"My Jyuran!" Miram cried out in alarm, her voice echoing through the room as she dived after Mike, her wings beating rapidly as she tried to reach him before he hit the ground.
But it was too late, Mike's body hit the ground with a loud and heavy thud.
"I'm fine, really fine. It's not really painful," Mike said as he stood up from the ground, forcing a smile to conceal the pain that was evident on his face. His grimace betrayed his words, but he tried to reassure Miram that he was okay.
"I didn't say you should hit it," Miram said. "I said, stick your legs into the ceiling. The sleepher will hang you if you do it right."
"Let's give it one more try, it's easier than you think," she added, and with that, both of them leaped up into the air again.
"Watch me again," she said, and with a fluid motion, she flipped upside down. In the blink of an eye, she was hanging from the ceiling, her body suspended effortlessly.
Mike was surprised, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. Why was it so easy for her, but so difficult for him?
He followed her directions, but once again, he ended up falling down, his body thudding against the ground.
"I guess you won't be resting tonight," Miram mumbled to herself.
However, Mike's super hearing ability allowed him to pick up on her words. "I'm not giving up," he said. "I'll continue trying till I get it. I just don't understand how it's so hard to sleep on this planet."
"It's not difficult; you're just overdoing it," Miram said. "It's more like you're flying, but with your head down. Try it now."
Mike leaped into the air once more, following Miram's example. He turned to face the ceiling, his eyes fixed on the soft, sticky surface. With a deep breath, he flipped his body over, sticking his feet into the ceiling. But nothing happened.
Mike closed his eyes, bracing himself for his inevitable fall. He waited for the familiar sensation of weightlessness, followed by the jarring impact of hitting the ground. But it didn't come.
After a moment of contemplation, he opened his eyes and glanced down at his feet. And to his amazement, he saw a black vine holding his feet to the ceiling.
The vine was thin and wiry, but it seemed to be made of a material that was both flexible and incredibly strong.
Just then, a bunch of more black vines shot forth from the ceiling, wrapping around his legs and tightening them to the ceiling. Mike felt a gentle tug as the vines secured him in place, holding him suspended upside down. He looked up at Miram, who was watching him with a smile.
Her face lit up with excitement. "That's it! You finally did it!" she exclaimed, appearing more thrilled than Mike himself, her enthusiasm infectious.
"Now you're hanging, my Jyuran!"
The vines that held Mike's feet in place rang a bell in his head, and he suddenly recognized them as the same type that had held his feet from falling earlier in the palace.
A look of understanding crossed his face, and he felt a sense of wonder at the strange yet ingenious way the Anthropters slept.
Mike couldn't help but smile as he felt a sense of accomplishment at having finally mastered the art of sleeping like an Anthropter.
"Those tiny ropes are generally called sleepher," Miram explained. "How does it look?"
Mike thought for a moment, closing his eyes to grasp the type of emotion he was feeling. "This feels strangely relaxing and..." he began, his voice trailing off as he searched for the right words.
"Comfortable, right?" Miram completed his sentence.
Mike's eyes snapped open. "Yeah!" he affirmed. "Whoa! I feel like I'm in paradise!"
"What's a paradise?" Miram asked, her gaze probing
"A place you go when you die," Mike replied.
"Have you been to paradise before?"
"Hell no! I'm very much alive, obviously. Why'd you ask that?"
Miram shrugged, her expression nonchalant.
"Nothing, I was just curious when you said earlier that you felt like you're in a paradise, it left me confused."
"Ahh dammit! It was just a hyperbolic word!" Mike clarified, taking a deep breath once more. He hoped that his explanation would put an end to Miram's curiosity, but instead, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
"Hyper... what!?" she inquired.
Mike regretted his words, realizing that he had only managed to stimulate her interest further. He knew not what to say and he decided to end the conversation.
"Never mind, let's just sleep tonight, Miram, okay?" he said.
Miram nodded, deciding to bury her curiosity beneath her for the time being, and they both settled in for the night.
"Hey Mike!"
"Yes? What?" Mike replied, staring at Miram.
"What, my Jyuran?" Miram asked.
"Didn't you call my name just now?" Mike said, his eyes locked onto Miram.
Miram shook her head slowly. "I didn't, I won't dare call you by your name," she replied.
"What does she mean by 'she won't dare to call me by my name'?" Mike mumbled to himself. "Like father, like daughter, am I their king or what?" he scoffed under his breath. "Then where did my name come…"
"It's me, dumbass. Do you forget you have a communication device in your neck?" The voice came again, this time louder.
"Oh, Christina. Hi there."
"Hey, I miss you," Christina said.
"Ditto, are you alright?"
"Yeah! What about you?"
"Tired, but your voice has recharged me."
For a moment, Christina remained quiet, and Mike could almost imagine her blushing on her bed or wherever she was.
Miram made a sound with her nose that sounded like a snort of disgust. She glared at Mike for a moment. Then, she turned around, wrapping her whole body with her wings, effectively shutting herself off from him.
But Mike couldn't care less; he was too engrossed in his conversation with the person he loved. Her voice was a soothing balm to his stressful day. He felt his tension ease as he listened to her gentle tone.
"Your sister and Stefan are alright, I know you will definitely ask," she said. "I left them at your house about two hours ago."
"Thank you, I really appreciate you guys," Mike said.
"You should do that when you come back to Earth. We want to see your genuine expression as you shed tears of appreciation," Christina said, her words were tinged with sarcasm, but Mike could sense the sincerity behind them.
He nodded, his lips curling into a smile. "Yeah, that's true. I should show you guys my sincere appreciation," he said, feeling a sense of gratitude toward Christina and the others who had accepted him for who he was and had been supporting him ever since they learned of his problematic new identity.
"Have you eaten?" Christina asked.
However, Mike's expression turned somber. "I ate poop, and I don't want to talk about it now. The thought of it makes me want to throw up over and over again."
Christina's laughter echoed through the Lav, a warm and infectious sound that seemed to fill Mike's head.
"Was it delicious? Err... never mind, you said you don't want to talk about it," she said.
Mike couldn't help but chuckle at Christina's teasing, despite the unpleasant memory of his meal. He hated to admit it but he'd never tasted anything as delicious as the disgusting dinner.
"What's the time over there?" Christina asked.
"I don't know, but it's late here, possibly around 10pm," Mike replied.
Christina became quiet for a moment, probably to check the time on her phone. The silence was brief, and she soon replied.
"OMG! It's night here. Also; it's 10:27 p.m. I just can't believe this!" She exclaimed, and Mike could sense her astonishment even from a distance.
"Whoa! I guess both planets experience day and night simultaneously," he said. The fact that their two planets, which were presumably light-years apart, shared the same day-night cycle was a truly astounding coincidence.
"I guess you have so much to tell me, isn't there?" she asked. Mike nodded and hummed, his thoughts racing with all the incredible experiences he had accumulated since his arrival on the alien planet.
"Hmm-Mmm, a whole lot of unbelievable discoveries," he replied, his words trailing off as he searched for the right words to express himself. "If I tell you I'm hanging upside down right now, would you believe it?"
"You mean... like a real bat!?" Christina squealed.
Mike chuckled, amused by Christina's reaction. "Yeah, and strange enough, it's comfortable," he said, his reply sparking another burst of laughter from Christina.
Mike regaled her with tales of his encounters on the alien planet, sharing with her the incredible sights and experiences he had accumulated during his time there.
Their discussion went on into the simultaneous nights of the two planets.