Royce didn't do anything to deserve the hand he was dealt in life, after all, it's not his fault that he wasn't the firstborn in his family.Thanks to a growing population, and lack of room on the planet, changes had to made to free up some space. One of which is having multiple children comes with a price tag most families can't afford, and that's where The Academy comes in. Should your family be one of the many who can't afford the fines associated with having multiple children, they will step in and pay your fines, but in doing so your child becomes their property. The Academy promises to take care of your child and raise them to be a model citizen until the child's eighteenth birthday. Of course, there is a catch. Once the child turns eighteen they must fight for their freedom by battling to the death in gladiator style combat on the world's most popular television show, "The Arena".Royce is a member of class 2137. In the eighteen years spent in The Academy leading up to fighting in the arena, he is trained both mentally and physically. Classes range from hand to hand combat, to weapons and psychological training. He didn't ask for this, none of the children raised there did, but Royce has no choice but to do his best to prepare himself for the rough road ahead. He's already seventeen, so he knows that he must make the most of what little time he has left before his life is on the line.