Cato, a disillusioned Roman politician, flees to the wealthy vacation city of Pompeii to escape his failure, but finds that he must once again stand against corruption before it destroys his family. For Ariella, disguised as a young boy and sold into a gladiator troupe, survival is her only ambition. As Mt. Vesuvius churns with deadly intent above the city, the two must bridge their differences to save the lives of those they love, before the fiery ash buries Pompeii and leaves the city lost to the world.