[Age 5: Your father befriends a Snezhnayan working at the Northland Bank. That man tells him Snezhnaya is currently encouraging foreign investment, offering many favorable business policies.]
[Liyue's jade is extremely popular in Snezhnaya, and the market there is still untouched. It is the perfect chance to make a fortune.]
[Since your father mainly deals in jade, he is tempted by the idea.]
[Age 6: After months of researching the Snezhnayan market, your father confirms that the Northland Bank friend was telling the truth. After discussing it with your mother, they decide to move to Snezhnaya for business.]
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Seriously? Just hearing Snezhnaya already sounded dangerous.
And that so-called friend was from the Northland Bank, which was even worse.
[Your parents get along extremely well. Your mother refuses to be separated from her husband, and decides to bring you along so the whole family can move together to Snezhnaya.]
…Great. A whole family combo headed straight for danger.
Marching together into Snezhnaya to die.
[You show strong resistance toward the move.]
[All your friends are in Liyue, and you can't bear to leave them.]
[You lock yourself in your room and refuse to open the door for anyone. Your parents are helpless.]
[In the end, it's your ghost friends who convince you.]
"Liyue people always return to their roots. You'll come back someday."
"We can see each other in a few years. Even if your parents don't return, you can visit us when you grow up."
"Kael, you're a good kid. You'll definitely find new friends in Snezhnaya."
[Reluctantly, you agree to your parents' decision.]
[On the day you leave Liyue, you cry so hard your breath keeps breaking.]
[You shout at your friends, "You… you all have to… you have to wait for me, okay?!"]
[Every ghost who knew you comes to see you off. They smile as they wave goodbye to the tear-streaked little boy.]
[Age 7: Your father's business thrives in Snezhnaya.]
[Since Snezhnaya's environment is harsh and its relations with Liyue are tense, few Liyue merchants are willing to come.]
[Beautiful, warm-toned Liyue jade is incredibly scarce in Snezhnaya, and shipments pour in endlessly.]
[Your father monopolizes the jade market.]
[He earns a huge fortune, and your new house in Snezhnaya is far larger than the one in Liyue, a luxurious Snezhnayan-style mansion with many spacious rooms.]
[But you still prefer your Liyue home. Even though you've always been able to see ghosts, the size of this house makes it feel unsettling.]
[Fortunately, you make a new friend here.]
[A blonde girl with blue eyes named Katarina. She is about your age. She tells you she was once the noble daughter who lived in this house, and that she died from a fever when she was young. Her soul has lingered here for centuries.]
[Katarina tells you, "Snezhnaya is really cold. Kids get sick easily. If you're not careful, you'll catch a fever like me… and then you'll die."]
[Your mother can only stare helplessly at you, wrapped in so many layers you look like a ball.]
"It's not even autumn yet. Aren't you hot wearing all that?"
[You're drenched in sweat, but you stubbornly refuse to take off a single layer. Every time your mother tries to undress you, you bawl at the top of your lungs.]
"I don't want to! I'm not taking it off! I'll freeze to death!!!"
[Katarina also tells you she once had a cousin who died from falling down the stairs.]
[From then on, whenever you go downstairs, you take it step by step like an elderly man.]
[Katarina tells you more…]
[And in every story, a child dies in some horrible way.]
[Eventually, you notice her stories start repeating and contradicting each other.]
[You finally realize Katarina has been lying to you.]
"I'm never playing with you again!!!"
[You stop talking to her for several days, but eventually, a heavy Snezhnayan snowfall brings you back together. She keeps you company as you build snowmen in the courtyard, and the two of you make up.]
[Age 8: Your mother becomes pregnant, and your whole family is overjoyed.]
[Even though you've always had many ghost friends, you know they aren't the same as having a real sibling.]
[Soon, you'll have a friend everyone can see.]
[You gently press your ear to your mother's belly as she watches you with glowing eyes.]
[She smiles. "Kael, when the baby is born, you need to take good care of them, alright?"]
[You beam. "Mm, I will!"]
[In your heart, you swear to yourself that you will be the best big brother in the world.]
[Age 9: The baby is born. You now have a little sister, and her name is Chenxi.]
[Snezhnaya is cold, so your mother hopes she can become a warm ray of morning light against the frost.]
[Your sister is tiny and soft, lying in your mother's arms, impossibly cute.]
[Sometimes, your mother lets you hold her.]
[You cradle her awkwardly and stare at her big round eyes, thinking she's the prettiest thing in the world.]
[Pride fills your chest. You're convinced you have the cutest sister in existence.]
[After Chenxi is born, your father comes home less and less.]
[His work keeps him so busy you sometimes go an entire month without seeing him.]
[But taking care of your sister keeps you occupied, easing the ache of missing him.]
[The last time you saw your father, he promised to bring you ten Mr. Cyclops toys. You wonder when you'll finally get them.]
A knot tightens in Kael's stomach.
This felt like the calm before the storm…
Something bad was coming.
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Next Target 550PS :)