# Chapter: The Recruitment
## Abandoned Warehouse District - The Next Evening
The old industrial complex on the outskirts of Michigan had been abandoned for over a decade, its broken windows and rusted facades serving as perfect camouflage for activities that couldn't take place in more civilized parts of the city. Tonight, however, the largest warehouse buzzed with an energy that hadn't been felt in these forgotten streets for years.
Dorian Graves stood on a makeshift stage constructed from shipping containers, surveying the crowd that had gathered in response to his open invitation. The turnout exceeded even his optimistic expectations—former Grinning Dead members who'd scattered after the faction's dissolution, independent supernatural operatives looking for purpose, and ambitious newcomers drawn by whispers of real power and protection.
