The BruiseBlack Sky More Heat Than the Sun 5 In the not-too-distant future, the world has been ravaged by climate change, wars, and pandemics, leaving only a few scattered remnants of civilization. The survivors are forced to band together in small communities, fighting for survival against the harsh elements and each other. In this bleak landscape, two men, Ben and Nikolas, find themselves at odds with each other, their differences driving a wedge between them that threatens to tear their fragile society apart. Ben, a filmmaker, is determined to tell the story of a post-apocalyptic gladiator, a victim of his own personal darkness, but he needs Nikolas's expertise as a scientist to make it happen. However, Nikolas is consumed by his own demons, struggling with the guilt of a terrible lie that has driven them apart. Eleven thousand miles away in New Zealand, winter has set in, and Nikolas is unable to shake off the feeling of disgrace, causing him to become increasingly reclusive. As Ben films the tragic story of the gladiator, he begins to suspect that Oliver Whitestone's suicide may not have been a simple act of despair but rather a carefully planned murder. Someone doesn't want this movie made, and Ben becomes the target of a crazed stalker who has been following him since childhood. The rift between Ben and Nikolas deepens as they struggle to come to terms with their differences and the danger that lurks around every corner.

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