The brutalist concrete architecture of the subterranean Academy of Shadows had undergone a profound, magnificent transformation. For decades, this massive, hyper cooled facility had served as the ultimate crucible of the terrestrial underworld. It was the exact location where Boss Solis had violently forged the Vanguard of Shadows, and it was the terrifying stage where Consort Noir had subjected the regional executives to the psychological trauma of the Interrogation Rings. It had always been a place of brutal conditioning, heavy ballistics, and unyielding fear.
Today, however, the subterranean compound was completely stripped of its violent history. The heavy sensory deprivation chairs had been permanently dismantled. The blood stained combat mats were gone, replaced by a pristine, polished expanse of dark marble that reflected the soft, ambient lighting of the vaulted ceiling.
