Chapter 114: Some Prestigious Family
Across the cityscape of Planet Xylos, in the prestigious Frost family estate, chaos was unfolding.
"You got absolutely destroyed by a noob!" Michelle’s voice rang through the second floor of the mansion.
She flipped her long, wavy silver hair over her shoulder with theatrical flair, the strands catching the light.
She continued. "Are you really a military student? Because honestly, I’m starting to have my doubts."
Michael’s face flushed red as he yanked the virtual pod’s neural connector from his temple. This was the current advanced virtual pod in the interstellar era.
His own short and messy silver hair stuck up at odd angles. He smoothed it back aggressively, teeth gritted hard enough that his jaw ached.
"Don’t you dare get smug with me," he shot back, stabbing a finger in her direction. "You got rejected, too, didn’t you? So what’s your excuse? And seriously, why are you so desperate to invite some cheater into your guild?"
Michelle rolled her eyes. "He won. Consecutively. In completely different fighting styles. Use your brain for once—that’s obviously not cheating."
"OBVIOUSLY is cheating," Michael insisted, crossing his arms defensively. "I already had my entire team report him. When they investigate, they’ll see I’m right."
Michelle’s expression changed, her eyes narrowing as she tapped one finger against her chin.
"If he was cheating, he should’ve been using a voice modulator like I do. But it didn’t seem like it...But if he wasn’t..." Her gaze grew distant, thoughtful. "He should be someone at the academy. But who? Who could have that kind of skill and still be completely unknown?"
"I ALREADY SAID HE’S A FEARLESS CHEATER!" Michael’s voice cracked slightly on the last word, his face reddening further. "A CHEATER, you hear me?!"
"How DARE you raise your voice at your older sister!" Michelle’s own volume matched his, hands planted firmly on her hips.
"How DARE you call yourself my older sister when you were born exactly seven seconds before me!" Michael shot back. "Seven! Seconds!"
"Those seven seconds COUNT!"
"They absolutely DO NOT—"
"THEY DO!"
"DO NOT!"
The argument escalated, voices climbing higher and louder until they reverberated through the entire household.
Downstairs in the elegantly decorated living room, two figures sat with expressions of long-suffering patience.
Christian Frost, with his distinctive golden hair, looked up at the ceiling as if he could see through it to the arguing twins above. He shook his head slowly, one hand coming up to massage his temple.
Beside him, Yustina Ravn Frost sighed, her own long, wavy silver hair draped over one shoulder. "How long do you think they’ll go this time?"
"Judging by the intensity?" Christian glanced at his light brain to check the time. "At least another ten minutes. Maybe fifteen if Michelle brings up the tournament rankings again."
"Wonderful," Yustina muttered. After twenty-three years of raising the twins, she had developed an almost supernatural tolerance for their bickering.
The front door opened with a soft hiss of pressurized air. Yulian Frost stepped inside, his golden hair immediately making him look different from his silver-haired siblings. He paused in the entryway, head tilted slightly as the sound of the ongoing argument filtered down from above.
His expression didn’t change. He simply removed his jacket, hung it on the designated hook, and walked calmly toward the living room.
"Welcome home, dear," Yustina greeted him, rising from the sofa with the grace of someone born to nobility. Her eyes, however, carried the weight of concern that never quite left them these days. "How was it outside?"
Yulian settled onto the sofa across from his parents, loosening his collar slightly. "Fine. Just a little harder to control the pheromones than usual."
His hand moved unconsciously to the back of his neck, where several pheromone patches were layered in an effort to keep his alpha pheromones suppressed.
Christian nodded with understanding. "If you really can’t take it, just come home. We’ll cover for you at the university."
"Appreciate that, Dad." Yulian offered a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. The constant suppression was exhausting, but necessary.
Yustina leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "How was Elliot? Is he... is he managing okay?"
The question hung heavy in the air. They all knew what she was really asking: Is he safe? Is he okay? Will he come home?
Yulian’s expression softened. "Ellie’s currently staying with the filming crew. Aside from being unable to come home for the next six months, he’s perfectly fine. The director’s keeping everyone pretty busy with the shooting schedule."
Yustina’s lips pressed into a thin line. "I couldn’t help but worry. After all that news circulating about him..."
Yulian crossed the distance between them and placed a reassuring hand on his mother’s shoulder. "That’s just how the entertainment industry works, Mom. Some agencies will even intentionally spread false rumors just to generate buzz. Elliot knows how to handle it."
"But why did he even want to become an actor?" Yustina’s voice cracked slightly, betraying the depth of her worry. "He could have done anything else."
Christian caught Yulian’s eye, and an entire conversation passed between them in that single glance. Yulian understood immediately—this was a conversation they had had a hundred times before, and it never got easier.
"Mom," Yulian said gently, his voice taking on the soothing tone he reserved for difficult moments, "we can’t hold Ellie back forever. He’s already grown up. He deserves to live his own life, make his own choices."
At the mention of Elliot living his own life, Yustina’s frown deepened. Her hands twisted together in her lap. Yulian could only send an apologetic look toward his father.
He didn’t mean to remind her of that.
Christian sighed, the sound heavy with years of searching and disappointment. "Any news yet?"
Yulian’s expression became serious. "Nothing yet."
Another sigh. Christian’s blue eyes stared at a distance.
"Right. If he were easy to find, we would have found him years ago." His next words came out as a murmur. But in the quiet room, everyone heard them clearly. "If not for his birth pearl..."
Yustina shook herself, forcing herself to get her wits back. "It’s probably for the best that Elliot wasn’t here anyway. I don’t want him to feel left out."
The seven days surrounding the full moon were sacred and secret times for the Frost family. Yulian, born with his golden hair, was the only one who could go outside during this period without raising suspicion. His pheromones became harder to control, yes, but his appearance remained relatively stable.
His siblings, however...
Christian’s attention was drawn back upstairs, where the argument had somehow escalated. He looked at Yulian with an expression that clearly said ’Handle this’.
Yulian nodded and headed for the stairs. He reached the second floor and, without hesitation, he grabbed both twins by their ears.
"OW!"
"YULIAN!"
"Until when do you two plan to fight?" His voice was calm but carried an undertone of authority that made both twins freeze. "It’s already dinner time. Let’s go."
Still gripping their ears firmly, he marched them downstairs. They stumbled along behind him, too startled and distracted by pain to continue their argument. When they reached the dining room, he released them. They immediately scooted to their usual seats, shooting glares at each other across the table.
The family settled around the dining table, where covered dishes waited and kept warm by thermal fields. The arrangement was familiar: Christian at the head, Yustina to his right, Yulian beside her, and the twins across from each other where they could be easily supervised.
Michelle’s eyes scanned the table, then the room, her brow furrowing. "Where’s Elliot?"
Yulian reached for his water glass, his tone carefully casual. "He’s shooting a drama. You know that."
"I know that," Michelle said, exasperation coloring her words. "But shouldn’t he be here too? This is a family dinner."
Yulian opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Michael let out an exaggerated, derisive snort from across the table.
"Elliot. Elliot. Elliot." Michael’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "That’s all you ever think about, isn’t it? Can’t you care about your actual family for once?"
Michelle’s eyes glinted dangerously. "Elliot has been a member of this family since he was born. He’s my brother just as much as you are. And honestly? It’s about time we let him know about all of this. He deserves to understand what’s really going on."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
Yustina’s fork clattered against her plate. When she looked at Michelle, her eyes were sharp. "Sure. Let’s bring Elliot here and tell him everything. And then we can all die together when the secret gets out."
"Mom!" Michelle’s voice pitched higher, indignant, flooding her cheeks. "Aren’t you exaggerating? Elliot would understand. He can keep his mouth shut. He’s not a child."
Yulian set down his utensils carefully, his expression tightening. "I’ve told you this before, Michelle. Only those who hold a dangerous secret of their own can truly understand the weight of keeping one. Only they can be trusted to guard it as carefully as we do."
