--- Newly entrusted as the head of the Cross Empire, Elias Cross has long dreamed of this sacred moment. Standing before a sea of loyal eyes and silent weapons, he vows to give his blood, his sweat, and every breath in his body to protect the legacy forged by his ancestors-an underground empire built not on chaos, but calculated power passed down through generations. But not long after the title is his, the shadows begin to shift. Whispers turn into warnings. Unease creeps into the very bones of the empire. And then-the unthinkable. Something sacred, ancient, and guarded with generations of blood has been stolen. How? When? Why? No one knows. Bonds begin to crack. Loyalty falters. Trust bleeds thin. Now, Elias stands at a crossroads, the weight of the empire in his hands. Will he rise and reclaim what's been lost-or watch centuries of power crumble beneath him? But the question that haunts him most-the one he's too afraid to say aloud: Did one of his soul-bound, trusted unit heads betray him? --- Oh, and my sincere apologies-this novel's title might change several times because I keep finding other works with the same name. So, until I find the perfect one, please bear with me! - Straywords_cea