Aru Shah and the End of Time

Boo explains that the Sleeper cannot find his way into the Kingdom of Death alone, as he cannot see what they can; hence, he will be looking for the girls. The only things they have to fight him off are their seemingly useless gifts from their celestial fathers.

As the girls head inside the mall, looking for the key, they come across a beauty salon. As they do so, the symbol of the first key on the map grows brighter. The storefront is decorated with masks of screaming women, and an acrid, burning smell lingers around the place. The door is engraved with a sign that reads “MADAME BEE ASURA, HEAD STYLIST” (83).

Boo stays outside while the girls head in. They discover the room inside to be made of gems; endless salon chairs line the place, corresponding to the pictures of screaming women. They are greeted by Madame Bee, a beautiful woman with black curls. She agrees to give them haircuts but notes that she usually works on older women, as their beauty is more potent.

When Madame Bee heads to the back to collect supplies, Aru realizes the eyes of the women in the pictures are moving; they are all trapped inside.