The rustic cottage embraced the friends in a warmth that contrasted the chill outside. The fireplace crackled, casting dancing shadows on the wooden walls. Bobby, Ambrose, Jacob, and I gathered around a table scattered with maps, notebooks, and Bobby's laptop displaying intricate diagrams related to time dilation.
Bobby, the research enthusiast, was the first to speak. "Alright, team. We need a plan for the next month. What's our strategy?"
Ambrose, leaning back in his chair with one foot propped up, grinned. "How about we wander aimlessly, follow the wind, and let the forest guide us?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Ambrose, this isn't a fantasy novel. We need a more structured approach."
"I mean… you don't know it's not," Ambrose replied with a wink.
I smiled, stepping in before the banter derailed our focus. "Let's break the forest into sections. Each day, we explore a specific zone, log everything we experience, and check for patterns—changes in temperature, time distortion, any familiar structures. Keep it methodical."
Jacob nodded. "Good. And we should mark landmarks somehow. If the forest loops, we'll need reference points."
"I've brought chalk," Bobby said, pulling it out of his bag. "We can mark trees without damaging them."
Ambrose groaned. "Nerds and nature lovers, all in one cottage."
"Speaking of nerds," Bobby said with a grin, "did you know gravitational time dilation is affected by the strength of gravity? Stronger gravity slows time—basic Einstein."
Ambrose rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, forest's got a secret black hole."
"Not impossible," Bobby muttered, ignoring the sarcasm.
Jacob leaned forward. "I still don't get how we spent what felt like hours inside that place and it was barely 15 minutes in the real world."
"Relativity," Bobby replied. "Either we moved faster than we realized, or the dimension operates on a different time constant. Possibly both."
Before we could continue, there was a knock at the door. Rahul, the hotel worker, stepped in with a tray of tea and snacks. He eyed the maps with curiosity.
"Planning a hike?" he asked.
"Something like that," I said.
Rahul hesitated, then added, "Be careful past the old stream. Folks say weird things happen near the broken watchtower."
Ambrose perked up. "Ooh, ghost stories! My favorite."
"Just be careful," Rahul warned again before leaving.
Ambrose got up and stretched. "I'm going to call my mom, tell her her son's about to uncover the secrets of the universe."
"Please don't scare the poor woman," Jacob said.
Ambrose smirked. "Relax. I'll keep it simple."
He stepped out onto the porch and dialed. I could hear parts of the conversation through the open window.
"Ma, I'm fine. No, no injuries. Not yet. Yes, I'm eating well... yes, I'm brushing. Ma… I'm telling you, I might be a superhero soon. The forest's chosen me."
Pause.
"No, I'm not joking. You might see me flying back to Delhi at this rate."
We all chuckled inside. Classic Ambrose—fearless, irreverent, and somehow comforting in his chaos.
Bobby sipped his tea, watching the flames. "It's weird, isn't it? We're standing at the edge of something massive, and he still finds ways to make it feel… light."
"That's his role," I said. "He keeps us grounded in his own way."
Jacob looked down at his watch. "We need to decide what we do tomorrow. First area of focus?"
Bobby pointed to a section of the map. "The ravine near the western ridge. The temperature readings I took were off the charts last time."
"We start there," I confirmed.
Outside, Ambrose walked back in, brushing snow off his sleeves. "Okay, good news—Ma thinks I'm nuts, but supportive. Bad news—she's expecting me to solve time travel by the time I get back."
"High bar," Jacob said dryly.
We laughed. The tension broke for a while. But deep down, we all knew what we were heading into.
The forest wasn't just a place anymore.
It was a question.
One we were slowly beginning to understand—
Or one that was slowly beginning to understand us.