A Dream Beyond the Wild

Chapter 2

After arriving at the forest park, the three of them stood near the tree line in quiet reflection.

Kai turned toward Noah, a warm, bright smile spreading across his face. “Let’s make a promise.”

Noah and Maya both looked at him, waiting.

“No more dragging ourselves through sadness,” Kai said, his voice firm yet gentle. “No more crying in secret. From today onward, we live like we used to. We become us again.”

Noah took a long, deep breath, letting the fresh forest air fill his lungs before giving a small nod. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I need to hear,” Kai said, clapping his hands together with renewed energy. “Alright! First on the agenda: we’re going fishing!”

“Okay,” Noah replied, feeling a small weight lift from his chest. “I’ll go grab some fish bait.”

The government camping site had a small convenience store near the entrance for visitors. Leaving Kai and Maya near the trail, Noah headed toward the shop alone.

As he walked, however, his mind began to drift back to the vivid dream, the unknown fruit, and the strange pull he felt toward the deep woods. Lost in thought, he wasn’t paying the slightest attention to where his feet were carrying him.

Thud!

Noah collided hard with a broad shoulder, sending him tumbling backward onto the unpaved path.

“Ouch...” Scrambling to his feet without even looking up, Noah immediately snapped, “Hey! Are you blind or something? Watch where you’re going!”

The person he ran into didn’t budge an inch. Standing completely still, he answered in a deep, cool tone, “Before you start throwing blame around, you should try looking at the path ahead of you.”

Noah looked up, ready to argue—and the words died in his throat.

Standing before him was a tall, remarkably handsome young man. He had sun-kissed skin, messy yet stylish dark hair, a sharp, structured jawline, and striking eyes that seemed almost unreal in the morning sunlight. His broad shoulders and athletic frame made him look like an immovable wall.

For a brief second... Noah completely forgot what he was about to say.

Then, his stubborn pride flared right back up.

“I was watching where I was going!” Noah argued, dusting off his jeans and stepping closer. “Maybe you’re the one who needs to pay attention, you fool.”

The stranger raised a single, unbothered eyebrow. “A fool? Are you an owl or something?”

Noah blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“You’re walking around in broad daylight completely blind to what’s right in front of you, and yet you’re still standing there arguing,” the stranger replied calmly, unfazed by Noah’s temper.

Noah’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you just call me?!”

Before their argument could escalate any further—

“Ethan!” a loud voice called out from further down the path. “What’s taking you so long? We’re waiting for you!”

The tall stranger—Ethan—glanced over his shoulder toward his friends. “You guys never listen,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Without another word to Noah, he turned to leave.

A few seconds later, one of Ethan’s friends jogged over, looking back and forth between Noah’s angry face and Ethan’s indifferent posture.

“What happened here?” the friend asked, looking at Noah. “Did you do something to my friend?”

“No...” Noah folded his arms across his chest, glaring straight at Ethan’s back. “...but actually, yes.”

He pointed an accusing finger at Ethan. “Your friend is a stubborn donkey!“Ethan’s friend grinned, thoroughly entertained.

“A donkey?” he repeated with a bark of laughter. “Man, you’d better keep that word to yourself. Don’t ever say that in front of him ... unless you want to end up six feet under.”

Giving Noah a playful nod, he turned and jogged back toward Ethan.

A few moments later, Kai walked up, looking around. “There you are! What took you so long to buy simple bait?”

Noah folded his arms, glaring down the path where the tall stranger had disappeared. “If I ever see that guy again, I’m going to make him bite the dust, just like he made me fall.”

Kai blinked, looking at Noah in complete confusion. “What in the world are you talking about?”

Noah rubbed the back of his neck, grumbling under his breath. “Nothing.”

Kai narrowed his eyes playfully. “Did you completely lose your mind while buying fish food?”

Noah rolled his eyes, lightly swatting the back of Kai’s head before marching past him toward the campsite. “Shut up and let’s go.”

“Ow!” Kai rubbed his head, staring at Noah’s back. “Hey! What did I do to deserve that?!” he called out, quickly running to catch up.

The rest of the evening passed peacefully.

They spent the afternoon fishing by the lake, cooking their catch over a grill, sharing old stories, and singing along to music around a roaring campfire. For the first time in months, the three cousins truly tried to keep the promise they had made to one another.

No more tears.

No more drowning in sorrow.

Even if the ache in their hearts hadn’t magically vanished... they were going to keep moving forward, together.

Late that night, after the fire had died down to glowing embers and everyone was fast asleep inside the tent, Noah dreamed again.

Only this time... it wasn’t blurry.

Everything was crystal clear.

It was the same unfamiliar landscape—a vast, untouched forest bathed in an otherworldly light. And there, hanging silently from a tree he couldn’t name, was the mysterious, glowing fruit. It felt so close, so tangible, that he could almost reach out his hand and pluck it from the branch.

“Noah...”

A gentle voice called out to him, breaking through the fog of his sleep.

“Noah, wake up.”

Noah’s eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal the canvas roof of the tent. Maya was kneeling beside him, gently shaking his shoulder.

“You sleep like a dead man,” she teased, offering him a warm smile. “Come on, get up. We have to drive straight to campus, or Professor Wilson won’t let us sit .”

Noah sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. But his mind remained trapped in the quiet beauty of the forest from his sleep.

“You know...” he said softly, staring blankly at his hands. “I saw it again.“Maya quickly cut him off with a firm shake of her head.

“Whatever you saw in your dream, we can talk about it later,” she insisted, reaching down to grab his arm and pulling him to his feet. “Come on. We have to get ready right now.”

Without giving Noah another chance to speak, she dragged him out of the tent into the crisp morning air.

A short while later, after a fast drive back into the city, the three of them arrived at college just as the hallway bells rang.

As soon as Noah stepped inside his classroom, Professor Wilson noticed him and walked over, his expression filled with genuine warmth and concern.

“Noah...” The professor paused for a moment, looking at him with gentle eyes. “I’m truly sorry for your loss. Are you feeling okay now?”

Noah swallowed past the knot in his throat and gave a small nod. “I’m trying, Professor.”

Professor Wilson offered a kind, reassuring smile. “Take your seat. And don’t worry—if you need anything at all, you can come talk to me anytime. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your studies after taking time off, just let me know and I’ll help you catch up.”

Noah nodded once again, feeling touched by the gesture. “Thank you, Professor.”

The professor then turned his gaze toward Kai and Maya, who were standing right behind Noah. “You two take good care of him.”

“We will,” both cousins replied in unison.

“Good. Now all three of you, go take your seats and pay close attention today,” Professor Wilson said, turning back toward his lecture desk. “You’ve already missed two full weeks of classes.”

The three of them quietly made their way to their desks as the morning lesson began.

During the lunch break, the three cousins sat together on a quiet stone bench outside the classroom building.

Noah rested his hands on his knees, leaning in closer to Kai and Maya. “You know... I had that same dream again last night.”

Kai frowned slightly, setting his drink down. “The exact same dream?”

Noah nodded eagerly. “Except this time, I remembered even more details. I saw... a map.”

“A map?” Kai asked, his interest piqued.

“Yeah,” Noah whispered, his eyes wide as he recalled the vivid imagery. “There was an old, abandoned house standing right beside a deep jungle... and a massive, ancient tree... and so many other things I couldn’t fully understand.”

Before Noah could finish explaining—

“Hey! You three!”

A student delegate called out from down the corridor. The three of them turned around to look.

“Professor Wilson wants to see all three of you in his office right now.”

Noah, Kai, and Maya exchanged quick glances, their nervous expressions mirroring each other instantly.

“What did we do?” Kai muttered under his breath.

With no answer to give, the three of them stood up and hesitantly began making their way toward the professor’s office.