Story Continues... Barely. It's Future is on Royal Road

Jamie stood in disbelief as he stared at his son and the other man, speechless. It wasn't possible for his son to be alive. He had hoped and prayed to every god he could think of to bring his son back.

"Maybe god does exist." He muttered to himself, as he gingerly approached Kairo; struggling to hold back his tears.

"Dad, I didn't die. It's how Genie explained it, I was transported to another world." Kairo soberly stated, doing his best not to be emotional before his father. It hit him that he had returned home after such an ordeal and absence. "I'm... home."

Jamie's hand trembled as he tentatively touched his son's cheek. All his pent-up emotions were released, with tears streaming his cheeks. His lips trembled with a weak smile.

"You're home. Son, you're truly home."

Both father and son embraced in a warm hug filled with relief and reunion. Genie smiled with longing as he watched the men crying and getting all their emotions out of the way.

"I'm sure Brother is doing fine." He sighed with hope. He had rushed off with Kairo into another world. If he had to be honest with himself, their decisions were made through adrenaline. But there was no way either of them could defeat Alric and his insane schemes on Lucasyna.

But could they truly stop his father on Earth? Genie shook his head, there was no other option. I can't see Earth fall to the fate Lux had almost suffered.

"You said my son is your mating-partner?"

Genie's thoughts returned to his present situation and Jamie's question. The man's eyes were swollen with spent tears, but his demeanor was calm and steady, strongly resembling Kairo's. He bowed with his respects. "My name is Genie Marsh."

"Dad, um, Genie's my boyfriend." Kairo candidly stated as his fingers fidgeted with his sleeve. He stared at his father with concern. He had never had a relationship before, so the uncertainty was worrying him.

Jamie's eyes widen with bewilderment, then lower with a nod. He still wasn't sure how to reaction to seeing his son alive and standing before him with another man who was his lover. It was sudden and still leaving him in shock, but he was able to remain composed. All that truly mattered was his son's return. Everything else can be sorted out later.

Genie felt giddy by Kairo's directness of their relationship; feeling further love for him.

"Where did you go?" Jamie held his son's arm, reluctant to let go in case it was all a dream.

Kairo heaved a weary sigh and eased out of his grasp to face him squarely. "I'm sorry for putting you through trouble, dad."

Kairo's so lucky. Genie nodded, seeing why Kairo could be so upstanding. His lover had supportive parents. But I'm lucky too with Brother. It was because of him he could grow to be someone decent too.

He thought over the years Lyon had been shielding, protecting and bringing him back to home. He had been more than his older sibling by seven years, he took over the duty of being a parent at a young age.

"Too young," He sighed.

"Genie." Jamie said to interrupt Genie's thoughts. "I'm sure both of you are hungry, let's go to the kitchen. I'll make you something."

Kairo grabbed Genie's hand as he led him down the hall, and through a simple door to enter a quaint kitchen and dining area. Again, Genie was amazed they could fit in the kitchen half the size of the villa's.

"I know what you're thinking, yes, we can cook and eat in this half-sized kitchen," Kairo offhandedly commented, which had Genie chuckling. It broke the atmosphere of stifling emotions to make the present more cozy and warm.

Kairo smiled as he offered a seat at the table to Genie, and placed a glass of juice before him.

Genie leaned on his elbow as he he watched Kairo and his father putter around the kitchenette setting, having a good bonding moment.

An uneasy feeling stirred within both his hearts, as the fact remained that he and Kairo weren't normal people on either of their planets. They were Cosmic Mages, and no doubt once others discovered their existence, it would bring harm to Kairo's family.

I have to ensure their protection.

He beamed with a smile when Kairo placed a steaming plate of rice and beef curry on the table, then eased onto the seat beside him.

"What is this?" Genie innocently examined the fluffy and sticky pile of steaming white grain on the plate.

"Oh, right, there was no rice in the Palace of Princes." Kairo commented and showed him how to eat it.

"Rice?" Genie frowned as he held a spoonful before his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was wise to eat it, as the morsels looked like a bunch of dead Gremilin Bugs. "They look like bugs. Are Earthuns so desperate for food they need to eat zippy zoids."

Kairo spluttered out his rice. "Just... eat it, it's fine."

But Genie pushed his rice away, still unconvinced, and ate the curry instead. "This is so tasty!"

Jamie, chuckled. He was ecstatic Kairo had returned healthy and normal, and his boyfriend was certainly a looker and seemed to be a good character.

"Boyfriend?" He wondered if Kairo had actually eloped, because he wasn't sure how to tell him he was gay and had a boyfriend. But did his son really need to invent a 'transport to another world' story to try and convince him?

He carefully observed Genie, and how close he and his son were with each other. Their subconscious and instinctive inclination to be together said it all.

"Son, it's okay. I understand."

"Dad?" Kairo stared at him, perplexed.

"You didn't need to run away. If you told me you were gay, I would accept it as long as you're the son I know." Jamie's eyes welled with tears. "Just thinking you were dead was hard."

"Wait. Dad, I didn't run away. I was unexpectedly transported to another world. I told you this."

Genie frowned with a serious question. "By the way, is it customary for Earthuns to keep items of the dead in the rooms where they had lived?"

Both men gave him blank stares.

Jamie sighed as he explained that he wasn't ready to let go of his son's things, being only a month since the disappearance. And was encouraged by the Arnum representatives to hold on to his items, for remembrance reasons.

"Remembrance reasons." Genie's frowned deepened when he glanced at his hands, seeing and feeling the sparks of magic, which made his skin tingle with sinister vibes.

Kairo also felt the creepy magic to his skin, and noticed the flow of energy was strongest when he moved his hand closer toward the direction of his room.

Genie slipped into his Spirit Network to open an area scan spell, and detected a magical aura from the Baroque closet. He closed down his scan and exited his network.

"Something's not right, Kairo. Protect your father, I'm going to take another look at your closet,"   he said to Kairo via their mind-link, rose, and excused himself from the table to return to the room.

A short while later, an explosion and screams rebounded around the house. Kairo swiftly raced for his room and saw a scene that made his heart race at seeing one of his worst fears before him.