The air in Metal City was thick enough to drink. Not like water – more like breathing soup that tasted of jasmine, sweat, and something sweet that might've been opium or might've been expensive perfume. Jin couldn't tell the difference anymore.
He crouched on the slanted roof tiles, watching the fancy folks down below getting ready for their big party. Golden lanterns bobbed everywhere like fireflies someone had caught and strung up on ropes. The canals sparkled with all the reflected light, and Jin could smell the street vendors grilling their spiced meat skewers even from up here.
"Damn rich people," he muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead. "Bet they never had to steal breakfast."
His stomach growled real loud, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since... when was it? Yesterday? The day before? Time got fuzzy when you were this hungry.
But tonight was gonna change everything. Tonight, he was gonna get enough coin to buy his little sister Mei out of Old Crow's gang. Maybe even enough to get them both out of the slums for good.
Down in the Grand Promenade, the nobles were starting to arrive in their fancy gondolas. Jin watched them through the cracked spyglass he'd stolen last month – ladies in silk dresses that probably cost more than his family made in a year, guys in masks covered with actual gold and jewels.
"Look at 'em," he whispered to nobody. "Floating around like they own the world."
And then he saw her.
Lady Amira Yellowstone stepped out of her gondola like she was walking on air instead of some wobbly boat dock. Her dress was this crazy emerald green that seemed to glow in the lantern light, and her mask... man, her mask looked like it was made of actual emeralds and gold. She moved different too – not like the other rich ladies who walked all stiff and proper. She moved like a cat. Like she knew exactly where she was going and exactly what she was gonna do when she got there.
"That's her," Jin breathed. "That's my ticket out of here."
See, Jin had been watching Lady Amira for weeks now. She was big news in the underground – word was she was trying to make some huge deal with the hidden council, something about a treaty that would change everything. And Jin had managed to swipe an invitation to tonight's masquerade ball right out of her courier's bag.
Well, okay, he'd knocked the guy out first. But it was a really gentle knock-out! The guy would probably wake up with just a small headache.
Jin scrambled across the rooftops, his bare feet finding holds between the tiles like he'd been doing this his whole life. Which, honestly, he pretty much had. When you grew up in the slums, you learned to climb before you learned to walk proper.
He dropped down into an alley behind the party, landing in a crouch next to a pile of flower crates. Perfect. Some servant had left them there, probably getting ready to decorate the pavilions.
"Jin, you beautiful genius," he whispered to himself, grabbing an armful of jasmine blossoms. "Sometimes I impress even myself."
He dusted off his best shirt – which wasn't really that good, but it was clean-ish – and tried to smooth down his messy black hair. Then he piled the flowers in a fancy basket he found, took a deep breath, and walked right up to the servants' entrance like he belonged there.
The guard was this big, muscle-y guy in silk robes that probably cost more than Jin's entire wardrobe. He looked Jin up and down with suspicious eyes.
"You're late," the guard growled.
Jin's heart started beating so fast he thought it might jump right out of his chest. But he'd learned a long time ago that the best way to lie was to act like you weren't lying at all.
"S-sorry, sir," he stammered, making his voice shake just a little. "Had trouble finding jasmine that was good enough for Lady Amira's pavilion. You know how she is about... about her flowers being perfect."
The guard's expression softened just a tiny bit. "Yeah, she's particular about that stuff. Go on then, but be quick about it. And don't touch anything that ain't flowers."
Jin nodded so hard his neck hurt. "Yes sir! Just flowers, sir!"
He practically ran inside before the guard could change his mind.
The party was... wow. Jin had never seen anything like it. The whole place was lit up with these floating lanterns that seemed to move on their own, casting shifting patterns of gold and red across the walls. Musicians played soft, dreamy music from hidden alcoves. Servants glided around with trays of food that smelled so good Jin's mouth started watering immediately.
And the people! Everyone was wearing masks – some simple, some elaborate, some that looked like they were carved out of precious stones. Ladies in dresses that swished and sparkled, gentlemen in fancy coats with more buttons than Jin could count.
"Focus," he whispered to himself. "Find Amira's pavilion, plant the listening crystal, get out."
The listening crystal was his most prized possession – a tiny thing he'd bought from a black market merchant with his last few coins. The guy had promised it would pick up conversations from fifty feet away and store them for a whole week. Jin sure hoped he wasn't lying.
He wandered through the party, trying to look like he knew where he was going. A few people glanced at him, but the flower basket seemed to be good camouflage. Just another servant doing servant things.
Lady Amira's pavilion was in the center of the garden, surrounded by fountains that sparkled with floating lily pads. It was beautiful – all draped in silk and decorated with more flowers than Jin had ever seen in one place. And there she was, standing in the middle of it all, talking to some other rich folks and looking absolutely gorgeous.
Up close, she was even more impressive. Her emerald mask covered half her face, but her dark eyes were sharp and intelligent. When she talked, people listened. When she smiled, it was like watching a sunrise.
But there was something else too. Something in the way she held herself, the way her eyes kept darting around the room like she was looking for someone. She was nervous about something.
Jin pretended to arrange flowers around the edge of the pavilion, getting closer and closer to where she was standing. His hands were shaking so bad he was surprised he didn't drop anything.
"...the council meeting is tomorrow night," one of the men was saying to Lady Amira. "Are you sure you can secure their votes?"
"I have to," she replied, and Jin caught something in her voice – desperation, maybe? "My family's trading empire depends on this Celestial Accord. Without it, we'll lose everything to the other houses."
"And if the accord goes through? What then?"
Lady Amira was quiet for a long moment. "Then the Earth Nation gets the resources it needs to... to defend itself."
But the way she said "defend" made Jin think she meant something else entirely.
He crept closer, pretending to fix a drooping orchid. That's when he saw her hand – she was clutching something small and round. A vial of some kind, filled with liquid that seemed to glow with its own light.
"The sun-fire elixir," she whispered to her companion. "He promised it would sway even the most stubborn council members."
"And the cost?"
"Worth it," she said firmly. "Whatever it takes to save my people."
Jin's blood went cold. Sun-fire elixir? He'd heard whispers about that stuff in the underground markets. It was supposed to be some kind of mind-control potion – made people agree to things they'd never normally agree to. And it was definitely illegal in all five nations.
This wasn't just about trade routes and business deals. This was about Lady Amira drugging the hidden council to get what she wanted.
He fumbled with the listening crystal, trying to plant it under the pavilion's decorative base without anyone noticing. His hands were shaking so bad now that he could barely hold onto the tiny device.
"Excuse me."
Jin's heart stopped. He looked up to see Lady Amira standing right next to him, those sharp dark eyes staring down at him through her emerald mask.
"Y-yes, my lady?" he managed to squeak out.
"Those jasmine blossoms are beautiful," she said softly. "Where did you get them?"
"From... from the flower market, my lady. Only the best for your pavilion."
She smiled, and it should have been a nice smile, but something about it made Jin's skin crawl. "You're very dedicated to your work. Most servants would have finished and left by now."
"I just... I want everything to be perfect for you, my lady."
"Perfect." She said the word like she was tasting it. "Yes, I appreciate perfection. Tell me, young man – what's your name?"
Jin's mind went blank. He couldn't give her his real name, but he couldn't think of a fake one either. "I... uh... I'm..."
"Jin."
They both turned. A man had appeared beside the pavilion – where had he come from? He was wearing a dark hooded cloak that seemed to swallow the lantern light, and when he spoke, his voice was smooth as silk but cold as winter.
"His name is Jin," the man repeated. "And he's been listening very carefully to our conversation."
Lady Amira's eyes widened behind her mask. "You know this boy?"
"I know many things, Lady Amira. Including the fact that young Jin here has been planning to sell information about tonight's meeting to the highest bidder."
Jin's legs felt like jelly. How did this guy know? How could he possibly know?
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Jin stammered, but his voice came out all high and squeaky.
The hooded man chuckled. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private."
"No!" Jin dropped the flower basket and tried to run, but his legs weren't working right. The whole garden seemed to be spinning around him.
Lady Amira caught his arm – not hard, but firm enough to stop him. "Easy, Jin. No one's going to hurt you."
"Yet," the hooded man added cheerfully.
"What... what do you want?" Jin whispered.
Lady Amira and the hooded man exchanged a look. Then she leaned down close to Jin's ear.
"We want to offer you a job," she said quietly. "A real job. With real money. Enough to buy your sister's freedom and set you both up for life."
Jin's brain felt like it was full of cotton. "What kind of job?"
"The kind that requires someone small, quick, and very, very quiet," the hooded man said. "Someone who can get into places where others cannot go."
"And if I say no?"
Lady Amira's grip on his arm tightened just a little. "Then you walk away from here tonight and forget everything you've heard. But your sister..." She shrugged. "Old Crow's gang has been having some financial difficulties lately. I hear they're planning to sell some of their... assets... to cover their debts."
Jin felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Mei. They were talking about selling Mei.
"You can't," he whispered. "She's just a kid."
"Which is exactly why she'll fetch such a high price," the hooded man said casually. "Unless, of course, you decide to help us."
The party continued around them – music and laughter and the smell of expensive food. But Jin felt like he was trapped in a nightmare.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked quietly.
Lady Amira smiled, and this time it was gentle. Almost motherly. "Nothing too difficult. Tomorrow night, when the hidden council meets, we need someone to deliver a small package. Someone who won't be noticed or questioned."
"The sun-fire elixir?"
"Among other things." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bag that clinked with the sound of coins. "This is just a down payment. There's ten times more waiting for you when the job is done."
Jin stared at the bag. More money than he'd ever seen in his life. Enough to save Mei. Enough to get them both out of Metal City forever.
But he'd also be helping Lady Amira drug the council into making a decision that might start a war.
"I need time to think," he said.
"Of course," Lady Amira said sweetly. "But not too much time. The council meets tomorrow at midnight. And Jin?" She leaned close again. "If you're thinking about running away... don't. We have friends everywhere in this city. There's nowhere you can go that we won't find you."
She let go of his arm and stepped back, her emerald dress rustling in the warm night air. The hooded man had already disappeared – Jin hadn't even seen him leave.
"Enjoy the rest of the party," Lady Amira said with that perfect smile. "And Jin? Think carefully about your decision. Your sister's life depends on it."
Jin stood there for a long moment, clutching the bag of coins and trying not to throw up. Around him, the party went on like nothing had happened. Beautiful people in beautiful masks, dancing and laughing and having the time of their lives.
He stumbled toward the servants' entrance, his head spinning. The guard barely glanced at him as he left – just another flower boy finishing his job.
But as Jin made his way through the steaming streets of Metal City, heading back toward the slums where his sister was waiting, he could still hear Lady Amira's voice echoing in his head:
"I'd burn this city to save my people."
And he realized that maybe she wasn't so different from him after all. They were both willing to do terrible things to protect the people they loved.
The only question was: how far was he willing to go?
Above him, fireworks bloomed over the palace like poisonous flowers, painting the night sky in shades of gold and blood.