A Dream Beyond the Wild

Chapter 3

The three of them made their way down the quiet corridor toward the professor’s office.

“Come in,” Professor Wilson said with a warm smile, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

They sat down quietly, sitting up straight as they waited for him to speak.

The professor folded his hands over a stack of documents on his desk. “This is your final year of college. After your upcoming final exams are over, you will all need to complete a mandatory internship before graduation.”

The three cousins nodded in understanding.

“I have a recommendation for you,” Professor Wilson continued, a proud look in his eyes. “My best friend happens to be the CEO of a major IT firm. I’ve already spoken to him on your behalf. If you’re interested, I will personally recommend all three of you for internship positions there.”

The three of them looked at each other in surprise.

“You already know the company,” the professor added with a wink. “It’s one of the biggest IT corporations in the country.”

“Thank you so much, Professor!” they said together, genuine relief washing over them.

The professor nodded with satisfaction. “Work hard and don’t waste this opportunity.”

“We won’t, sir!” they promised before bowing respectfully and leaving his office.

Time began to move quickly after that day.

Day after day... Noah continued having the exact same dream.

Each night, the details became sharper and clearer. The vast, mysterious forest... the ancient, abandoned house... the strange, glowing fruit... and now, the winding map path carved into the landscape.

He told Kai and Maya everything he remembered down to the smallest detail. He even brought it up to a few of his classmates during lunch breaks.

But no one believed him.

“It’s just a stress dream, Noah.”

“There’s no such place in the world.”

“You should really stop obsessing over it.”

That was always their answer.

Eventually, final exams arrived and passed in a blur. Just as he had promised, Professor Wilson submitted his personal recommendations to his friend’s company. Thanks to their long-standing friendship, the CEO accepted all three cousins as interns without putting them through the grueling formal interview process.

Finally, their official first day arrived.

Standing in front of the company’s massive glass skyscraper, Noah couldn’t hide his awe and excitement. “This place is absolutely huge,” he breathed, tilting his head back to look at the top floors.

Kai chuckled, nudging his shoulder. “Try not to embarrass us on our very first day, alright?”

“I never embarrass anyone,” Noah replied with supreme confidence, tossing his head back.

Maya rolled her eyes with a affectionate sigh. “And that is exactly what worries me.”

The three of them laughed, stepping through the grand sliding doors toward the main lobby. Still teasing Kai and gesticulating wildly, Noah wasn’t paying the slightest attention to where he was stepping.

Thud!

He collided heavily with a broad, solid chest. The impact sent him stumbling backward, but before his back could hit the polished marble floor, Kai and Maya lunged forward and caught him by his arms.

Noah snapped his head up in annoyance, his temper flaring instantly. “What the hell?! Can’t you watch where you’re walking?!“The tall young man looked down at Noah, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “You?”

Noah stared right back at him, his hands on his hips. “What are you doing here?”

Ethan let out a quiet, tired sigh. “Before barging into this company, didn’t you bother finding out who I am?”

Noah folded his arms across his chest with a huff. “Sure I did. A stubborn, blind employee.” He glanced around the polished marble lobby with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Honestly, I still can’t believe a big, prestigious company like this hired someone as stubborn as you.”

Kai immediately stepped forward, his face turning pale as he tugged hard on Noah’s sleeve. “Noah... shh! Stop talking!”

“No!” Noah snapped, pulling his arm away. “Why should I be quiet? This is the second time this guy has bumped into me!”

Before Ethan could respond, a mid-level manager clutching a stack of blue folders hurried over, bowing respectfully toward Ethan. “Boss, where should I put these department financial files?”

“In my office,” Ethan replied, his tone calm and completely authoritative.

“Of course, Boss. Right away!” The manager quickly bowed again and hurried toward the executive elevators.

Noah froze, his eyes widening. “B-Boss...?”

Ethan looked directly into Noah’s stunned eyes, a cool, unbothered expression on his face. “My name is Ethan Sterling. I am the son of Arthur Sterling—the owner of this company.” A subtle smirk played on the corner of his lips. “I hope you know who I am now.”

Before Noah’s brain could fully process the disaster unfolding in front of him, an executive assistant rushed over, checking her tablet nervously. “Boss, the board meeting starts in two minutes. Everyone is waiting.”

“I’m coming,” Ethan said smoothly. He adjusted the cuffs of his sharp suit jacket before turning his gaze back to Noah.

“By the time my meeting is over...” Ethan stated, his voice cool and unyielding, “...I expect the three of you to be out of this building.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and walked away, his long, confident strides echoing through the lobby.

A heavy, suffocating silence filled the entrance hall.

Maya covered her face with both hands, letting out a long, desperate groan. “Oh no... Noah, why did you have to pick a fight with him?!” She dropped her hands, looking at him in utter despair. “Professor Wilson personally recommended us here! What if we get kicked out before our first day even begins?!”

Noah looked away, his jaw clenched as he tried to hide his embarrassment. “Whatever. I wasn’t planning on slaving away here anyway.”

Kai let out a heavy sigh, placing a firm hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Noah... don’t forget. We still have a mountain of debts from the hospital and funeral to pay off.”

Noah fell silent, the defiance draining out of him. He looked down at the floor, pressing his lips into a tight line. After a long moment, he gave a quiet, defeated nod.

“...You’re right,” Noah whispered. “But if he really refuses to let us stay, we’ll have to find another way.”

“Before we give up,” Maya said, her eyes flashing with determination, “let’s at least go meet the CEO like Professor Wilson instructed.”

A few minutes later, the three cousins were escorted up to the top floor and led into Arthur Sterling’s grand executive office.

Arthur listened quietly and patiently as Maya and Kai explained their background and politely brought up the slight “misunderstanding” downstairs. After hearing their side, the older man smiled warmly and picked up his desk phone.

“Send Ethan to my office immediately.”

Within five minutes, the heavy double doors opened, and Ethan stepped inside. “You want to see me, Dad?”

Arthur nodded, leaning back in his leather chair. “These three are the new interns from Professor Wilson’s university. I personally promised my old friend that I would oversee their internship.” He looked at Ethan with a firm, unyielding gaze. “They’re staying.”

Ethan remained completely silent, his expression unreadable.

Arthur continued, his voice leaving zero room for argument. “And one more thing, Ethan. Do not make things difficult for them. I have already personally signed and approved their internship applications.”

Ethan stood tall, his gaze briefly shifting to Noah, who was trying his best to look anywhere in the room except at Ethan.

“... Understood,” Ethan replied softly. Ethan looked back at his father, his tone completely unbothered. “I don’t care who you hire.”

He darted a brief, icy glance toward Noah before returning his attention to Arthur. “Just don’t let that stupid guy anywhere near my department or in my path.”

Arthur let out a quiet sigh. “Fine. Done.” He turned toward the three cousins with an encouraging smile. “Your issue is settled. You three can officially begin your internship today.”

“Thank you so much, sir!” the three of them replied, bowing respectfully before heading out the door.

Although Noah, Kai, and Maya were assigned to three completely different departments on separate floors, Noah somehow managed to find himself in trouble almost every single day.

It wasn’t because Ethan was actively seeking him out... but because Noah was constantly hunting for Ethan. He was still determined to get his revenge for being humiliated.

One afternoon, Noah spotted Ethan walking toward the main executive elevators at the end of the hall. At that exact moment, an unsuspecting employee carrying a stack of files was approaching Ethan from the opposite direction.

A mischievous, cat-like grin spread across Noah’s face.

If I just give him a tiny shove from behind... he’ll crash right into Ethan!

Before Noah could execute his “foolproof” plan, however, his shoe caught on the freshly waxed floor.

WHAM!

Instead of shoving the employee, Noah lost his balance entirely and hit the polished marble floor with a loud, painful thud.

“Owww...” Noah groaned, rolling onto his side to rub his throbbing lower back.

Several nearby employees turned around in shock, whispering among themselves.

Ethan stopped at the elevator entrance and slowly turned around. Standing tall over Noah, he looked down at him with a cool, deadpan expression as the elevator doors chimed open.

“I thought you only lacked eyes,” Ethan said calmly, stepping inside. He paused, turning to face the hallway. “But it seems you don’t even know how to walk properly.”

He reached out and pressed the floor button. “Honestly, how did you even land a job here?” He let out a soft, amused hum. “Oh... right. I forgot. My father was far too kind.”

The elevator doors began to slowly slide shut.

Noah scrambled onto his knees, pointing an angry, trembling finger at the narrowing gap. “You arrogant bastard!”

Ding!

The doors sealed completely, leaving Noah shouting at his own reflection in the metal doors.

Over the next few weeks... absolutely nothing changed.

Noah refused to give up his personal crusade against Ethan Sterling. One afternoon, he even managed to sneak into the executive pantry and dump a generous spoon of chili powder straight into Ethan’s fresh black coffee.

Unfortunately for Noah... the executive pantry had a high-definition CCTV camera installed right above the counter.

Ten minutes later, Noah found himself standing awkwardly in front of Ethan’s massive oak desk.

Ethan picked up the contaminated coffee cup, setting it back down with a sharp, heavy click.

“This is the first and last time I am going to warn you,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair, his dark eyes locked onto Noah with absolute authority. “Never try to pull another petty prank on me. If anything like this happens again... I will personally ensure you never receive a single job recommendation from this corporation.”

Noah clenched his fists tightly at his sides, his face burning red, but no words came out.

That evening back at their shared apartment, Noah threw a couch pillow across the living room in pure frustration.

“This is so unfair!” he yelled, collapsing onto the sofa.

Kai looked around at the messy living space and shook his head. “It’s entirely your own fault, man. Who told you to dump chili powder into the boss’s coffee in a room full of cameras?!”

Noah folded his arms tightly across his chest, pouting. “So he gets to insult me whenever he wants, but I’m not allowed to do anything back?” He huffed loudly. “Fine. I need a new plan. And I am never stepping foot near his office again.”

Maya let out a long sigh, tossing a fresh pillow at his head. “Noah... you are being ridiculously childish.”

Noah buried his face in the sofa cushion, grumbling under his breath. Somewhere deep down... he knew she was completely right. He just stubbornly refused to admit it out loud.