The Citadel of AEGISIn the heart of Washington, D.C., the Education and Youth Empowerment Organization loomed like a monolith, its sprawling campus stretching over a kilometer of meticulously manicured grounds. To the public, it was a nonprofit beacon of hope, founded by three enigmatic visionaries whose names were whispered more than spoken. Yet, for all its grandeur—gleaming glass towers and iron gates etched with cryptic sigils—few ever crossed its threshold.
Those who did rarely returned, their silence fueling rumors that the organization was more than it seemed. Beneath its altruistic facade, the truth pulsed like a hidden heartbeat.Inside, the campus defied expectation. Beyond the imposing entrance, vast fields of emerald grass stretched toward the horizon, dotted with only a handful of stark, utilitarian buildings. The air hummed with purpose: recruits sparred in the distance, their shouts and the clatter of training blades slicing through the morning mist.
