CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 393: FATHER TO SON

Ozia watched the magic shuttle of the foxes fly away with a pang of guilt and pain in his chest.

He didn’t know why he was feeling the way he was feeling right now. It felt foreign and forced, like an unwanted pregnancy he was forced to care for.

He thought about the kiss that Isabel had given him and couldn’t help but smile a little.

That arrogance that Ozia was known for seems to have been completely washed away as he wore a silly smile.

His chest felt tight, his body felt light.

"The world is about to end and you are here being tamed by a bloody vixen," Kael’s voice came from behind.

Ozia turned around with fear in his eyes to see his father standing there, tall and proud under the artificial night sky.

There was silence.

Ozia gazed at his father’s tall figure, wondering how long he had been standing there.

"Father...I..." Ozia stammered as he subconsciously took a step back.

"You were engaging in romantic activities with a fox. Romance, that’s what you were doing," Kael stated.

Ozia sighed, there was no use in trying to hide it, "Yes, Father."

Kael’s golden gaze rested on his son’s body, eyeing the boy up and down.

The boy was so young, yet already eager to taste the forbidden fruit.

"Walk with me, son," Kael said, then began walking leisurely with his hands behind his back.

Ozia obediently followed.

"Tell me, has she given you what you want from her?" Kael asked.

Ozia tilted his head, confused, "What do I want?"

"Do you even know what you want from her?" Kael asked, finding the situation a bit funny.

He wouldn’t have bothered himself at all if Ozia weren’t his son.

"I want a relationship with her," Ozia said after some thought.

Kael sighed, ’Even intelligent people can say stupid things,’ he thought to himself.

"That’s what I want from her," Ozia added, seeing that his father was uncomfortably silent.

"That’s not what you want Ozia, that’s what she wants you to think she wants," Kael finally said, confusing Ozia the more.

"Father, I don’t understand," Ozia said childishly.

"You want sex, Ozia. You want to pin that fox down and have your way with her," Kael said.

A glimmer of clarity flashed through Ozia’s eyes before they returned to normal.

"I wanted sex, now I want something more," Ozia admitted.

Kael shook his head, realizing that that fix lady already had his son by the hook.

"How do I explain this to you? You’re intelligent, you’ll understand anyways.

There are three stages in most relationships between two or more people, especially romantic relationships.

There’s the attraction stage, the negotiation stage, and the maintenance stage."

Kael paused as he stepped over a piece of stone and allowed Ozia to listen properly.

"The attraction stage is what most of us enjoy. You see a beautiful lady, you think you’ve fallen in love, maybe you are. Usually, this stage is initiated by lust and a desire for intimacy.

You saw the fox lady, she saw you. She’s attracted to your power and authority. You’re attracted to her beauty and charm.

No need to twist it.

Then there’s the negotiation stage. The tricky stage, the stage where a lot of people become stupid.

The parties involved in the relationship begin to subtly reveal their terms and conditions to stay in the relationship.

It could be financial support, it could be exclusivity to just them, it could be emotional intelligence, or in your case, your loyalty to just her alone."

Kael paused again.

Ozia’s eyes lit up with green pattern recognition runes as he began to recall behavioral models of different creatures and their biology. The terrifying level of intelligence began to flash strongly in his eyes again.

Kael continued.

"A lot of people lose focus on the goal at this stage. They forget that they are meant to set up their own conditions too.

I heard everything. She wanted to be sure that you wouldn’t leave her for the other females that would come your way.

Mind you, she knows that her status cannot reach up to yours. More so, she’s a fox.

Foxes are monogamous by nature and can be incredibly jealous, so her behavior and conditions are only natural.

However, you didn’t set your own conditions. You were so caught up in that vain feeling of attachment that you even forgot that you were a prince and could get anyone you want."

"But she’s the one I want," Ozia defended, albeit weakly.

"Then why haven’t you gotten her?" Kael asked.

Ozia was stunned, he didn’t know how to answer.

Indeed, if he wanted to have that fox lady to himself, he could. It didn’t matter whether she wanted to or not.

So why hadn’t he gotten her yet?

"You see. What does she offer you besides sex? You have everything except enough power, but she has you settling for sex like a fucking simp,"

Kael said the last part with a tinge of mockery to himself. It was unclear if he was still talking about Ozia and Isabel at that point.

Kael blinked, instantly coming back to reality before continuing.

"And it’s only going to get worse. She will drown you in love and confuse you with mixed signals.

As time passes, she’ll continue to make demands, knowing that you’re too in love to say NO.

She’ll continue pushing your boundaries without you knowing.

The worst part is that you will be completely okay with it, like a stallion whose only life purpose is to be ridden on by a rider.

That is the negotiation stage,"

The father and son walked in silence. Ozia’s memory was good, he would not forget these words ever.

He pondered on them, but didn’t think too much about his own case, as Kael expected.

Ozia was not in a state of mind right now to see any flaws in Isabel.

"And what about the third stage? Maintenance." Ozia asked.

"Oh, that’s hell or heaven, depending on who won the negotiation game in the second stage.

Let’s say you actually end up accepting all her conditions without knowing, you will be focused on keeping up your end of the bargain during the maintenance stage.

You will be focused on being there for her, always understanding her, keeping her happy, and other such stuff.

And in return, she gives you sex, which is only occasionally. Remember, you didn’t state your own conditions.

And mind you, if she ever feels dissatisfied with the maintenance stage, and she will eventually, she leaves, leaving you empty and broken.

After all, you just sacrificed a lot for someone who didn’t even bother to maintain their relationship with you."

"But if she leaves, no one would be able to give her what I give her," Ozia said.

Kael shrugged, "Meh, you can never truly give a female everything she wants. Eventually, she’ll find you lacking something and will find it somewhere else.

The best way to maintain a relationship is to handle it from the negotiation stage. State what you want and verify if you are capable of giving her what she wants.

An exclusive relationship with a fox? Ozia, don’t be stupid.

You’re a lion, lions have many. We’re polygamous by nature. Just because she says her fox kinsmen are doing it doesn’t mean you have to do it too.

You’re a lion, not a fox, you shouldn’t be settling for one. And if you’re settling for one, you shouldn’t be settling for less.

Don’t let that bubbly feeling of false love make you stupid, son. Don’t let her tame you," Kael ended.

The ground was dry, like the desert. But the air was moist and it didn’t feel like they were walking in a desert at all.

They continued walking in silence at a regular pace.

"Father," Ozia called, "Why did you take your time to tell me this?" He asked.

Kael’s aura was firm, "I know you won’t listen to me and I don’t have the desire to interfere in your relationships. But since I trust that your true instincts are still there, I can expect that you’ll experience some things later in the future.

You have a good memory. When those things eventually happen, you’ll remember the words I’ve given you.

Some don’t get to understand this concept until it’s too late..."

Ozia sensed that something was off with his father. His stern tone kept fading in and out.

He looked like a desolate traveler, a lone wanderer moving through the universe, unbothered by the dregs of mortal life.

"Thank you," Ozia said. He strongly believed that he wouldn’t have a need for Kael’s lengthy advice. But he still had the desire to stash this information somewhere in an info orb.

"Father, what did you mean when you said the world was about to end," Ozia asked.

"Oh, the world IS about to end. Operation Exodus will soon begin. All you need to do is get ready," Kael said nonchalantly.

Ozia frowned, "Ready for what, Father?"

Kael stopped walking and looked up at the sky which was a reflection of the real sky in the real world. The stars shine brightly above.

"Get ready for war."