The cab ride home was quieter than Piya had imagined. She and Asha sat side by side, city lights flashing past the windows, their reflections shimmering faintly in the glass.
"So," Asha broke the silence with her usual energy, "first day done. How does ShadowByte feel?"
Piya chuckled nervously, fiddling with her bag strap. "Overwhelming. I kept thinking someone would come tap my shoulder and say, 'Sorry, wrong place. You don't belong here.'"
"Stop it!" Asha nudged her. "You do belong. You're one of us now. Just... survive these six months of internship, and trust me, the rest gets easier."
"Six months..." Piya whispered, almost to herself. The number sounded both reassuring and terrifying. Long enough to prove herself, but also long enough to mess up if she wasn't careful.
The cab stopped in front of her house, and she waved goodbye to Asha, who promised to call later. Taking a deep breath, Piya walked inside.
Her mom was waiting near the door, eyes bright. "How was it? Tell me everything."
Her dad peeked out from the living room, smiling proudly. "Our little warrior is officially part of a big company now, huh?"
Piya's lips curved into a soft smile. She told them the highlights—the giant office, her nervousness, the new friend she had made. Her mother listened with wide eyes, and her father nodded like every word was proof of how strong his daughter had become.
But later, in the quiet of her own room, Piya curled against the window, staring up at the silver glow of the moon.
"Mr. Moon," she whispered softly, "I don't know if I'm strong enough for this world. Everyone there seemed so confident, so perfect... and me? I just... exist. What if they realize I don't belong? What if I fail?"
Her voice trembled, but the moon's steady light stayed the same, like an unspoken promise that it would listen, even if it never answered.
The next morning, ShadowByte's atmosphere buzzed like a hive. Employees hurried through glass doors, heels clicking against marble, whispers trailing behind.
"He's coming."
"Already? But it's so early!"
"Shhh, keep your voice down."
The air shifted as though the very walls straightened themselves in respect. And then he appeared—Liam Asher.
Tall, sharp-eyed, with a calmness that drew more power than shouting ever could. His presence alone made people pause. His black suit fit perfectly, his every movement measured and unhurried, like he owned not just the company, but the very silence in the air.
"Good morning, sir," someone murmured as he walked past. Liam didn't need to answer; a faint nod from him carried more weight than entire conversations.
Behind him followed a man carrying files—his secretary, constantly at his side, moving with practiced precision.
The girls near the reception whispered breathlessly.
"He's even more handsome in person."
"Imagine if he looked at you just once—"
"Don't be silly, he's... unreachable."
Piya, meanwhile, was still arriving late, lost in her own thoughts, unaware of the storm of admiration swirling through the company halls. For now, Liam Asher was just a name, a shadow of power whispered on every floor.
And fate was only beginning to weave their threads together.
Piya didn't know it yet, but the world she had just stepped into was already beginning to shift — quietly, inevitably — towards its turning point.
The next morning, Piya sat in the bus, clutching her bag so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. She replayed yesterday in her head like a broken record. The office was so big, the people so confident, and here she was... a jumble of nerves trying to breathe normally.
"Relax, Piya," she whispered to herself, then quickly looked around, hoping no one heard her. The bus screeched to a halt, jerking her forward. She exhaled. Day two. Don't mess this up.
By the time she reached ShadowByte, her heart was hammering. The glass building loomed above her, glittering in the morning sun like it belonged to another world. And somehow, I'm supposed to belong here, she thought.
Inside, she spotted Asha waving.
"Good, you came early! They've given us today's task — sorting through last week's client notes and drafting a basic report," Asha explained, already pulling her toward their desks.
Piya nodded furiously, though her brain screamed, Report? Client notes? What if I make a mistake and they fire me on the spot?
The two of them sat, shuffling through files. Piya stared at the papers, reading the same line three times and still not understanding. Her forehead creased.
"You okay?" Asha asked, glancing at her.
"Yeah, totally... just... trying to make friends with the paper," Piya muttered.
That's when a voice interrupted — warm, casual, and slightly amused.
"Papers aren't the best conversationalists, you know."
Both girls looked up. A young man stood there, tall but approachable, with an easy smile that seemed to light up the dull office gray. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, and he carried a stack of files effortlessly, as if he belonged everywhere he went.
"I'm Ram," he said, offering that disarming smile again. "You two must be the new interns?"
"Yes! I'm Asha, and this is Piya," Asha introduced, nudging Piya when she froze like a deer caught in headlights.
"H-hello," Piya managed, her voice too soft.
Ram chuckled lightly, not in a mocking way but like he found her shyness endearing. "First-week nerves? Don't worry, it'll pass. You'll both get the hang of it soon."
Piya blinked at him. Something about his tone — kind, reassuring — made her chest feel lighter. He pulled a chair next to them, scanning their messy stack of notes.
"Here, let me show you. Don't overthink it — they just want clarity, not poetry."
As Ram patiently explained, Piya found herself actually listening, actually understanding. He cracked little jokes along the way, making Asha giggle and even dragging a small laugh out of Piya. For the first time in two days, she felt like maybe she wasn't drowning.
"See? Easy," Ram said, tapping the file.
"Easy for you maybe," Piya murmured, and he grinned at her in a way that made her quickly look down at the table, cheeks warm.
Asha smirked. Oh, this is going to be fun, she thought.
The playful air shifted suddenly. A hush swept across the office like a ripple in water. Chairs straightened, voices dropped, even the typing seemed quieter.
Piya frowned, confused. "What just happened?" she whispered.
Ram leaned slightly toward them, his voice lower, serious. "He's coming."
Before Piya could ask who, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Slow, steady, each one commanding attention. And then he appeared.
Liam Asher.
He moved with calm precision, his tall frame cutting a sharp figure against the glass walls. His suit was perfectly tailored, his expression unreadable, his stride unhurried yet firm — as though the very building adjusted itself around him. Behind him walked his secretary, carrying a tablet and murmuring updates.
Piya's breath caught. She couldn't see him fully, just glimpses as he passed — the line of his jaw, the way the light caught on his dark hair, the gravity in his silence. But she felt it. A strange heaviness in the air, a pull in her chest she couldn't name.
Ram's eyes followed him respectfully. He whispered, almost like announcing royalty, "That... is Liam Asher. Our CEO. The man who turned ShadowByte into one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country. Brilliant, ruthless when needed, and always five steps ahead of everyone else."
Before Piya could process, a girl at the desk next to them leaned in, eyes wide with excitement.
"And ridiculously handsome. Do you know some girls literally applied here just to see him every day? He's like... a real-life drama hero."
Ram rolled his eyes but smiled. "Don't listen to the gossip. Focus on the work and you'll survive."
But Piya wasn't listening to either of them. She stared at the empty space he left behind, her heart strangely restless. Why does it feel like the air itself shifted when he walked by?
That night, after the long day, Piya curled up in her room. She told her parents the basics, laughed with them, then slipped away to her balcony.
The moon hung above, silent, glowing, patient.
"Mr. Moon..." she whispered. "Today I met someone kind. Ram. He made me feel less stupid." She smiled faintly, then sighed. "And... I didn't even meet him properly, but there's someone else too. Everyone looks at him like he's... more than just a person. And when he walked by... my heart..."
She pressed her hand over her chest, confused. "I don't know why it beat like that. I don't even know him. Maybe it's nothing, right?"
The moon stayed silent, but she imagined it smiling knowingly down at her.