003

'How can I help you, madam?' His voice is like a firm and playful rumbling of asteroids, warm as it orbits the sun. My arms tightly wrapped around his waist and my legs entangled on his left leg, and it doesn't seem like a bother to him. My tongue tied. Unfortunately, I found that his pants were pulled down because of me and half of his abdomen was exposed… almost revealing his…

"Ah—!" I released my hold unconsciously. "AAAAAAAAHH!!" Then the darkness of the bottom sucks me! But what awaits me at the bottom is a huge trampoline that made me bounce back 3 times before I finally lied down. I can't even float! My hair is all over my face. At first I couldn't move a muscle from extreme shock. It took me more than 3 minutes of chasing my breath before I could finally move my arms.

I leaned on both arms and pushed myself up, quivering. My body feels so heavy that this is all I could do. But this is Earth… I'm finally on Earth! I made a weak laughter. Until I feel like throwing up! 

"Relax, or you'll faint," the man earlier advised. 

He's walking down the stairs, spins the umbrella and it reshapes into a wooden cane. I find it strange that he's wearing a black cape blazer and formal uniform suit underneath while I badly want to strip my dress drench on my own sweat. I still can't see his face so I unbuckle my helmet. 

"I said, relax." 

"It's uncomfortable… And how can you tell I'll faint?" 

"Heavy breathing, nausea, blurred vision, thirst… But I guess fainting is your body's best response for now." He stands outside the trampoline, one hand in the pocket. "How did you get down here? Did you jump from a plane? Were you skydiving? Or, I didn't see an air balloon around…" 

"I came from space." I emphasized my last word as I removed my helmet and released it. For a moment I was confused why it dropped instead of floating. Even the graceful veil dress isn't floating smoothly with my motions. I just fan myself with my hands. "Why is it so hot in here? Aren't you hot? Is it really this hot on Earth?" 

He's looking at me but he's not speaking. I observe his position and attempt to mimic it, yet my legs are helplessly heavy and weak at the same time. 'Standing' is what they call it, a position that requires gravity. 

"You're serious?" he finally spoke. "Space?" 

"You heard me right." 

"Well… as for someone who came from a -150 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, Earth is a hot place. When normally, it's not. Especially in the middle of the night like this hour."

"I swear I didn't come from there. It's just… the air… my body… feels different." 

"You are hot." 

I stabbed him with my sharp glance. Until I realized that my body curves are sticking to my wet clothes. "Urgh…" Disgusting!

"You are hot to the point of dehydration." He steps on the trampoline to me. "Let's go somewhere that will meet your medical assistance." He lends me a hand to stand. I wholeheartedly used his hand to pull myself up, but then again I can't understand this 'balance' people on Earth are writing about! He let me hold both of his hands and tried to stand again, and stumbled for the nth time!

"Is… Is this really gravity? It's so heavy…!" I tried with the leap this time but I only stumbled flat, I just barely saved myself by holding tight on his hands! 

"You really came from space," it surprised me that he carried me in his arms, "because you're spacing out from facts," he said huskily. I'm so tired I can't argue, and I found rest in his arms instead. 

♛♛♛

I blink into wakefulness in a strange room. It's a small room painted with light and bright colors. I'm also in pajamas that aren't mine. I sat down beside the bed. The ground is the same, it feels like I'm being sucked in. But while I'm seated, I can flatten my soles on the floor. I positioned my feet with a proper distance and concentrated all my strength on my knees, and I just partly lifted my butt from the bed when I fell sideward. 

Thankfully, there's a table beside where I could hold and get me back seated. I can't meet my prince crawling like a toddler! There's a letter on the table that just caught my attention:

'Do not stand on your own.'

I just did.

'Ring this bell once you are awake.' 

A top call bell was prepared for me. I tapped it twice, waiting for something to happen, then I tapped it continuously. A voice of a woman approaches along with the sound of her footsteps. "Is it ringing now?" The door swung open, and a woman in her 40s peeked out. "My! Good morning! How are you feeling?" 

Her thin and tied up hair, commoner shirt and shorts underneath an apron feels like I was greeted by a normal mother. 

"Scholars from Venduque brought you here for shelter. I did the rest with your hygiene. We can also assist you to rehabilitation for you to regain your physical capabilities. Would that be okay?" 

"U-uuhm…" She genuinely cares but I'm lost in words. 

"Right! My name is Tony. And this is my house! You can stay here until you feel better. How about you?" 

"Just… call me Ashlene." 

"That sounds lovely. And your family?" 

"Von Luxengarde." 

"Hmmm, never heard of that. You must be far. Do they know you're here? Were you riding a plane and a crash happened? Oh, that's so tragic! Do you have your family contacts? We have to let them know you're alive." 

"Wait, wait, wait! No." She's getting doleful with her own answers to her questions! "I-I'm from planet Stell. And I did not come here by accident," I confessed. I told her the basics of Stell and how I slipped through their noses and ended up here. And it seems that Stell is not a familiar part of the universe. Perhaps it was born as a refuge. 

"I see…" She scratches her head. "Would you like some tea? I have prepared something that will relax your muscles." 

"Yes, thank you…" There was a shift to cheerfulness on Ms. Tony's face as she left the room. I'm starting to see that this is going to be complicated. People here think I'm crazy for jumping from space. I have no family nor connections, no personal possessions, no background. Just me and my baby face that can entice anyone to support me!

"So tell me." 

"Ah!" I fell on the floor, shivering just by hearing his voice! It's him, the man last night. And he magically appeared behind me on the bed! 

"Tell me more about yourself." 

"How did y—!? How long have you been there!?"

He's seated, leaning his elbows on his knees, looking to the very core of my soul with those sultry glances. He's only wearing pants and white button-down shirt that looks tight on him, sleeves are rolled up that reveals his arm veins, making him look more intimidating—creepy to be precise. "You're not an astronaut, neither a skydiver and plane passenger of any sort. Perhaps an alien who's planning to invade this Earth?"

"Sir! I did not come here powerless to be accused as an invader! And I'm a human!"

"Spies act like fools too to gain sympathy." 

"Spies blend into society. I don't!"

"Good point. So why did you come here?" He flipped the black and gold badge pinned on his necktie. "I am an inspector. I have the authority to send you in jail if you were proven lying and planning catastrophe against our people—"

"Oooh, no, no, no! I promise! I'm not an alien." 

"Then why are you here?" 

Do I really have to tell this to a man!? I hid my burning face under my palm. 

"Ms. Ashlene." 

"I'm looking for Prince Almidoron of Beaumont!"

"Why?" 

"To convince him into marriage!"

"..."

"With me!"

"..." He looked at me from head-to-toe. "... You jumped from space down here without a parachute… for that?"

"Because I was forced into a marriage with an old man and a man like you wouldn't understand." 

"That's not the problem here." His sigh is heavier than my problems. "You were so close to death. I cannot conclude if you're brave or just ignorant. This is Earth's gravity," he stands up and lifts a picture frame, and when he releases it, the glass shatters on the floor, "the longer the gravity pulls something, the stronger the impact when it hits the solid ground. Similarly, the higher something falls, the higher the chance of its damage. This could've happened to you."

My mouth went dry in fear.

"But," he picks the broken frame and drops it on the bed, "when two hard objects collide, the impact can often lead to destruction or damage. However, when a hard object collides with a softer, more elastic object, the outcome can be less destructive and even result in the preservation of both objects. Gravity is a fundamental force at play in these interactions."

"I understand now…" I shrugged. "I guess I'm brave because I'm ignorant." 

"Yah, I'll give you that," he uttered scratchily. He stands in front of me and lends a hand, again. 

"No. I can do this." I observe his feet very scrupulously; soles lie flat, thrice the span from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the middle finger. I kneel first and lean on my arms on the floor as I rely my weight on my legs, and fall down eventually from extreme numbness. I tried again. But my reference crosses his right leg in front of his left leg sideward. "What… How did you do that!? You've mastered gravity!"

"Wow. I never thought I'd get a compliment just by standing."

"Because," I struggled to stand again, "it's not something so simple for me— Ah!" My knees bump on the floor again. I groaned! I figured I'm tragically helpless in front of him, but I was startled the second he lifted me up from behind on my underarms. I was pulled backward on his warm chest, one strong arm girded my waist to keep me from falling, and I gasped when he lowered his face on my shoulder to see and put his feet under my soles. 

"When you stand, don't look at your feet. Or the head will weigh you down up front," he instructed in a soft and calming volume. I'm gripping his arms, and he walks me as if my weight doesn't burden him. "When you walk, you shift weights to left then right… left then right. It's not required to start left, by the way." 

It's hard to identify if my heart is galloping because I'm walking or because I've never been this close to a man! All I could do is lightly chew my bottom lip, focusing on shifting weight while his breath touching my neck keeps seducing my attention! He holds me tight on my waist when he removes his feet under my soles. Both of them lie flat. 

"Now walk," he hushed. 

He's there behind me to keep my balance with every step I make. Slowly he removes his arm from my waist but rough hands remain on my hips, still gripping on his arms. Oxygen is way more abundant in this world but I'm struggling with breathing! I took two steps. I became stiff when he totally released me, but I'm standing on my own. 

I've already fixed my balance but now I have to shift weight, but I know he's still there so I dared. I stepped on my left, then my balance started to crash. I continued anyway and I didn't last a second, I fell. However, the ground did not touch me because he caught me in his lap after he fell with me. 

"I did it… I did my first step!" I cheered. "Thank you so much— Uh… you're?" 

"Haris." 

"Haris? Reminds me of someone I know." And I believe he must be a hot-and-cold person, but since he's within reach then I can benefit with our connection in implementing my purpose here. Moreover, he's just around my age or older. We can ride in the same vibe. "Haris, can we be friends?" 

He sweetly smiles at me and evens his face on mine. "No." 

I swear my days on Earth will be a beautiful disaster with this man around!