Sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of the treehouse window and landed directly on Riya's face.
She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Five more minutes."
Kabir's voice came from the other bed, dry as ever. "You said that ten minutes ago. At this point, you're negotiating with time itself."
Riya peeked out from under the blanket, squinting toward the window. The forest outside looked completely different from the night before. Morning light poured through the tall pine trees, turning the entire valley bright and peaceful.
For a moment, she wondered why it had looked so terrifying in the dark.
Meera stretched beside her and yawned loudly. "I cannot believe I slept in a tree. My back is filing a complaint."
Aarav was already up, standing near the window with a mug of tea he had somehow managed to get from room service earlier. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes scanned the forest as though cataloguing every detail.
"Good morning," he said evenly.
Kabir sat up slowly, rubbing his face. "Define good."
"You're alive," Aarav replied.
"Barely," Kabir muttered.
Riya finally sat up, her hair a complete mess. "Okay but... this view is insane."
She rushed to the window and opened it. Cold mountain air rushed into the room, crisp and sharp.
Below them, the forest stretched endlessly in every direction. The treehouses looked even more magical in daylight, their wooden bridges connecting like a small floating village among the trees.
Meera wrapped a shawl around herself and walked over. "Okay," she admitted. "This place is actually beautiful. I take back half my complaints."
Kabir checked his phone again out of habit. "Still no network."
Riya grinned. "That means you have to talk to us."
"Tragic," Kabir sighed.
An hour later, they were sitting outside near the reception cabin having breakfast. A small wooden table had been placed under the shade of a tall pine tree.
The elderly woman from reception quietly served them tea, parathas, and boiled eggs. The smell of hot food mingled with the cool morning air, making the moment feel almost surreal.
The four of them ate like people who had survived a war.
"Best paratha of my life," Kabir declared, tearing into another piece.
"That's because you're hungry," Meera replied, rolling her eyes.
Riya sipped her tea and looked around curiously. In daylight, the place seemed much more normal than it had the night before. A few other tourists walked along the wooden bridges between treehouses. Birds chirped loudly from the trees above.
Nothing about it looked mysterious anymore.
Riya suddenly remembered something. "Oh!"
Everyone looked at her.
"The Steam House."
Kabir nodded slowly. "Right. The infamous spa."
Meera stretched her arms lazily. "Now that I actually have energy again, I'm interested. Yesterday I would've collapsed halfway."
Aarav looked toward the narrow path that led deeper into the forest. Thin steam was already rising from somewhere among the trees, curling upward like a signal.
"Let's go now," he said. "Before it gets crowded."
They finished breakfast and followed the same forest path they had seen the previous evening.
The Steam House looked less intimidating in daylight. Still old. Still slightly darker than the rest of the buildings. But now it simply looked like an old wooden sauna facility. A faint smell of wet wood and warm steam hung in the air.
Two wooden doors stood at the entrance.
MEN.
WOMEN.
A few people were already standing outside. Mostly girls.
Riya's excitement faded slightly when she saw the line. "You've got to be kidding me."
Meera counted quickly. "At least ten people."
Kabir smirked. "Ladies first. Tradition must be respected."
Aarav nodded toward the men's door. "Looks empty."
"Of course it is," Riya muttered.
The boys shrugged and walked toward their side.
"See you in fifteen minutes," Kabir said cheerfully.
"Or forty," Meera replied dryly.
The girls joined the queue outside the women's entrance. Warm steam escaped every time the door opened briefly, carrying with it a strange heaviness.
Inside, a middle-aged man sat behind a small wooden counter near the entrance. His expression was unreadable, his movements slow.
He looked up as they stepped in. "Accessories outside," he said.
A small basket sat beside the counter.
"No phones. No watches."
Riya sighed dramatically but dropped her phone inside the basket. "Goodbye, civilization."
Meera followed, placing her watch carefully on top.
Inside the Steam House, the air felt thick with heat and moisture. Wooden benches lined the walls, and a row of small bathing cubicles stood farther inside.
But something felt slightly strange.
The cubicles had no locks.
Meera noticed it first. "Wait... there's no latch?"
A girl in front of them shrugged. "The owner locks the main door."
Riya frowned. "What?"
The girl explained casually, "You get fifteen minutes. When your time is done, he opens the door again."
Riya blinked. "That's... weird."
Meera muttered under her breath, "That's not spa etiquette, that's prison etiquette."
But the line slowly moved forward anyway.
Meanwhile, the boys had already entered the men's section.
Ten minutes later, Kabir stepped out, running a towel through his hair. His face was flushed, his shoulders relaxed.
"Okay," he admitted, stretching. "That was actually amazing. I feel like a boiled dumpling, but in a good way."
Aarav followed behind him, looking refreshed. The cold mountain air felt incredible after the hot steam. He inhaled deeply, his eyes scanning the forest again.
Kabir leaned against the wooden railing outside. "So, how long do you think the queue is?"
Aarav shrugged. "Knowing them... a while."
They stood there casually, enjoying the breeze.
Minutes passed.
The forest remained quiet.
Inside the women's Steam House, the queue slowly moved forward.
Riya and Meera were still waiting.
The heat pressed against them, heavy and damp. The faint hiss of steam filled the air, almost rhythmic, like breathing.
Riya tapped her foot impatiently. "This better be worth it."
Meera smirked. "If we come out glowing, I'll forgive the wait."
Riya leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Still... don't you think the rules are strange?"
Meera nodded. "Very strange. But maybe it's just old-fashioned."
Neither of them noticed the way the steam curled differently near the cubicles, as though it lingered longer than it should.
Outside, Kabir stretched his arms dramatically. "I could nap right here."
Aarav gave him a look. "You'd fall off the railing."
"Worth it," Kabir replied.
The two of them laughed lightly, unaware of how the women's side was operating under rules that didn't quite make sense.
By the time Riya and Meera reached the front of the line, the air felt heavier. The man at the counter glanced at them briefly, then at the door behind him.
"Fifteen minutes," he said again, his tone flat.
Riya exchanged a look with Meera.
"Fifteen minutes," Meera repeated softly. "Like it's a warning."
They stepped forward anyway.
The Steam House in daylight looked ordinary enough. But the strange rules, the locked doors, and the way the steam seemed to cling to the air hinted at something else.
Something waiting.