جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

On the first day we moved in, the apartment was filled with cardboard boxes.My dad, Frank Lupin, was crouched in the living room studying the newly purchased furniture.My mom, Mary Lupin, was helping my sister, Kalista Lupin, assess her jewelry and clothes.My brother, Keane Lupin, was busy sorting through his combat manuals.I was the only one who had been working nonstop from the afternoon until late at night.I made my parents' bed.I hung up Kalista's clothes.I then crouched on the floor and arranged Keane's dozens of pairs of hunting boots on the shoe rack one pair at a time.By the time every room had been organized, only my six cardboard boxes remained outside the bathroom.Mom glanced at them and casually said, "Don't unpack your things yet. There's nowhere to put them anyway. In a few days, we can move them down to the storage unit."I opened the top box.Inside were the certificates of commendation I had accumulated during my years in the guard, scattered missio

There were three days left before my departure.When I returned from work, I found five black garbage bags piled outside the apartment.One of them hadn't been tied properly. The edge of a familiar notebook was sticking out.I bent down and pulled it free, only to discover that the bags were filled with my belongings. There were old hunting maps, training certificates, a bone whistle, and the wrist guards my grandmother had made for me before she passed away.Everything had been stuffed together carelessly. Many of the books had pages that were already crumpled beyond recognition.I pushed open the door.Mom was clearing out the cardboard boxes that belonged to me on the balcony."Why are my things outside?"Without turning around, Mom answered, "Kalista is having her marking ceremony soon. Members of the Frostfang Pack will be coming over in three days. Our new home needs to look presentable. Those old books and notebooks of yours aren't useful anyway, so I figured we might as

By the time the ceremony ended, it was nearly midnight.Mom had drunk quite a bit. The first thing she did after returning to the new apartment was send me a message.[Blair, are you done cleaning up?][There are still two boxes on the balcony. Remember to move them down to the basement when you come back.]The messages were sent, but there was no reply.After waiting for ten minutes, Mom's expression gradually darkened."Her attitude is getting worse and worse."Dad was removing the ceremonial sash he had worn earlier. He snorted. "Let her be."She earned this apartment through her achievements. She treasures it too much to stay away for long."Kalista was silent for a moment."Didn't Blair say she was staying with a friend for a few days?"Maybe she's still upset with us and doesn't want to come back yet."Mom rubbed her aching temples."She's so petty. We raised her all these years. What's wrong with checking her backpack?"Besides, didn't we later prove that she hadn'

Mom found a forgotten document folder behind one of the cabinets on the balcony.Inside were renovation sketches I had drawn who knew how many years ago.Back then, our family had still been crammed into our old house.I had carefully written stuff on the drawings.[Mom and Dad will have the master bedroom. This one will have an attached bathroom.][Kalista is sensitive to noise, so the south-facing room will be quieter for her.][Keane needs space to train, so his room should be larger too.]Finally, I had drawn a tiny smiling face next to the smallest room.[This one is for me. A bed and a desk will be enough.]There were several furniture order forms tucked beside the drawings.There was one for a cheap little wooden bed, one for a small desk to place by the window, and a moonstone lamp that gave off a warm yellow glow.It turned out I had been planning for this home long ago. No matter how much effort it took, I had always intended to earn it.They checked the records a

Five years later, I had successfully completed the closed deployment.I had worked diligently and made numerous contributions. I had single-handedly stopped rogue infiltration attempts at the outpost several times.Due to my accomplishments, I was promoted and was about to begin working at Werewolf City Hall.A report praising my achievements appeared on the screen while my family was having dinner in the old house.On the screen was a live broadcast of my appointment ceremony. I stood at the far right of my team in a neat official guard uniform.Mom recognized me immediately. The fork in her hand fell to the floor. She stood up and moved so close to the screen that she was nearly pressed against it.Five years had passed. My hair was cut short, and my shoulders and back were straight. My face was filled with determination and resolve.There was no longer any trace of the cautious, people-pleaser I had once been.During an interview, a reporter asked me, "I've heard that the co