a group of Roman soldiers who were preparing for the invasion. They were desperate, uncertain, yet brave.
"Why fight for a dying empire?" Marcus asked one soldier, his voice light, though his words carried an unmistakable weight.
"We fight because it is our duty," the soldier replied, his eyes dull from years of war. "Rome may be crumbling, but we are its last defense."
Marcus smiled, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Then perhaps it's time for Rome to be reborn—not by force, but by the strength of its people."
Before the soldier could ask him more, Marcus disappeared into the crowd, leaving behind a lingering feeling that change was coming. The end of the Roman Empire marked the beginning of something new, and Marcus was always there when the tides of history turned.