He was drawn to the vortex of politics at a very early age.

Whirlpool : a quickly rotating mass of water in a river or sea into which objects may be drawn, typically caused by the meeting of conflicting currents.
Field : an area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture, typically bounded by hedges or fences.
Arena : a level area surrounded by seating, in which sports, entertainments, and other public events are held.
Hell : a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth where the wicked are punished after death.
Vortex : a whirling mass of fluid or air, especially a whirlpool or whirlwind.

Synonym of Vortex is Whirlpool