If Sezha thought back hard enough, he could still remember when children's laughter filled the halls of the old Kyu Estate. Before his childhood home had been abandoned for life in the city. Before his life had fallen apart. That felt like ancient history.

Where did you go, Yunan? Sezha thought bitterly, staring up at the dark night sky from atop the observatory. Soon, it would be filled with a sea of floating lanterns. Cheng-Kai’s Reflection Day. A time to look back on life and celebrate the hope for a better one. That meant parading through the streets in their finest robes for the average citizen. For the Kyu, Reflection Day was an opportunity to invite guests from the far corners of the world and show off their wealth.

“Perhaps you would like to enjoy the festival at the Kyu Estate this year?” Steward Lai asked, standing at the doorway of the observatory balcony.

“So my father can shame me in front of all the dignitaries?” Sezha glanced down at his puzzlebox on a simple wooden table, the type you could find anywhere. However, the puzzle was an import from the far east. It was probably the only one of its kind in Cheng-Kai.

He picked it up and admired its craftsmanship. The puzzlebox fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Such a thing’s production would be unimaginable in the city’s workshops. The people of Cheng-Kai were pragmatic; every last resource was spent on improving lives. In short, the simple monkeys of Cheng-Kai didn’t need to be reminded of their inability to think on a deeper level.

“In that case, I will forgo from any more attempts at persuasion.”

Sezha didn’t even need to look back to picture Steward Lai bowing and shuffling out on his cane.

He placed the puzzlebox back down on the table and glanced eastward. Beyond the city wall, there was nothing but marshland for miles.

One day, after finding his brother, a task his family deemed impossible, he’d like to traverse those marshlands and see what lay beyond them.

. . .

Moji sighed, staring up at the night sky from the Kyu Estate balcony. It was a welcome change of pace from the stuffy party in the main hall. Even she got tired of flashing fake smiles to a catalog of faces she would soon forget.

The cold winter air felt calming on her slightly flushed skin. The refreshments were sufficiently watered down, but she had always been susceptible to alcohol.

“Here to get away?” a soft, familiar voice asked, sending chills down Moji’s spine.

“Is there something you need, Miasa?” Moji inquired, straining to keep the venom out of her voice. She had lost four good servants since his arrival to the estate. All young, pretty, and talented.

Miasa shook his head, his silver locks dancing in the light spilling out from the door to the main hall. “Is it so odd for me to greet the daughter of my benefactor?” he drawled, wetting his lips. “I don’t think we’ve been properly acquainted. What better time than Reflection Day?”

“That’s enough.”

Moji let out a sigh of relief. Kyu Kaizen, her father, appeared with his hands clasped behind his back, a knowing smile on his lips.

“Privaris was looking for you,” the patriarch of the Kyu continued. “You should humor the old woman. She’s an invaluable partner, after all.”

Miasa bit his underlip and seemed to ponder for a moment. “You’re right,” he finally said, placing his hand on her father’s shoulder. “I’ll go deal with her. Don’t tarry too long out here, though. You know my skill in interpersonal relations is. . . lacking.“

Kaizen brushed his hand off and joined Moji’s side on the balcony. Miasa watched with narrowed eyes before marching back inside.

“What do you think of him?” he asked as she turned to gaze up at the sky.

“You must keep him around for a reason,” Moji answered, carefully selecting her words. She wasn’t sure about her father’s stance on Miasa. Was he a simple tool of convenience? Or did their relationship run deeper than business?

An unlikely scenario, she decided. Kyu Kaizen did not have friends, only tools. Even his own family was merely a means to an end.

“No need to tiptoe around me,” Kaizen said. “What do you really think of him?”

“He’s reprehensible,” Moji answered immediately. “I’m sure he’s of use to you in some form, but his hobbies are dangerous and reckless. In my opinion, Miasa is a tool that cannot be controlled.”

“Like a stray dog that can’t be tamed?”

Moji nodded. “Exactly.”

Kaizen ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Streaks of white had started to form, giving him an aged look. “If there’s something I learned through all my years, it’s that everyone has their use.” He patted Moji’s head. His hand was ice-cold. “Do you know how the Kyu have risen to the top of the Lowlands?”

“We started out as a small merchant family that dealt in textiles and spices,” Moji recited. The history of their family had been drilled into her since she could walk. “Three generations ago, we moved into the labor and money-lending business. Since then, we’ve seen exponential growth.”

Kaizen looked bemused. “Labor and money-lending are indeed how we made our fortune. Target the desperate, then once we were done sucking them dry, we would put them to work in our spice fields and textile workshops.”

Moji nodded hesitantly. Their heritage wasn’t a pretty one.

“A true leader knows when it’s the right time to throw someone away,” Kaizen said, pulling his hand away. “Miasa is a short-sighted fool who lives only for the pleasures afforded to him in the present. Such a man is incapable of seeing any long-term goals to completion. Once I’m finished with him, I’ll leave you to do the honors of disposing him.”

That’s our family philosophy, isn’t it? Moji smiled. We’re all just leeches dressed up in silk and jewels. Just like how you used Mother and Miasa, I’ll be using you, Father. Don’t hold it against me. It’s how you raised us.

“I look forward to that, Father.”