The dragon's tone grew somber. "There is something inside me that compels me to do that. If such a situation arises, I won't be able to make the choice I want to make. And I don't want that. I want to make a choice right now, when I can."
"But you have a choice," Pearl said. "You have autonomy."
The dragon scoffed. "Autonomy? There's no such thing. What you see is a lie. A fake sense of autonomy. The only reason I can speak so openly is because he wants me to. The moment he tells me to stop, I will never be able to say a single word again."
"Brother is a good person, Father. He won't ever—"
"Son, do you still not understand? I can never be your father. Not the way I am. Not the way you want me to be."
Pearl's eyes filled with tears. "What if I still don't care?"
"Then, do you really believe I'm your father?" Qing Tianchui, the blood beast, asked.
"Yes!" Pearl shouted.
"And do I have a choice?" he asked, turning toward Alex.
"Always," Alex said.
