Chapter 5 – Rise of the Phantom Battalion
The hidden chamber reeked of dust and time. Eden moved through the vault like a shadow, touching old war banners and cracked weapons left behind by a forgotten force.
The Phantom Battalion.
A legend. A myth. An army trained to obey one mind — her father's. And now, hers.
She found a stone altar in the center of the chamber. On it, etched in ancient ink, were ten names.
Each one a commander. Each one presumed dead.
She whispered, "If even one of you lives... the empire will burn again."
---
That night, Eden left the capital and traveled east under a moonless sky. Her destination: the Frost Caves of Harrow Ridge — where the last of the Phantom Battalion was said to be buried... or waiting.
The wind howled. Wolves circled her trail. She moved with a silent rage.
At dawn, she reached the first gate — a cave mouth sealed with frost-runes.
"Only blood can call the ghosts," she muttered.
Eden sliced her palm and pressed it against the stone.
It hissed, then opened.
Inside stood six men. Armor dull. Eyes hollow. Faces scarred by war and exile.
One stepped forward, his voice deep and cold.
"You wear Jin's blood... but are you his blade?"
She stepped toward him and dropped a scroll at his feet.
"Orders from General Jin," she said. "You follow me now."
The soldier stared at her — then kn