This story is designed to highlight the extreme conditions of physical, emotional and sexual abuse to which all Roman slaves were liable to be exposed, through the experiences of three boy gladiators. It was inspired largely by the TV series 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' (and features a cameo from one of the characters) and the book 'Time Hunters: Gladiator Clash' by Adam Blade. Credit goes to ChatGPT for talking through my ideas with me and coming up with interesting settings for some scenes.
Have you ever felt like you knew exactly what someone was going to say or do in a certain situation? Like you say, 'hi' to a woman just knowing she's going to ignore you, yet you do it anyway and sure enough, she ignores you. Then the time you don't bother saying, 'hi' and wonder if this could have been the time when you're proven wrong and they might have actually stopped and talked to you? I know how that feels but with a twist. Karma loves me - like a dysfunctional family.
The future is not good for humans. A fungal/plant hybrid has taken over, covering much of the planet, choking life from it. What humans remain are used in its reproduction or are fighting against it. The question is: who will win the war?