A half-naked warrior emerged from the room's main entrance, his muscular physique gleaming in the dim light. As he approached the thrones' platform, he bowed deeply. "You summoned me, my lord?" he inquired.
Dahra's gaze slowly shifted from the cup beside him to Zlink. "With Ekeal presently engaged in another mission on my orders, you now must oversee the affairs of the middle wall in his stead," he instructed. "Ensure that no one in the kingdom becomes aware of my father's reappearance."
"Yes, my lord! I will do everything in my power to adhere to your orders!" Zlink replied. After a final, deferential bow, he took to the skies, disappearing into the night through the roofless opening above.
Dahra's gaze finally drifted back to Djuma, a mischievous, calculating glint spreading across his face. "I've heard rumors, Djumara, that my father possesses a certain... liability," he said. "Don't you think it would be prudent for me to acquire control over it?"
Though his intentions remained unclear, Djuma instinctively sensed that whatever was brewing in the depths of this demon's mind boded ill for all concerned.
His glare began to rekindle. "What do you want?" he thundered.
Dahra's response was a heinous, mirthless laughter that sent shivers down Djuma's spine. His dark eyes seemed to hint at imminent mischiefs lurking in the darkest recesses of his mind, striking fear into the hearts of all who beheld him.
This is not good!
*****
The early Saturday morning sunlight streaming through the window cast a warm glow over Mike's room. Rachael burst in, her footsteps light and urgent, as she hastened towards Stefan's slumbering form on the bed.
"Stefan! Stefan!! Wake up!" she called out as she tapped him urgently on the shoulder to rouse him from his slumber.
Stefan yawned and opened his eyes, stretching his limbs and arching his back in a languid motion. As he sat up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his gaze slowly focusing on Rachael's anxious face.
"Hey Rachael, what happened last night?" he asked, his voice husky from sleep. "Were we caught?"
"You almost sent us to our graves last night," Rachael replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "But that's the least of our worries now. We need to leave – fast – before my parents come out."
Her eyes darted toward the door as if she expected her parents to burst in at any moment.
Stefan swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes once more.
"Let's go already," he whispered.
The two of them crept downstairs, their footsteps quiet on the stairs, and slipped out of the house, disappearing into the morning mist in a specific direction.
*****
Mike woke up with a start, his eyes snapping open to meet with a startling close-up of Miram's face. Her features were inches from his.
"Holy shit!"
He recoiled, his body jerking violently as he swung to and fro in puzzlement. He was disoriented, unsure of what was happening or why Miram was staring at him with such an intense gaze.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" he demanded, his voice gruff with sleep. But Miram just smiled, her lips curving upwards in a gentle, enigmatic smile.
She said nothing, and her silence was more unnerving than any words could have been. With a sudden movement, she flipped, and the sleepher released their grip on her leg. She descended slowly to the floor below, her movements eerily graceful.
Mike watched her, still startled. "This girl is a weirdo," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
He struggled against the sleepher, trying to free himself from its grasp. But the tiny vines didn't budge, their hold remaining firm and tight on his legs.
Mike, hanging upside down, raised his head to look at Miram on the floor below. "How do I get this thing to let go of me?" he asked, frustration coming to his face.
"You have to be prepared to stand on your own for them to trust they can let you go," she responded.
Mike's brows arched in confusion. "I don't understand, what do you mean?" he quizzed, his frustration growing by the minute.
"The sleepher can sense our intentions," Miram explained. "It knows when we want to hang or unhang. Let's say the sleepher releases you now – what do you think would happen? You'll fall, and the sleepher wouldn't want that to happen."
Her words echoed into Mike's ears, a logical explanation that only added to his confusion.
Miram's wings unfurled and she leaped into the air, her wings beating in a powerful, rhythmic motion that propelled her toward Mike.
"All you need to do is trust the sleepher and let it know what you want," she explained. "And while doing that, you must be prepared to gain flight once it releases you. If you're not prepared, it won't let you go."
"This is really difficult. To sleep and wake up in peace on this planet is just too hard," Mike thought to himself. With a sigh, he unwrapped himself from his wings and unfurled them, preparing to take flight. The delicate membranes of his wings quivered with anticipation as he waited for the sleepher to release its grip.
Just then, the sleepher's grip loosened, and it released Mike, who almost plummeted toward the ground. However, he regained his flight, his wings beating wildly as he dived, descending softly onto the ground with a gentle thud.
Miram landed beside him, a soft, enigmatic smile playing on her lips. "You did it! I told you, everything is easier than you think if you don't overthink it," she exclaimed.
Mike couldn't help but smile. But soon, his smile faded, and seriousness took over. "Why were you staring at me earlier?" he inquired.
Miram shrugged. "I don't trust anyone here," she replied. "I had to protect you while you rested."
"Don't tell me... you didn't sleep throughout the night?" he asked.
"No one would have protected you if I did," she said nonchalantly. "My father strictly warned me to protect you with my life on the line." A faint smile crept onto her lips, and her voice took on a softer, more playful tone. "And additionally, I enjoyed watching your cute face. It's so addictive."
"I have someone I love, Miram," Mike said. "You can't say such a—"
"I know. It's the girl you talked to last night with your lav," Miram cut in. "You'll come to love me too, very soon. I'll become more beautiful than her, and you'll have no choice but to leave her."
Mike was taken aback, his face pale with shock. He shook his head frantically, his eyes wide with denial. "That's impossible, I could never do that," he said.
"You will," Miram insisted, her confidence startling Mike more. "I'm sure of it. Wait and let me become an adult first, you'll love me and become mine."
Mike couldn't fathom what could have driven her to speak so confidently. But he shrugged relentingly, concluding she was just being playful. "You're really weird," he whispered.
Miram's ears perked up. "What's 'weird'?" she asked.
Mike's eyes darted around the room, searching for a convincing response. "Ummm... It means I'm lucky to have you, my protector," he stuttered, forcing a smile.
The smile was unconvincing, but Miram didn't seem to notice. Her face lit up with a bright smile, her cheeks flushing with a delicate blush.
"Does 'weird' really mean someone you're lucky to have, someone you cherish?" she asked.
Mike nodded affirmatively, trying to appear convincing. "Yes, that's what it means," he replied awkwardly.
"Then, you're more weird," Miram said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm more lucky to be your protector. You're also someone I cherish."
Mike couldn't help but force a chuckle again, pretending to be delighted by Miram's words, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had just dug himself into a deeper hole.
"I'll really be in trouble if she finds out I lied to her," he thought to himself.