Winter

"I'm not there yet!"
 This page contains ***major spoilers*** for the series. If you're not caught up, stay back! Av's not gonna be too thrilled if you react to spoilers prematurely...

## Winter

### Hair Color

Sandy-brown
Pink and blue (front tips)
Silver and black (bob end)

### Nickname(s)

Win (by friends and family)
Snowblind (by her bullies and Daniela; formerly)
Snowlight (by many)

### Family

Lorelei (mother)
Edwin (father)
Nita (adopted mother)
Patrick (adopted father)
Mya (adopted sister)
Daniela (girlfriend; formerly)
Amira (girlfriend)
Bonnie and Debbie (maternal aunts)
Jodie (paternal aunt)
Willie (maternal uncle)
Barry and Lewis (paternal uncles)
Krystine (maternal grandmother)
Anny (paternal grandmother)
Pierre (maternal grandfather)
Darrell (paternal grandfather)
Elloise (adopted maternal grandmother)
Ivanna (adopted paternal grandmother)
Luca (adopted maternal grandfather)
Harlow (adopted paternal grandfather)
Fanny, Brody, and Steph (cousins)

### Sexuality

Lesbian
Gender Non-Conforming

"*But you're* **wrong***, Daniela! I'm* **not over***. I'm **not dead**! For as long as I* **breathe***, I'm no coward. I'm not going to give up!* I will not surrender*! **I won't be held down**! There might be* **pressure***, but I have fought and **WILL KEEP FIGHTING IT**! **Everything** you've done to me has* **only** *made me **STRONGER**!* **I WILL DOMINATE***! **I**. **WILL**. **RESONATE**!!!!*"
—Winter defying Daniela, *Winter Storm Arising*

**Winterlyn "Winter" Falin McCormick** is one of the five main protagonists in *The Adventures of Evie and Mya*. She is the biological daughter of Lorelei and Edwin, the adopted daughter of Nita and Patrick, the adopted sister of Mya, the former girlfriend of Daniela, and the girlfriend of Amira. She identifies as a gender non-conforming lesbian.

## Appearance

Winter is a few inches taller than both Mya and Evie, and around the same height as Daniela. She has pale white skin, freckled cheeks, and dark sandy-brown hair that is styled in a very thin cut with two front tips that hang over her forehead. A strand of sandy-brown hangs over her right ear. The end of her hair is composed of a spikey bun, tied down with a worn pale red band. While originally solid sandy-brown, the front tips were later dyed a dark pink and blue and the bob silver and black. Her eyes are a very distinctive shade of ice-blue.

Winter mainly wears a white shirt with long, black sleeves and a pink collar. She also wears brown-black leggings and black boots. Winter also occasionally wears a long-sleeved maroon shirt or a brindled jacket. She also has a black necklace with a centerpiece white diamond hanging from it. In Season 3, she wears a pink t-shirt with gray sleeves.

## History

### Season 1

#### *Prologue*

"*Thank the heavens that I'm safe, and so are you, my beloved box.*"
—Winter relieved that she and her box are safe

Although she is unnamed, Winter runs through the Piney Woods, tearing through the pine needles and bushes. She then runs into a cabin and enters it, locking herself inside and searching for something on a wooden shelf - a box with the engraving of WM on it. Upon seeing that it is untouched, she is relieved, holding the box in her lap and noting that her secret hasn't been exposed to the world - out of sight, out of mind.

#### *Meeting Winter*

"*I like being lost here. I like my solitude, hiding myself away from the world and getting lost in my own. My wanderlust is something that will* never *die within me, and for as long as I breathe in Pineshadow, I* won't *be the girl everyone expects me to be. That girl is gone now, I dunno who she is. This life is something I won't ever give away.*"
—Winter to Evie and Mya

Winter is somberly staring at one of her photographs at Pinelake Park when Mya observes her and encourages her reluctant friend, Evie, to approach her. Their interaction with her ends in disaster, however, as Winter is revolted by their presence and spits at them to leave her alone. She stalks off, unknowingly leaving her photograph behind. She soon finds out Evie and Mya are in her cabin and angrily confronts them, drawing a pocket knife and threatening to kill them for trepassing. The girls are terrified, but no matter what they insist, Winter isn't swayed into believing they aren't enemies. This gradually changes when Mya shows her the photograph and confesses to not viewing it at all, and afterwards, she continues breaking into Winter's shell until she can't take the pressure and reminders of her past anymore. Begrudgingly, she chooses to confide in Evie and Mya, revealing her name and tragic, trauma-marred background.

To her shock, Evie and Mya are supportive of her and pledge their loyalty to her, which delights Winter for the first time in ages. She agrees to let the girls walk with her to school on Monday and allows them to introduce themselves to her. Once they leave, she reflects on everything and feels elated. On Monday, she joins with the girls, but their plan to walk together is interrupted by school bully Daniela, who intends on aggressively harassing the three. In particular, she grows more devious towards Winter, alarming Evie and Mya. After Rex intervenes and stops Daniela, Winter flees. Later, she falls into a nightmare of a shadowy demon, awakening in a panic. She soothes herself and heads outside with her box, sitting on a log and hoping to tell Evie and Mya of her secrets someday.

#### *Stalker*

"*I've* never *been into you from the start, and I'm* sorry*! But I'm not* sexually attracted *to men! I* can't *develop feelings for men, it's not* ever going to happen*! Aiden... I am a* lesbian*. I will **ONLY** ever develop feelings for **girls**. Not people like you... I'm sorry, but that's* **just who I am***!*"
—Winter confessing to Aiden that she is a lesbian

Winter reunites with Evie and Mya in the gym, relieved by their presence, especially since she's now sharing classes with them. Their conversation is put to a halt by shy student Aiden, who's eyes are set on Winter, making her uncomfortable. Evie and Mya calm her down, and they soon head off to class together, unaware of Aiden's growing interest of Winter. Later, Winter informs Evie and Mya that Aiden has been following her, but they shrug it off and reassure her. Things take a turn when Aiden is revealed to now share the girls' math period, and throughout, he bothers Winter and gets on Evie and Mya's nerves. Despite being told off, he borderline harasses her outside of school, forcing her into a shutdown, and Evie and Mya drive her off. Winter, unsettled, swiftly speeds home. That night, she is listening to a Varien song, *Transmissions from Lemuria*, when Aiden shows up at her doorstep to hand her a card.

Mortified, Winter panics and calls an emergency meeting between her and her friends. Evie and Mya inform her that Aiden is crushing her, urging her to come out as a lesbian to him and put an end to this, but she refuses, snapping at the girls that she is always living in a nightmare. She apologizes for the outburst, and the girls decide to stop pressuring her and let her rest. The next day, affairs have gotten worse, as Winter keeps daydreaming that Aiden is around her when he isn't. After science class ends, Winter is pulled aside by a stoked Aiden, who professes his love of her, much to her ire. She breaks down, harsly rejecting him and running off in tears. Once school ends, Evie and Mya meet with Winter in her cabin and again attempt to persuade her to come out to her unrequited crush, but she refuses for a second time. Deciding to cheer her up with a snow day, they invite her outside and have a snow day.

However, Aiden appears, sidelining Evie and Mya and angrily accosting Winter, declaring that no one else can have her if she can't love him back. She pleads for him to leave her alone, but he is too bent on aggression to do so. As she stops near an uncovered sewer hole in the ground, Evie and Mya urge her to come out and be honest, reminding her that Aiden isn't Daniela and nothing harmful will happen if she opens her heart to trusting others. Winter, finally listening to them, comes out and rejects Aiden for a final time. Suddenly, she slips, but Aiden catches her and tearfully apologizes for going too far, admitting his struggles since moving to Pineshadow from Bellingham. Winter, showing compassion, forgives him, but makes him apologize to Evie and Mya as well. By the next day, Aiden has found new friends, and Winter is happily reflecting when she bumps into Daniela. The bully is quick to rip into her and point out their past connection, horrifying Winter when she threatens to kill her and doubles down on it. In terror, Winter runs from her, and Daniela vows that they're just getting started.

#### *Ex-Girlfriend*

"*Life's becoming wonderful for me." [...] "Still shocked I managed to confess my ex and the other things about me to Evie and Mya. A missing piece of me, clicked into place..." [...] "And with that... I love my friends more than they ever imagine. Evie's the perfect best friend, but Mya? She's... she's honestly like a sister figure. Always peppy, positive, cracking a joke and landing with the humor... we aren't related by blood, but it feels like we are." [...] "Not to mention... I don't feel so burdened. It's like I can do anything! I can soar! I can finally be myself...*"
—Winter reflecting on telling the truth to Evie and Mya

Winter runs away from Daniela in a panic, locking herself in her cabin and desperately attempting to sleep off the events of the day. Her efforts are for naught, as she ends up in a nightmare with the same shadow from before. That shadow, after belittling her, launches her into a replay of the night her life was ruined forever. With horror, Winter relives her ex-girlfriend forcing her to come out prematurely and her father's vicious attack. She patches herself up and confronts her ex, who twists the nightmare in her favor and reveals herself to be Daniela, making Winter wake up screaming. The next morning, Winter arrives in class late, claiming she didn't get any sleep. Daniela then humiliates her in front of the whole class, and at lunch, she denies that anything is wrong when she acts jittery. For the rest of the day, she commits to keeping herself distant from Evie and Mya, paranoid they'll find out the truth about her and snapping at them when they try to pry. She apologizes and heads off, vowing to never tell her friends that she dated Daniela once.

That night, Winter falls into another dream and encounters her deceased mother, Lorelei; things take a gruesome turn when Daniela murders Lorelei and warns Winter that she'll be next, throwing her own knife at her. Winter awakens, panicking, and grabbing a photo of a younger Daniela and her, she sobs. The next day, she asks Evie to meet her at an intersection, and when she arrives, she claims that she just wanted to hang out with her, clearly nervous. They pick up Mya, but to her and Evie, it is apparent that something is wrong with her. Winter, struggling to conceal the truth, accidentally slips into a nightmare where Daniela has her chained, and she verbally tortures her. She is quickly snapped out of it by her friends, but fearing they've just uncovered the truth, she runs away and into the Piney Woods. However, she stops running when Evie and Mya reaffirm their liking and support of her, and deciding to confess, she brings them to her cabin and shows to them something they previously never had access to - her memories. When she shows Daniela's memory, the girls are understandably horrified, but express unconditional love for her and reminding her that she didn't turn out like Daniela. Winter, relieved and joyous, finally hugs them and fully welcomes them into her life.

Later, Winter stargazes at night and thinks of her relationship with Evie and Mya. Suddenly, she realizes that someone, revealed to be Daniela, has invaded her territory, and she ambushes her. They confront each other, and Daniela promises that she'll be dead one day before walking away. Horrified, Winter sleeps with her pocket knife by her head.

#### *Dancing in the Dark*

Although Winter does not appear in this episode, she is mentioned a few times by Evie and Mya.

#### *There's Something About Mya*

"*When you feel ready to come out of the closet and express yourself as gay. Take a while to think about what you want to say and what you identify as. Relish in it, roll in it, and DON'T hate yourself. Being queer is a blessing (which father hated, apparently). Mya, you have more opportunities than I did in terms of coming out. No one's pressuring you and no one is going to force the truth prematurely.*"
—Winter texting Mya and advising her to enjoy being queer

While Winter doesn't physically appear in the episode, she does appear through text. Although Mya initially fears messaging her over her newfound queerness, she eventually reaches out to Winter, who helps her calm down and realize the extent of her feelings for Evie. She also helps her come to terms with her identity and coming out to others, and later, Mya frequently mentions her help, surprising her family and Evie, who hadn't considered her much of a person to give advice.

#### *She's Plotting Something*

"*Daniela, listen to me!" [...] "I* remember *the old you. The you who snuggled with me on* our *first sleepover. The time we hid under father's* duvet *and declared it our meeting place. The time you watched the fireworks with me, visited mother's* grave *with me, the time I* **saved you** *at the park and told you that you were* beautiful*! What* **happened** *to that you? What* changed*?*"
—Winter trying to reason with Daniela

Winter is sleeping in her cabin when she is awoken by a mysterious intruder, revealed to be Daniela, and she is knocked out and kidnapped. Evie and Mya investigate, and with clues and testimony from Rex, they find Winter, gagged and bound, in a hideout belonging to Daniela. Before they can free her, Daniela knocks them out and also restrains them. She returns, holding a rose, and slowly plucking its petals, she demonizes Winter and the girls, hinting at her master plan and even removing Winter's gag just to taunt her further. Eventually, chaos ensues when Daniela declares that she fully intends to murder Winter, and then afterward, Evie and Mya, much to their horror. She leaves to let them say goodbye, and Winter apologizes for lying about the murder plot, though neither of the girls are angry and instead focus on getting out.

Mya, soon escaping from her ropes, frees Winter, who in turn uses her knife to free Evie. The girls attempt to escape, but Daniela blocks them and gets into a fight with Evie and Mya. Winter backs away, watching as Daniela defeats her friends and encroaches on her hungrily. Her every effort to dissuade Daniela from homicide continually fails, and having had enough, her ex pulls a steak knife on her and tries to stab her throat. However, in the nick of time, Mya deflects the killing blow with her shoulder, defying Daniela and asserting that Winter is like a sister to her, shocking her. Despite her valiancy, Daniela tosses her aside and tries to kill Winter for a second time, but this time, Rex apprehends her and hauls her away from the girls.

Mya and Winter embrace warmly, with Winter revealing that she sees Mya like a sister as well. She prepares to head home to eat, but Mya stops her, inviting her for a fuller meal at her place instead. With encouragement, Winter agrees, and finds the house to be comforting. She introduces herself to Mya's father, Patrick, and is delighted to be able to share the meal of the night with Mya: pizza. Afterwards, she snuggles with her.

#### *The Party*

"*In case you* chickenfricks *are dry enough to not realize it, Rex* promised me *that Daniela was* finished*. She'd be* out *of* our classes *and* alone*. In* solitary confinement*. She told me this, promised this, and Rex* **ALWAYS** *holds true to her* **PROMISES***!*"
—Winter in extreme denial that Rex could ever fail her

Winter is now more outgoing following Daniela's loss and has grown confident in her social skills. She attends the pep rally with Evie and Mya and is excited about the party, wishing to go to it with her friends, and they all agree to go together. The following day, Winter wears her rare sweater and meets Evie and Mya outside of school. At lunch, all three are named on the party roster, and the reception to Winter's invitation is mixed; she doesn't care and fills with glee. After school, Winter walks ahead of Evie and Mya, unaware that Daniela has blackmailed Rex into letting her into the party. When Evie and Mya break this news to her, Winter is in denial that Rex would ever let her down and rebukes Evie and Mya for suggesting she's no longer safe. Eventually, she cracks, spits at them to shut up, and runs off. She refuses to acknowledge them for the next few days and heads to the party alone, vibing by herself and chatting to a female stronger. However, this prove to be a grave mistake, and the stranger, identifying herself as Daniela, ambushes Winter. She screams, and Evie, Mya, and their friends collectively realize that they're too late.

#### *Winter Storm Arising*

"*You're a* **lesson learned***. What happened to the young lovers, the pain, bitterness, heartbreak, battles, and wars of words, will* **always** *be on you. I once thought you still had* some good *in you, Dani. I was wrong. You're* pure evil *down to your* **core** *and won't* ever change*. It's* done*. You've* lost*. It's* **over***.*"
—Winter disowning Daniela following her final defeat

Winter, despite her attempts to escape and counter Daniela, cannot free herself, as the bully proves to have more ferocious strength and willpower. She is left helpless, defenseless without her friends, and trapped under the stares of everyone in the crowd, as Daniela gradually spills her secrets one by one, cutting into her the slow, painful way she likes. Despite Winter's crashing and stressed mental state, her challenges to Daniela succeed in dividing the crowd, with some favoring her and others favoring her ex. Daniela, once having spilled nearly all of her secrets, gashes into her with the Snowblind bullying. Descending into a panic attack, Winter impulsively draws her pocket knife and charges, but her former flame is a step ahead of her, kicking her into a wall. In the process, Winter's knife lands at her feet, rendering Winter fully defenseless.

Daniela, taking in the moment with glee, sneers at Winter for bringing a weapon onto school grounds, preparing to finish her off for good. Upon completing her monologue and proclaiming that there's "always a reason why we lose," she lowers the knife and attempts to stab Winter's throat. Luckily, Winter hears Evie and Mya shouting for her and turns enough to block the blow with the shoulder, though it doesn't lessen the pain by any means. Daniela, albeit disappointed that Winter isn't dead, taunts her and orders her to run away permanently, referring to her as Snowblind and believing she'll forever be known as Snowblind. Heeding her word, Winter stumbles out, and Evie and Mya form a plan to rescue her. While Evie distracts Daniela with a fight, Mya finds Winter hiding with her jacket near the dumpsters and bandages her shoulder wound, urging her to go back and battle Daniela.

Winter protests that she can't and breaks down, believing she is a failure named Snowblind and accepting her fate, unable to face Daniela. Mya feels sympathy for her and slaps gentle sense into her, revealing to her that she has only fled so many times because she is scared of facing her past. Instead, she should learn from it and be a hero - Snowlight, not Snowblind. Here, Winter realizes that she is right, flooded with life, memories, courage, and more importantly, hope. She hugs her friend, thanking her and promising that they'll always be sisters. They head back to the cafeteria, and an outraged, stoic Winter accosts Daniela; she recalls everything she ever did to her and admits that she thought she was right about her. However, she's wrong, as Winter knows that she won't run away anymore and will resonate.

She leaps into a fight with Daniela, which ends in the latter being dazed and defeated. Winter permanently disowns her, and before she can inflict any more harm on her and the girls, Daniela is arrested by police and dragged away. On the second cafeteria level, Winter reunites with a relieved Rex, and soon, is stunned to learn that Mya's parents want to adopt her. She rejoices, happily earning a pen from the Rafiq sisters, Evelin and Sarah, and signing her certificate with it. She interacts with the rest of Evie and Mya's friends, but before the night comes to a close, Lars, the bully who called her Snowblind in the first place, approaches her. He formally apologizes for the harassment, and choosing compassion, Winter forgives him. She then parties with the rest of the crowd. A couple days later, it is noted that Winter has signed an NDA that allows her to carry her pocket knife at school as long as it is concealed. She lays on the grounds of Pinelake Park with Evie and Mya, and sensing the two's romantic tension, leaves to sleep for the final time in her cabin.

### Season 2

#### *The New Principal*

"*What a way to have freedom taken from you again." [...] "It's like I'm happy one day, and something ruins it! Why can't we be allowed to be us?*"
—Winter angry about the anti-LGBTQ+ rule

At Pinelake Park, Evie remarks that Winter is missing out on the sunny day. She and Mya think about Daniela, Winter's ex-girlfriend, who brutally tried going after all three and lost. Mya then brings up Amira, their new friend, who seemed to take a liking to her adopted sister. Later, Winter and Mya surprise Evie outside the school building, and she tells them that they should go in. After Mrs. Ikenna announces that they are on pep ralley schedule, Winter mutters that the world better be normal today, flinging the front tips of her hair upward. In Mr. Naecher's history class, Winter joins her classmates, adopted sister, and friend as they head to the cafeteria to meet their new principal. Winter thinks the meeting is bound to be boring and full of speeches, though Evie is more optimistic. At the meeting, when Vice Principal Bluelund hypes up the new principal's debut, Winter happily exclaims that this is the person she wants. The new principal emerges onstage, introducing herself as Principal Shetani, and she gives a warm welcome to her students.

She then announces new rules, and Winter comforts Mya when listening to music in class is banned. She is stunned when LGBTQ+ relationships are banned by Shetani, laying her head down on the table and thinking about not being able to start a new relationship after her previous one ended in disaster. Upon the bell ringing, she, Evie, and Mya run out of the school building as fast as they can. The trio hold a meeting at Pinelake Park, where Winter is the most concerned, thinking about how she's happy one day and then her freedom is taken away. Mya advises her to go easy, trying to raise her spirits, but Winter remains unhopeful. She snaps for one positive thing to happen to make the day better, and a voice behind her asks what. Recognizing the voice and turning around, she finds Amira's brown eyes looking at her own ice-blue. She happily greets her best friend, hugging her and explaining that their day hasn't been the best. Winter finds things she likes in Amira - her bravery, understanding, and a heart of flame, making her heart beat faster. She asks her if she'd like to come by the park more often, and she agrees, slightly taken aback, before rushing off. Winter then looks on happily, and returns home.

#### *Stacking the Rules*

"*What if I told you that I dyed my hair for personal reasons? For things that affected me and changed my life forever?" [...] "Students are allowed to express creativity. Everyone has a freedom to do that, Principal Shetani. You can't take that away. And I* **know** *what you said behind my back was homophobic.*"
—Winter challenging Shetani

Winter takes her seat with Evie and Mya in Mr. Gill's science class. When Shetani prohibits students from leaving class at any point of day, Winter is angered when Mr. Gill doesn't protest it, wondering what more could go wrong. Later, in history, Shetani suddenly announces a ban regarding dyed hair, and everyone in the class stares at Winter. She stammers that she can't be blamed for her own style, remembering how she did it to shed her old identity Daniela destroyed. Mr. Naecher sides with her, thinking that this rule is unfair, and the entire class agrees. Without warning, Shetani busts into the classroom, demanding for Winter and incorrectly referring to her as Winterlyn Heartley. She silently corrects the principal in her mind before squeaking what she wants, and Shetani reveals that she needs her in her office with the "emo hair" of hers.

Mr. Naecher attempts to stop Shetani from taking Winter, but she bluntly disregards him and drags her out of the classroom while Evie and Mya look on in stunned disbelief. Later, Evie and Mya find Winter outside the school, rubbing her face - which has a welt on it. Mya questions what happened, and Winter reveals that Shetani roughly handled her, calling her hair a disgrace and giving her the welt she now has on her face. She pauses briefly before revealing a disturbing thing the principal did - say a homophobic slur as she was leaving. She adds that Shetani isn't good at all, and that this is the beginning of a rapid takeover. Evie states that they must confront her, promising Winter that she won't get expelled as long as they're around. The next day, the three confront Shetani in her office, where Winter says that it isn't fair to students that they can't leave the classroom all day, pointing out that the bathroom is more important than education.

Shetani doesn't see an issue with the rule, but Winter reminds her to think of the ladies and the pain, finally pressuring her enough that she revokes the rule. She orders them to get out, but Evie commands her to reverse the dyed hair rule and apologize to Winter for what she did in front of her. Winter adds that she dyed her hair for personal reasons, that students are allowed to express their creativity, and that what she did was homophobic. Furious, Shetani demands for her to stop, incorrectly referring to her as Winterlyn Heartley again, and calling her past absurd. Hurt by her remarks, she begins to feel oppressed and wonders if she lied. Mya stands up for her sister, furiously calling out Shetani for her selfish actions and correcting her on Winter's last name, saying she goes by McCormick, not Heartley. Shetani finally decides to revoke it, ordering them to get out, but Mya snaps that she won't until Winter is given an apology.

The principal then moves toward Winter, awkwardly giving her an apology and referring to her with the correct last name. She orders them to leave, and they do, celebrating their victory outside. Evie praises Winter, and she blushes while mentioning that they couldn't get the rule on LGBTQ+ relationships taken down. Evie responds that they can't challenge that for right now, but what they got is a victory, unaware that Shetani is watching and plotting to make the girls bend to her will. They begin to walk home, finding deaf student Cassandra by a fence, and Winter gives her a small paper. Cassandra quietly gives a thank you before walking home, and Mya and Winter follow Evie. Winter reveals that the paper was an offer for Cassandra to help them stop Shetani, and that they are on the grounds of a major rebellion.

#### *Shocking Secret*

"*You're my* best friend*, Amira. Now I've seen Shetani's true colors. She doesn't even love you like a true aunt would love her niece. Your parents and grandma are on a business trip and don't even know about Shetani's dark side. I want you to be safe, Amira, and I came to let you know that you'll never be alone. I'm always going to try and be here for you.*"
—Winter's promise to Amira

Winter paces the grounds of Pinelake Park, looking forward to the days of peace and waiting for a friend to arrive. She sees movement, and excited, happily hugs Amira, quickly catching her up on what she, Evie, and Mya have had to deal with recently. Amira says that she'll try helping them, satisfying Winter, who gives her the nickname of Ira. They sit together for a long time, and Amira wishes to stay longer, but her aunt wishes for her to return home. She sadly bids Winter farewell, making her suspicious that something is up with her friend. Later, Mya asks Evie if Winter will be home soon, and she agrees. Before they can kiss each other, Winter surprises them without warning, revealing that her day with Amira was quite fun, and bringing up how sad she was about going home. Evie advises her to wait and see, and Mya and her adopted sister return home. The next day, Winter is at Pinelake Park with Evie and Mya when she sees Amira approaching them. She is unusually quiet and lacking in emotion, and Winter greets her, though she doesn't respond.

When Amira is revealed to have a bruised and scarred face, Winter's eyes light up with concern, and she sits closer to Amira, asking if she's sure this was an accident. She calls herself clumsy, though Winter is skeptical, as she has never been clumsy or portrayed like that in Evie and Mya's story. Flustered, she leaves, and Winter voices her concerns about the way Amira is acting to Evie and Mya. During her confrontation with her niece, Amira's aunt chatises Amira for hanging around her friends at the park. Later, Winter and Mya planespot together on a street adjacent to Pinelake Park, and Winter comments that she can't hear anything. She is unaware of a jogger getting close to her, as she is distracted by a propeller aircraft in the sky. Without warning, the jogger slams into Mya and nearly knocks her down, but Winter grabs her, warning them to be careful. However, she sees that the jogger is actually Amira, who's face is raw from crying, and knowing something is wrong, she and Mya investigate.

They follow Amira back to her one-story residence, sticking together, and Winter listens carefully. She can't see through the dark window, but begins hearing a confrontation between Amira and her aunt, unable to recognize who the adult is. Her heart races, and while she wants to protect Amira, cannot. Sun rays hit the back of her head and reflect onto the window, revealing what's inside, and Mya and Winter are beyond horrified at what they can now see. The latter feels as if she's been thrown of a cliff, seeing a woman with dark blue eyes and red hair. Winter knows the person is hungry for power and control, has a distaste for her kind, and lusts for her desires at every twist and turn - Principal Shetani. She then remembers her saying "Master" and the scars on Amira's face, and Mya blurts out that Amira is a slave to Shetani. Suddenly, Winter overhears Amira being dragged outside as a punishment, and gets to the fence just in time to see her best friend be thrown into the dirt.

Feeling sick, Winter's heart aches for Amira, noting that this treatment is on a whole new level compared to Daniela. She and Mya discuss the new side of Shetani they have just seen, and with no regret in her voice, Winter remarks that Shetani is even worse than Daniela. Forming a plan, she tells Mya to stand guard while she talks to Amira, and she then creeps along the fence, seeing her friend covered in dirt and with a chin stained with blood. She notes that Shetani's toxic, manipulative, and abusive nature has broken Amira, and she had felt unwanted and unloved for a long time. She calls out her name, and shocked, Amira tells Winter to go away before her aunt finds out. She questions why she and Mya followed her, again begging for her to leave, but Winter explains that they followed her because they care about her wellbeing. She also adds that they know Shetani for who she truly is now. Surprised, Amira inquires if she really cares about her, and Winter replies that she's her best friend, vowing that she'll try to protect her the best she can.

Amira is shocked, feeling a positive electric feeling shoot through her, and again asks if Winter truly does care. In turn, she reaches over the fence to grasp Amira's hand, revealing that she's not the only one to come from a dark past. This makes her happy, but she urges Winter and Mya to leave before Shetani does something twisted to them, which they agree to do. As she leaves, Winter gives Amira a very friendly glance, causing the latter to lay back down on the ground, now happy someone cares for her. She wishes to see Winter again, and soon feels an irresistible tug to be with her. Later, at night, Mya and Winter explain what they saw to Evie, who is angered about Shetani. Mya cheers her up by saying that Winter made Amira see that people care for her, and Winter comments that she saw light in her beautiful brown eyes. Mya then jokes around that she loves her, which Winter firmly denies. She glances up at the stars, wanting to be by Amira's side, feeling a strong tug in her heart that makes her know Amira needs her.

#### *Unbroken Love*

"*You were right all along, My. I love Amira. I felt a longing to be with her, so I snuck out, and unexpectedly found her at Pinelake Park. From there, it was what you guessed - she kissed me, she made me dance with her, she has my heart in her hands. And I love her back. The feeling's electric. And soon enough, we were sleeping by each other... I'm not letting go of her.*"
—Winter confirming her love of Amira

Mya sits in her room with Winter, noting that she has been lost in thought and unbothered all day. She asks her what's up, and looking out the window, Winter says she's thinking about something. Mya points out that she hadn't paid attention to her breakfast or lunch, and she should at least be interested in dinner, but she retorts that this person is more important right now. Mya then figures out that she's thinking about Amira, and surprised, Winter firmly states that they only have a strong friendship and she is not dating her. When asked again, she makes her stance clear, and Mya gives up arguing with her. However, Winter secretly knows her adopted sister is right, feeling a strong desire to see Amira again. Later, when Amira hears someone approaching at her at Pinelake Park, a teenage girl happily runs up to her through the fog - revealing herself to be Winter. She reassures Amira that it's her, saying that her heart wanted to be here tonight, making her best friend relax. Winter promises that no one is going to harm her, asking what she wants to do, and Amira replies that there is no place she'd rather be.

Inside, Amira feels herself latching on to Winter; the latter feels it too, realizing a feeling within her that she hasn't felt in a long time. She knows Amira is the one for her, and she walks behind her, draping her arms over her shoulders and saying that she wants to be with her as well. She places her chin on Amira's shoulder affectionately, but to her surprise, Winter is pulled into her and kissed directly on the lips. She instantly returns the favor and kisses her on the cheek, and they officially become girlfriends. Both touch noses, and Winter says that she loves this so much, noticing their giant shadow on the ground. Amira remarks that it's perfect, glancing into her ice-blue eyes and inquiring if she'd like to dance with her. Winter immediately agrees, and they do a prom dance Amira remembers seeing, following along step-by-step. They hold hands, facing the Piney Woods, and Amira pulls Winter even more closer to her. She feels her maroon shirt and then her cheek, causing her to blush yet smile. Winter pulls her face into hers, kissing her on the lips, and Amira kisses back, which allows them to make out.

Winter notes that not even her adopted family can love her as deeply as Amira can. Then, the latter grabs her new girlfriend and lets them fall to the ground, and they roll on the damp grass. She finds herself on top of Amira, laughing and saying that they're not lions, though she thinks they're superior to them. Winter kisses her on her neck, then rolls off Amira, looking up at the stars with her. Amira finds them touching like they are, and her girlfriend believes that it'a sign they're meant to be together. She then lays her head on her chest, stating that this is where she wants to be every night, and Winter agrees. She closes her eyes, and soon enough, both girls fall asleep by the Piney Woods. The next morning, Mya wakes up in her bed, remembering Winter went out. However, she finds her missing, and quickly gets dressed and gathers her school stuff. She tells her parents that her adopted sister is missing, rushing out the door and heading to Evie's doorstep. Evie opens her door, questioning what's going on, and she is stunned to hear that Winter is gone.

She worries that Shetani or even Daniela took her, but chastises herself and heads off with Mya to search Pinelake Park. They look everywhere, but can't find her, and then head to check every last inch of the Piney Woods. There, Mya suddenly finds Winter twitching lightly on the ground, with Amira sleeping on her chest. Both realize this isn't friendship, but a relationship, and Mya gently wiggles Winter's ear so she wakes up. She groggily asks Amira why she's moving her ear, but then she sees Evie and Mya, and screams loudly. She stammers that it's not what they think, and Evie reassures her that they won't be hurt, but she knows what's going on between them. Winter denies anything happened again, trying to pass it off as a coincidence, but Mya tells her to admit it. Giving in to them, Winter professes her love of Amira, saying that she has her heart in her hands, the feeling is electric, and she is not letting go of her.

Mya approves, but tells Winter to go home and get ready for school. Amira runs off in the direction of her house, and Winter tries to follow her, but Evie holds her back. She urges her to go home, not wanting her exposed to Shetani. Later, Evie and Mya are in ELA class, and the former is skeptical that Winter will make it. However, she then walks in, completely school-set, apologizing for being stubborn. Winter then turns to the smartboard to await Mrs. Ikenna's instructions. After the day is over, Winter walks to Amira's house, deciding to risk a solo visit to her girlfriend and noting her dreamy state in school. She strides forward, hoping Amira is there and not Shetani, though recalls that she has her knife on her and is a fierce fighter. Winter sees her looking sad in her yard, and whispers her name carefully, causing her to perk up. Amira immediately runs over to the fence, steps onto a rock, and kisses Winter, saying that she missed her so much. She asks if this is a visit, which Winter confirms, and they agree to have more midnight meetings together. Suddenly, she sees the collar around Amira's neck and shudders, mentioning it and trailing off.

Winter is revolted by the thought of Shetani forcing her niece to wear a collar, not wanting it to stay on Amira's neck, and she promises that she'll cut it off. This satisfies Amira, who leaps over the fence to join her, asking if she'd really do that, which she confirms. That night, Winter recalls introducing her to her former cabin home, convincing her to wait for the right time. She asks Amira if she's ready, and she ecstatically gives her to go-ahead to cut the collar off. Winter pulls it outward, and using the knife, slices the collar in two. It falls to the ground, and she buries it, much to the excitement of Amira. She thanks her, and she then tries to kiss her girlfriend, but Amira puts a finger to her lips. She says that she knows what Winter wants, but she has to get it, blowing a raspberry at her and taking off. Giggling uncontrollably, Winter chases Amira around Pinelake Park, running through a grassy field. Many yellow-green lights, which belong to fireflies, rise up around her, and Winter thinks of it as a magical feeling. She feels Amira tap her on her shoulder, calling out to her from afar, and gives chase through all of the lights childishly. Finally, Winter pins her down triumphantly, earning her a warm glance from Amira, who wishes to sleep now. Winter agrees, wrapping her arms protectively around her body, and they soon fall asleep, their romance unbroken.

#### *Rushing Roulette*

"*Evie. You weren't thinking well when we came here. But you proved you could fix this by sacrificing yourself for us. In the end, it paid off. Thank you for all you've done for me and Mya." [...] "You put on quite a fantastic show.*"
—Winter to Evie after she "dies"

Evie notes that she hasn't gotten the time to hang out with Mya because of Winter's sudden romance with Amira and Shetani's rise to power. When she tries walking out the door, she bumps into Winter, who reveals that Mya is gone. She mentions that she went home from Pinelake Park before she did, and when Winter came back, she was nowhere to be found. Evie asks if she found any leads, but she stammers that she didn't. Deciding to ignore her parents, she heads out, and Winter touches her shoulder, wanting to come as well. Evie allows her to, not wanting to turn away her best friend despite her less-than-ideal attitude. They search Pinelake Park, and Winter calls out for Mya, not getting any sort of response. Evie advises her to give up, and in turn, she is told to not be so despondent and to not blame herself. She snaps back to Winter that she isn't blaming herself, feeling like she will go to the ends of the earth to find Mya. She looks at Evie in confusion, noting her uncharacteristic behavior isn't like her, and she might snap.

Winter then suggests sitting down by the playground step and discussing the situation further, knowing her friend is troubled. She urges her to calm herself and think straight, and Evie dismisses Shetani and Daniela as suspects. Winter begins to suspect that this is someone they've never dealt with, thinking they're on to something. When a figure surprises them, Evie hits it, but Winter hits her in return. She questions why she did that, and she reveals that she just hit Cassandra. After getting back up, Cassandra greets Winter, saying that she's looking for her missing bracelet. Using her phone to communicate with the deaf girl, she states that Mya is missing, and she decides to join them in their search. In the Piney Woods, Evie comments that they need to search everywhere, but Winter warns her that she shouldn't let the mystery go to her head. Refusing to listen to her, she runs ahead, finding the cabin, the home of Winter for most of her teenage life.

Winter and Cassandra rejoin Evie, and Winter, unamused, chastises her for running off. Hoping she's calmer now, she ascends up the steps of the cabin, finding Cassandra's bracelet and giving it back to her. She thanks her before heading home, and Evie asks for her to open the door. Winter snaps that she will, but if Mya's not here, she doesn't want an earful from her. She opens the door, and much to her shock, finds Mya bound in the corner. She is happy to see them, but warns them that this is a trap. Mya's words turn out to be true, and Evie, Mya, and Winter all become trapped in the cabin together. After being thrown into a chair, Evie demands for her captor to let her go, but he warns her that they'll die if she does - revealing that Winter is now bound together with Mya. Both give her a pleading look, eyes glazed over with fear, and Evie retreats into her mind to think. She agrees to play the man's game, but horror runs through her when she learns it is Russian roulette, and Winter begs for her to not do it.

Evie decides to play on, however, and gets through the first round, much to Mya and Winter's relief. Despite being terrified, Evie relaxes, knowing she must do this to protect those she loves. She asks for him to pull the trigger again, and the two are stunned that she is egging the man on. Mya burrows her face into her adopted sister's neck, not wanting to see what might happen. Quivering, Winter holds her close as the man prepares to start round two, which Evie gets through successfully. The latter prepares for a final round, not ready to leave until her girlfriend and best friend are safe, and she tells Mya if she doesn't play, she and Winter will die. Winter shields her face as the man presses the muzzle of the revolver against Evie's forehead, preparing for the worst to happen, refusing to let Mya go and feeling her shirt. Realizing that she's about to die, she uses her arms and wraps them around her adopted sister's face so she avoids hearing the fatal gunshot. Evie silently gives her final farewell to the two, calling Winter such a great friend to her.

The man pulls the trigger, and light suddenly fills the cabin, causing Winter to yelp and for Mya to break free of her grasp. Evie slumps onto the table, hair singed from the gunshot, and the two break out into tears. After they are let go by the man, they rush up to Evie's side, and Winter begs for her to wake up. Using her knife, she cuts her restraints loose, saying that while she didn't think well, she fixed this situation with her sacrifice. She then thanks her for everything, stating that her show was fantastic, and a voice asks why they aren't taking a bow for her. Startled, both find Evie alive, and she revealed that she faked her own death. Winter praises Evie, saying that she finally thought things through and won. When Evie is arguing with her mother, she points out that if she didn't play Russian roulette, Mya and Winter would have died. However, she fails to get how important they are to her, much to her chagrin.

#### *The Attack*

"*Amira, I can't* **afford** *to* **lose** *you! You're my everything. You're the person who has loved me deeper and harder than anyone else ever has. You've proven to me that I can have a relationship with a girl without it imploding in my face. You're the most perfect, beautiful girl that I've ever seen. We are one in the same. Shetani isn't your kin by blood. She's just a control freak who uses you!*"
—Winter trying to protect Amira

Winter daydreams at lunch, not eating, but she finally snaps out of it when Mya yells in her ear. She apologizes, unable to figure out why she's lost in thought, but Mya points out that it's Amira. Remembering that she needs to be careful, Winter says she'll try, though admits it's hard when she constantly has the urge to kiss her. Mya quickly silences her, not wanting trouble, and her adopted sister nervously nods in agreement with her. However, throughout the day, her babbling has proven troublesome, and she is now crawling into her car. She doesn't pay attention to Mya, gluing her face to the window as if she expects Amira to appear any second, much to her ire. Her adopted father questions what's going on, and while Winter mumbles nothing, Mya pointedly says that there's something they need to know. When Evie notetakes in her room, she understands why Winter loves Amira so much.

Later, Amira sneaks out of her house to see Winter, running to Pinelake Park and finding her leaning up against a tree. They embrace each other lovingly, enjoying their alone time and heading to the Piney Woods. She says that Amira's eyes are the most beautiful, glancing into them and beginning to feel alive. In turn, her girlfriend pulls her close, calling their love euphoric, and proceeding to kiss her, feel her cheek, and hug Winter. The latter tugs on Amira's ear with her teeth, and they fall to the ground, nestled in each other's embrace. They stargaze, and Winter combs through Amira's hair, making her giggle. Suddenly, there is a rustling in the bushes, and Winter sits up while drawing her pocket knife, snarling. She finds herself being lifted up by a dark man, demanding to be put down, and she is sharply thrown into a tree. Dazed, she finds Amira being brutally attacked, and Winter roars at the man to leave her alone. She stabs him in the neck with her knife, drawing blood, but he throws her to the ground again.

She weakly calls for Amira, finding her being suffocated, and Winter screams at the man to stay away from her girlfriend. She knocks him down and punches him in the nose so hard that blood pours from it. However, he easily knocks her aside, warning her to stay aside so he can handle Amira for the woman that asked him to. Winter gasps in horror, realizing that he is a hitman, remaining dazed. She quickly gets back up, deeply cutting into his arm and neck, which finally causes him to back down and run off. She then stumbles toward Amira, but collapses on the ground, blood trickling from the back of her head. Amira picks her up in her arms before curling up next to her, falling asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. Hours later, Winter wakes up, her head aching from the fight, noting that the area is like a crime scene. She guesses the time of day and finds her and Amira dotted with bruises and dried, bloody cuts. The latter wakes up, remembering the events from last night, and she is so startled by a sudden realization that she falls into Winter, who questions if she's okay.

She brings up that their attacker was working for a woman, and Winter pauses, knowing who would assign a hitman to kill Amira. Both say Shetani's name at the same time, and Amira tries to run home, but Winter stops her. She warns her that she might die, and while she tries to persuade her otherwise, she tells her to avoid going home so she can avoid digging herself into a pit. Winter snaps that she does have a choice, crying, saying that she can't afford to lose the person who loves her harder and deeper than anyone else has. She has also proven that Winter can have a real relationship with another girl, and she then points out that Shetani just uses her. Amira opens her mouth to protest, but Winter screams no, not wanting her to go back and kill herself. She asks her why she can't understand how serious this is, grabbing Amira's legs and begging her to not act blind to her situation anymore. Amira slowly begins to see that she's right, realizing that Winter is her only true family, and that she's only upset because she cares about her.

She begins to cry, running into Winter, hugging her and apologizing for hurting her. She is soothed by her girlfriend, touching her brindled jacket and questioning where she goes from here. Winter figures out someone who can help her, wanting to see them right now, though Amira wants to stay behind in order to think about what happened. Her girlfriend obliges to her wish, and they settle on the ground and burrow into one another. Meanwhile, Evie and Mya expect Winter to come home soon. They kiss, but Winter's voice startles them, and Mya warns her to not interrupt. However, she takes that back immediately upon seeing how beaten up she and Amira are, asking what happened. They explain the attack, and Amira adds that Shetani knows she's going on midnight meetings with her girlfriend, asking Evie if she can stay with her temporarily. After they head inside when Evie explains her plan, Winter laments on the fact that she can't have midnight meetings anymore, but puts up with it for Amira's sake. As she talks with her mother, Evie mentions that Winter and Amira were attacked by a hitman, and that Winter is the only person that ever truly loved Amira.

#### *Traitors!*

"*We did it because we're trying to save this school from imminent disaster!" [...] "I was - and might still be - persecuted because of my lesbianism! We have to stop Shetani. I don't care what happens to us. Bluelund, you may have lost your job for now - but you can* help us*.*"
—Winter reasoning with Vice Principal Bluelund

Winter, Evie, and Mya walk into school, talking loudly as part of their plan, and she asks Mya how her night out with Evie was. She tells the nearby students that they are indeed dating, revealing that she's a lesbian and that she has an attractive girlfriend who is "just as feminine as the ocean." Shetani emerges from her office, demanding for them to come in, and they oblige. Winter comes to the defense of Evie and Mya, saying that they just got a little too loud, and she would only be stern with the rule. Shetani retorts that she's wrong, calling her pathetic, and addressing the school to out them as traitors. Winter claims that she's a traitor too, having seen her actions, but the principal hits her on the face and sends her tumbling to the ground as retaliation. She orders them to sit in silence for the rest of the day, leaving her office in a huff, and Evie drags Winter back up. She states that she's survived way worse than getting hit, but with Shetani being gone, they need to start digging around for evidence against her. This shocks Bluelund, who says that it's against school rules.

Winter responds that Bluelund can help them, mentioning the darker traits of Shetani, and she reluctantly agrees to do so. Mya asks what else they should add to the notepad, and Evie points out that her name means devil, startling Winter, but she considers it fitting. She also brings up several key details on Shetani - she tried murdering her and Amira with a hitman (making Mya remember how her defensive effort resulted in them living), said a homophobic slur, and is unafraid of violence, which Mya scribbles down. Vice Principal Bluelund then returns with more evidence, and Winter sees that they show her displeasure of children and her suspicions of Mrs. Hawkins and Mr. Naecher. She presses closer to Mya, spitting that Shetani is an unloving freak and morbid for getting pleasure out of others' pain. Evie queries if she has got the evidence, which she confirms, and they continue to read on. Upon seeing that Shetani is out for the LGBTQ+ community, Winter and Mya quickly take notes, and they press closer to each other. Perturbed, she states that they have plenty of evidence now, but they all become alarmed when Vice Principal Bluelund screeches that Shetani is returning. Their efforts to clean up are in vain, as Shetani barges in and snarls that they have broken every rule in this school. Mya retorts that they did for all the right reasons knowing what she has been doing, and Winter mentions the treatment of her niece.

She growls at them to get out, moving toward them threateningly, and the girls exit the school building with Bluelund after being exiled as traitors. She and Mya attempt to comfort a heartbroken Evie, but she runs off sobbing, and they look on in stunned disbelief. Vice Principal Bluelund questions why they got her out of her job, and Winter snaps that they're trying to save the school from disaster. She also mentions that while she's lost her job, she can still help. Vice Principal Bluelund agrees, leaving to return home, and Winter comes up with a new plan - spying on Shetani's doorstep. Mya approves, but notes that they'll need to get their parents' approval, and Winter places her hand on her shoulder. She admits that she's concerned about Evie, suggesting to go home and deal with the situation from there. After arriving, she calls out to her adopted parents, but she and Mya become shocked upon seeing Evie laying on their sofa. Their parents explain what happened, and gulping nervously, Winter decides to tell them what happened even though it hurts.

She recalls the events of the day and how it ended in soul-crushing fashion for Evie, who is going to need time to heal from this. Mya joins her adopted sister, revealing that her girlfriend probably doesn't want to go home out of fear her mother will punish her, and the Heartley parents are shocked to hear they were right about everything all along. They allow them to spy on Shetani, and Winter thanks them. She and Mya then head over to Evie, and she wants them to go away, thinking they hate her. Instead, Winter brushes her hair aside and feels her cheek, promising that they aren't mad and she'll be fine, though she doesn't believe her. Despite her doubts, Mya reassures her, and Winter pulls her into a tight hug, saying that there's no need to apologize to them.

#### *Devil's Dungeon*

"***You think taunting those I love is okay**???" [...] "I know who you really are, and I've seen it* **MYSELF***! You are nothing more than a greedy, power-hungry, abusive, controlling, manipulative, and digusting monster who thinks torturing her **own niece for her pleasure is PERFECTLY NORMAL**!*"
—Winter aggressively attacking Shetani

Winter and Mya stand outside Evie's house nervously, waiting for her to emerge and recalling the disasterous events at school. She finally does appear, and Winter asks if she's not allowed to come with them. She responds that she is coming, making her give instructions on what they're doing, and she adds that they should get going. Winter only thinks about Amira as she walks, noting that she's only doing this for her, and remembering that she was taught the phrase "Te amo" - meaning "I love you." After arriving, they spy on Shetani, who soon leaves, irritating Winter. Mya reminds her to be patient, but they are all doubtful, and move to the other side. When Shetani still doesn't reappear, Winter snaps that this is fruitless, wondering how they can get evidence if they can't even see the she-devil, knowing Amira being safe is more important than her own life. Out of nowhere, Shetani ambushes them, and she retorts that she needs to go. Instead, Shetani punches Winter on her jaw, knocking her out cold and dragging her, Evie, and Mya inside her house.

Winter opens her eyes, groaning, finding her, her adopted sister, and friend in a room. She also sees that they are restrained, and comes to the conclusion that this place is where Amira is constantly tortured, making Shetani appear from the shadows to say she is correct. She cackles, a whip in her hand, and she begins to hit Evie with it. Winter furiously calls for her to stop, but her words fall on deaf ears, and Shetani then decides to go after Mya next. Her adopted sister looks at her in fear, knowing she's sensitive to pain, and feels a burning feeling inside of her as Mya is hit over and over. Shetani turns to Winter, wanting a kick out of her, seeing her eyes lit with rage and rebellion. She feels anger and hate rise up inside of her, and she growls at Shetani, giving her a warning. The latter continues to taunt her, striking her on her cheek, and she remarks that was a good one sarcastically. Seeing that she isn't getting pleasure out of her, Shetani strikes her again, making Winter snap. She growls deeply, jerking forward so violently that her neck collar rips apart, and she slices the rope of Shetani's whip off the handle. She steps forward, fists clenched and teeth bared, aggressively asking if she thinks hurting those she loves is okay.

She adds that she knows who Shetani truly is, berating her for her sadistic treatment of her niece and pouncing on her. Winter pulls her neck toward her, pointing her knife blade to it, telling her to confess what she tried doing to Amira or die. Shetani chuckles that there's nothing to say, which only makes Winter even more angry, and causes her to growl in disgust. She slams her opponent's head into the ground, pulls her back up again, and uses her to knife to draw a small bit of blood from her throat. Holding up her phone, she screams at Shetani to admit what she did to Amira, spitting for her to confess it, or she is going to be stabbed by her knife. Fury scorches her body, and it is noted that Winter, brimming with hate, will do anything and put herself in the face of danger for her girlfriend. Shetani finally confesses that she hired a hitman to kill Amira, telling Winter that she's dead and never coming back, satisfying her and making her stop the recording. She retracts her knife blade, freeing Evie and Mya and allowing Shetani to get up, and she moves toward Mya, who helps to calm her down. Much to their shock, Shetani snatches the phone and breaks it, and the three back against the wall. While it seems like Shetani has cornered them, they gang up and apprehend her, with Winter knocking her out cold.

They escape, finding what appears to be Amira's bedroom, and seeing that they can gather more evidence, Winter suggests entering it. Inside, they find some of her handwriting on papers, and she is shocked to see how depressed and suicidal Amira was living with her aunt. Winter feels like she's dying inside, and she grimly wonders that if she never got so into her girlfriend's life, she might have killed herself. Mya discovers more personal papers, and Winter exclaims that they're song lyrics (a rewritten version of *Monster* by Dev), shaking. She concludes that the song is about her relationship with Shetani, and she questions why Amira would try fixing her. Winter then mentions that they should collect everything for evidence, but Mya points out that they lost most of what they got, to which her adopted sister responds that their allies have the evidence and Evie has a backup recording of the confession. On Evie's cue, they run to the door and try to escape, and Mya and Winter are startled to hear Shetani coming. They manage to escape just in time, and Winter says that they need to go to Mya's house. There, Winter reassures her adopted parents that they're fine, and Mya recalls that she went crazy. She says that Amira will be at the school tomorrow to speak publicly, and she's gonna be by her side. Pressing hers, self close to Mya, they look over the rest of the song, and Winter finds a message on the back. She closes her eyes, choosing to only think about Amira, and repeating "Te amo."

#### *Your Pain is My Pleasure: Part 1*

"*Besides her own* niece*, Shetani has also been known to try bending the rules unfairly!" [...] "She banned anything relating to gay pride. Prohibited us from being ourselves! And as a person who has dealt with homophobia, I felt like I was taken advantage of because I am a lesbian who was in a broken relationship with a backstabbing freak!*"
—Winter exposing Shetani

Winter rallies the army that has formed at Pinelake Park, explaining what they will do at the school. Once everyone is clear, she says that she wishes to talk with Amira alone, taking her near the playground equipment and revealing that they found her song lyrics. Amira panics, but Winter reassures her that Shetani doesn't have them, and that the picture painted by *Monster* was actually pretty clever. Winter then briefly recounts her homophobic past, surprising Amira, and they both promise to be by each other's side. At the school, Winter follows Evie, Mya, Amira, Mrs. Hawkins, and Mr. Naecher to the cafeteria, holding Amira's hand tightly. Amira worries that she'll be overcome with fear, but she tells her that she will make sure she is safe, making Amira relax. Upon entering, Mr. Naecher tells the girls to hide, and they do so behind the curtain. Shetani begins speaking to the assembled seventh graders about the rules, and Winter silently remarks that she's an idiot. Shetani is horrified when the video busting her begins to play, furiously demanding who added this, and Evie, Mya, and Winter appear, proudly proclaiming that they did.

While Shetani tries to vehemently deny her actions, Winter calls her out for her controlling and manipulative behavior, in addition to her desires for pain and pleasure, stating that they've seen her actions first-hand. After some more arguing, she goes on to mention Shetani's frequent bending of the rules, especially toward the LGBTQ+ community, saying that she felt like she was taken advantage of because she was a lesbian. The crowd chants agreement with her, Evie, and Mya, much to the ire of the principal, who tries to defend herself based on her position. However, Winter points out that she attempted to dispose of her own niece, shocking the entire cafeteria, and Shetani retorts that she can't prove Amira is dead. However, Amira then emerges, revealing that Shetani was tricked all along, and Winter mocks her for her stupidity in allowing any teacher to access the presentation. Amira berates Shetani, then stands beside her girlfriend, and she protectively wraps her arm around her waist. She continues, saying that thanks to Winter, she found love in a hopeless place and got her out of the hell she was in. Despite being apprehended, Shetani breaks free, and grabs Amira and Winter by their shirt collars. Mya tries to lunge for her adopted sister, but misses, and all three are soon out of the school building.

#### *Your Pain is My Pleasure: Part 2*

"*Aww shucks, look at you giving all these compliments." [...] "That's the true words of a warrior who's been through it all. We're warriors, together and always. What do you say to that, Ira?*"
—Winter to Amira

Winter and Amira notice Evie and Mya catching up to them in Mrs. Hawkins' car, trying the break the window glass in order to get out. Shetani swerves so Amira goes flying back, and furious, Winter retaliates by calling her out and hitting her on the neck. They approach the rocky and dangerous terrain near the Pineshadow Bridge, but despite this, they continue their fight to break the window, with Winter keeping Amira close to her. She says that there's nothing Shetani can do, and soon, the window breaks. However, Shetani swerves the car so they are right on top of the cliff near the Pineshadow Bridge. She drags her captives out, holding them precariously over the cliff, and threatening their lives to Evie, Mya, and Mrs. Hawkins. As they demand for them to be let go, Winter admits to Amira that's she scared of falling to her death, and Amira gets an idea. She urges her girlfriend to trust her, and on the count of three, swings herself forward. This allows her and Winter to land on the ground and get away from Shetani, who gives chase. She attempts to grab Winter, but Evie stops her, and begins to attack her strongly.

After Evie and Mya are stunned by Shetani, she goes after Amira and begins to suffocate her. Winter commands for her to leave her alone, drawing her pocket knife and slashing Shetani on her arm, staining it red with blood. She then leaps at Shetani's face and cuts her on the neck, but she is punched on the jaw, which distracts her. Shetani wraps her other arm around her mouth, dragging her to the edge of the cliff, horrifying Amira. She watches as her aunt tells her that she would never stop her, preparing to kill her, but Winter is dropped when Shetani is distracted by Amira calling out to her. Quivering in fear, she sees her girlfriend fall over the cliff after barreling into Shetani, and she screams her name. Refusing to let her die, she runs down a steep slope, ignoring Mya's warning, and continues to run. Finding two bodies on the ground, her heart beats intensely, and she sadly drags Amira's body off of Shetani's.

Placing her gently onto her lap, Winter begs for her to wake up, not accepting that she is dead and they will never be together again. Sobbing, she then places her on the ground, asking for her to stay, and that she's the best thing that's ever happened to her. Mya tries to comfort Winter, but she swats her hand away, crying uncontrollably. She then cries out "Te amo," the special phrase Amira taught her, thinking about how she has lost another girlfriend following the breakup with Daniela. She also thinks about how she will never heal from this, once again begging for her to not leave and repeating "Te amo." Whispering to Amira for the last time, Winter buries her face into her, broken and finding no reason to live or be happy anymore. Suddenly, a voice whispers "Te amo" to her, and Winter denies that Amira is alive, inquiring if this is her ghost. However, she finally sees that Amira is glancing up at her, affection in her eyes, and she questions if she's okay. Amira confirms this, pulling Winter closer to her, and Evie and Mya become excited by what they have just seen.

Now crying tears of joy, Winter picks up Amira in her arms, and she questions how she surivived falling from such a high height. Amira explains that Shetani's body acted as a cushion, letting herself fall from her girlfriend's grasp and nervously asking if her aunt is dead, which Mya proclaims that she is, and everyone hugs her. When Amira's parents arrive on the scene, Winter looks at them in confusion. They give her a tourist card with information for Yellowknife, a city in Canada, and Winter silently begs Amira not to leave, her face peach-colored from crying. Repeatedly glancing at her, her friends, and her family, she chooses to stay, rebuking her family for trying to make things better with a trip and retreating to stand beside Winter. She snaps that Winter is her true family, grasping her hand tightly, and in turn, she wraps her arm around her waist. Her pocket knife is drawn in her other hand, and she glares at Amira's family, hate in her eyes.

Amira's father incorrectly guesses that Winter is like a sister, only making her shake her head sadly, and she kisses Winter on her cheek before turning to her parents. Deciding that Dahlia, her grandmother, has redeemed herself, she wishes for her to stay. Dahlia thanks Winter for helping her granddaughter and being someone she could love, and blushing, she replies that they should make arrangements in terms of going home. Later, Winter and the other three girls are at Pinelake Park, and Amira thanks everyone, especially her girlfriend, for making her feel loved and appreciated. Amira discovers that Cassandra covered *Monster*, which delights her, and Winter reveals that they asked her to do it as a special present. Hugging her tightly, she tells Amira that she'll inform Cassandra of her praise, and both of them leave to walk together. Soon after, Winter says that she wants to give her a present, and Amira is happy upon seeing that it is her girlfriend's green-striped sweater.

Amira says that she is wearing this with her new mittens, remarking that the fashion police won't stop her, and Winter questions if she got Mya's comedic flair. In turn, she replies that she learns from the best, and Winter promises to never let go of her. Amira replies that she won't let go of her either, as she's the best thing that's ever happened to her, and calling her special. Winter, appreciating all the compliments, states that they are warriors, together and always. She is then dragged down by her girlfriend, and both say that they love each other. Rolling off of Amira, Winter glances up at the stars, and it is noted that peace has returned to Pineshadow once again.

### Season 3

#### *Memories of the Past*

"*Mya. You may not have solved the mystery of your grandparents. But what matters is that you have me, our parents, Evie, Amira, and heck it, even Daniela now! You have an entire badass squad already. And that's what you should hold true in your heart.*"
—Winter reassuring Mya

Winter walks with Mya in the Piney Woods, agreeing that it might rain, but noting that they still have time to walk together. She expresses how much she misses living in the woods, making Mya recall how she had ran away from home and lived a life in a cabin alone for almost two years. Then, she met Mya and Evie, and grew to be their best friend. Meeting the two ultimately changed her life, and Winter drove out the darkness plaguing her, in addition to becoming Mya's adopted sister. Mya presses close to Winter, saying that the Piney Woods has been cool to explore with her, and that it's nice to have some peace after everything. Winter nods in agreement, recalling how Daniela, her ex-girlfriend, had almost killed her twice. After being stabbed in the shoulder at the school party, she thought it was over for her, had it not been for Mya, who showed her that she wasn't a burden. With new strength, Winter defeated Daniela. Some time after that night, Winter met Amira at Pinelake Park, and grew to be her best friend. However, Amira hid the fact that Shetani, who had been tormenting Winter, Evie, and Mya at school, was her abusive, manipulative aunt. Winter found out, and rescued Amira, also falling in love with her as well. Eventually, they fought Shetani at the Pineshadow Bridge, and just before Shetani dropped Winter to her demise, Amira sacrificed herself for her girlfriend, falling over a cliff.

Winter slid down the cliff to find Amira dead, leaving her heartbroken. Much to her surprise, however, Amira survived, leaving only a miracle in Pineshadow. Amira's grandmother patched things up with her, and Winter notes that she can't wait to hang out with her again. Shortly after that day, a scream at the park got Winter and Amira's attention. They found Daniela, who was noticably acting different, and had actually changed for the better. Winter forgave her, having found no point holding onto the past. Mya shakes her out of her daydreams, questioning if she's mooning over Amira again, which Winter quickly denies in embarrassment. She states that she's reflecting on everything, and doing that has made her really glad she has Mya. Mya says the same thing, asking where she would be if she had never met her, and Winter replies that she would be in a ghost town. As she presses her nose to Mya's, fog rolls in around them, and she snorts that nobody asked for the ambience. Mya reminds her that it's mother nature, telling her that they should go before it rains, but in that moment, it begins to rain. Quickly, they rush home, but Winter points Mya to a Stellar's jay in a tree branch above them. Mya is left in awe, but the two continue home. Mya asks Winter if she's ever been in the Piney Woods when it rained, and she remarks that it's wonderful, as it's peaceful and she had it all to herself. Mya thinks she would have been cold and wet out there, but Winter says that it didn't matter. She then admits that knew she liked Winter since the day they met, and Winter playfully retorts that when she met her, she almost slit her throat open.

Mya laughs, enjoying how Winter has picked up on her sense of humor. Winter questions what she wants to do when they gets home and when Mya suggests watching television, her sister urges her not to spoil *Good Girls Gone Bad* for Daniela, who she has only just reconciled with. They arrive at home, dashing inside and excitedly greeting their parents. Patrick reluctantly tells them that they can help clean the basement, and Winter briefly wonders why he is hesitant, but drops any concerns she has and follows Mya. They enter the basement, and Winter flicks on the light, asking if she's ever been down here. Mya says that she hardly has, and together, they get to work on sorting and cleaning. Winter hands Mya a featherduster, and they dust and sort for five minutes. Suddenly, the light shuts off, and the two scramble around in the dark, trying to find each other. When the light comes back on, Mya has grabbed Winter's waistline, and both blush in embarrassment. Winter proposes running out of the basement, and Mya agrees. However, Mya suddenly discovers a burned photograph on the ground, which baffles her and Winter, who wonders who the two mysterious figures in the photograph are, and she wonders how it got burned. Mya states that they must tell her parents, and she and Winter head into the living room. Winter sits down next to her adoptive mother as Mya reveals the photograph, and she adds that they found it in the basement. Nita and Patrick, startled, reveal that the two figures are their grandparents. Winter is surprised by the revelation, and it excites Mya greatly.

Winter asks how the photo got burned, and Patrick explains that it fell onto a candle. She and Mya beg for more information, and after briefly leaving the room, Nita and Patrick lie about how great they were, then leave to take a nap. Winter believes the mystery is pretty much solved, but Mya exclaims that they're only just getting started, vowing to find more information. The next day, Winter sits with Amira in her bedroom, admiring her as she writes, calling her the most beautiful person ever. Amira notices and blushes, asking if she was looking at her the entire time, which she confirms. She comments that her work is amazing and that she's pretty, but turns away laughing, her cheeks red. She apologizes for being cheesy, but Amira remarks that she's cute, showing her the paper that she's been working on. Winter is amazed by her handwriting, rubbing Amira's chin with her finger and whispering that she's the best. Amira pulls her girlfriend into her lap, telling her that she's the best. In a flash, she kisses her, and they fall to the floor, still kissing. Winter hugs Amira, and they move onto the bed. Winter pins Amira down, and she snorts that pinning her is her job, to which Winter responds that she can do that herself. She buries her face in her neck, kissing her there and on her chin when Dahlia suddenly interrupts, inquiring if she has interrupted something. She gives them cookies, and Amira drools, gratefully eating one. With half of the cookie in her mouth, she turns to Winter, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if she wants a bite. She quickly takes the other half of the cookie and eats it, her eyes shining with affection and mischief. She finds a speck of chocolate on Amira's cheek, and kisses her there, chocolate smearing her lips.

Suddenly, Mya texts her, revealing that she's found more information on her grandparents. She tells Amira, and bids her farewell. Once she returns to her bedroom, Mya explains everything she has now learned, and she asks what relatives got money. Mya believes she has maternal and paternal grandparents, and one gave money to the other, but Winter wonders how they can be sure. Her sister mutters that they're at a dead end, and deciding to crack a joke to cheer her up, Winter jokes that she should call rich people in Pineshadow. Mya accidentally takes her literally and likes the idea, much to Winter's ire; she warns her not to do so, as that will land her in trouble with her parents and the city. Mya doesn't care, but Winter snaps that she's dead serious, shocking her. She adds that she's her sister and doesn't want her doing anything harmful, in addition to not losing her after everything. Mya reassures her that she won't lose her or leave her, but she wants to figure out the mystery with her grandparents, questioning if she trusts her. Winter says she does, and Mya tries to call various numbers with no success. After dialing the last number, Winter pulls Mya close to her, assuring that while she didn't solve the mystery, she already has a "badass squad" and her parents. Mya sighs, realizing that she's right, and she thanks her. Soon, she falls asleep next to Winter.

#### *Welcome to Hollowleaf Mansion*

"*I almost lost you once. And I can't ever lose you. You were the person that helped me realize that I shouldn't have run away from my past. You were kidnapped... By a man... And you were almost shot... I can't have that happen! I don't want to lose-*"
—Winter pleading with Mya

While trying to introduce Evie to Harlow and Ivanna, Mya worries if they're homophobic like Winter's biological father. Shortly after, Winter is watching *Shrek 2* excitedly with her family, wrapping herself in a blanket next to her mother. Suddenly, the door flings open, and Mya reveals that she's found her grandparents. Overjoyed, Winter embraces her sister warmly, glad to hear everything. Harlow and Ivanna appear in the doorway, and Winter calls to them, her eyes shining. Harlow asks Patrick who she is, and he explains that she's their adopted daughter, Winter. She adds that she's a "complete badass," taking slashes at the air with her knife and saying that she never had a true family until the Heartleys adopted her. Harlow chuckles, commenting that she's one of a kind, which makes Winter blush. As she and Mya remain excited, Harlow encourages them to settle down, and he and Ivanna lead Nita and Patrick into the bedroom to talk to them. Turning to Mya, she murmurs that she petitions for Candyland if they do game night, placing dibs on the blue character. While exploring Hollowleaf Mansion, Mya mentions that Winter was watching *Shrek 2* with her family. Two days later, Evie gathers the other girls in Amira's bedroom, and Winter snuggles close to Amira, whom she has been sleeping over with. Evie reports that Harlow and Ivanna aren't good people, surprising Winter, and she murmurs that they're nice people. Daniela expresses her confusion over Harlow and Ivanna, and Winter facepalms, having accidentally forgotten to tell her about them. She apologizes, quickly catching her up. Evie hisses that Harlow and Ivanna are a bad influence on Mya, but Winter asks how she knows for sure.

She mentions how Harlow emphasized concerning things, also bringing up his room full of weapons. Winter doesn't see anything wrong, thinking Harlow is just an avid collector and would keep Mya safe regardless. Evie snaps that the Parkers only cared for Mya and not her, and sympathetic, Winter places a hand on her shoulder. She says that she understands why she's worried, but she just met Harlow and Ivanna and needs to give them time. Evie mutters that her parents told her that, and Winter suggests that she could be jealous of the attention Mya gets. Evie spits that she's not jealous, startling her, and she jumps back. After getting input from Amira and Daniela, Evie has just sat between them when Winter suddenly gets a text from her parents, who inform her that Mya is missing. She gasps, and Evie asks how long she's been missing, to which Winter responds that she doesn't know. At once, she packs her things and runs out, soon returning home. She dashes inside, setting her stuff down and questioning what's going on. Nita and Patrick explain that Mya has gone in and out for the past few days, not telling them where she's going, which isn't like her at all. Winter knows this is correct, and Nita shakes, mentioning that she hasn't replied to her texts. Fear pools in Winter's stomach as she recalls the day of the roulette game, in which Mya was kidnapped by a stranger and held in her old cabin, and as she speaks, she could be being tortured. Nita urges Winter to try texting Mya herself, about to reveal something personal, but Patrick quiets her. Ignoring them, Winter texts her, asking where she's been.

Nita hugs her adopted daughter tightly, tears in her eyes, and Winter reassures her that they'll get Mya back. In that moment, Mya replies, revealing that she's been spending her time with Harlow and Ivanna and has to go so they can tell her a story. She gasps, realizing that she should have seen this coming; Mya had been talking nonstop about her grandparents before she left for her sleepover with Amira - obsessed with them - and making Evie's suspicions all but true. Winter confirms that Mya is with the Parkers, knowing the problem is Mya being too enamored by them, but she knows how to fix it. She requests to be taken to Hollowleaf Mansion, and while her parents have her doubts, they agree to do so. Upon arriving at the mansion, Winter makes sure her knife is with her, and walks forward, her nerves building. She knocks on the door, calling for her adopted grandparents, and Ivanna appears, greeting her. She inquires where Mya is, and Ivanna guides her to the weapon room, mentioning how intrigued she is by Harlow's dagger. Horrified, Winter rushes there, and hears Mya's voice. She immediately kicks the door aside, and Harlow smootly greets her, rubbing her chin. Mya asks what she's doing here, and Winter tells her that they've been worried sick. Harlow looks at Mya warmly, making Winter grit her teeth, and Mya murmurs that she doesn't understand why she's so worried. She is stunned by her sister's monotone behavior, and quickly, she asks Harlow if she can speak to her privately. He guides her to a guest bedroom upstairs, and at once, Winter yanks Mya there by her wrist. She throws her into the room, slamming the door shut and snapping that she isn't fine at all. She has been worrying her parents sick, and her obsession with the Parkers is going to lead to trouble.

Mya dismisses any issue she has caused, even mentioning her own room at the mansion, making Winter borderline close to losing her temper. She retorts that isn't the point, telling her to stop spending her time with her grandparents and with her family instead. Mya blankly replies that Harlow and Ivanna have handled everything, and Winter realizes that everything Evie has said is true - the Parkers are a bad influence on her sister. Mya babbles about the stories they've told her, and finally, Winter snaps. She screams at her to shut up directly in her face, which startles Mya, and she falls onto the floor, petrified. Winter immediately regrets yelling at her, apologizing and sliding to her side, wrapping her in a hug. She demands that Mya looks at her, and explains that she's been hurting her parents by going in and out without telling them why. She urges her to adjust her schedule so she spends time with her grandparents, her parents, and her equally, and she whispers an apology. Unable to hold back tears, Winter cries that she almost lost Mya once, and she doesn't want to lose her. Mya hugs her tightly, promising to never leave her or stop loving her. With everything settled, Winter says that they should go back, but Mya reveals that Harlow and Ivanna wanted to show her something. Reluctantly, Winter allows her to stay for one more night, but shows her knife, warning Mya to stay true to her word. A few hours later, Winter reports her discoveries to the other girls in her bedroom, recalling how ordinary and careless Mya was. She then walks up to Evie, apologizing for not taking her seriously, pledging to help stop Harlow and Ivanna. When Daniela shows her commitment to proving she's changed, Winter pumps her fist up in the air. That night, Mya vows to not let anyone stand in her way, not even Winter.

#### *Rising Tensions*

"*I was at first. I liked Harlow and Ivanna, and I was happy to have adopted grandparents. But then, Evie told me what she saw the day she visited Hollowleaf Mansion. Then you started ghosting me and your parents and made us sick with worry. And* then*, you didn't act like yourself when I visited you. It's clear Harlow and Ivanna are making you act like a person we don't* know*... And if you only realized how much pain you're putting us all through right now... I wish you did.*"
—Winter refusing to side with Mya

When Evie complains about Harlow smirking, Mya notes that Winter and Daniela harmlessly smirk all the time. Frustrated with her denial, Evie asks her how she'd feel if her grandparents started to ignore Winter, but Mya doesn't care and abandons her. Later, Winter sits on the sofa, sweating, nervously waiting for Mya to return. She notes how worried she is leaving Mya on her own with Harlow and Ivanna, as the last time she left someone she loved alone, she got bullied at the park. Winter decides to talk to Amira in order to ease her nerves, but just then, the doorbell rings. Winter opens the door to find Mya, who is sluggish and exhausted, and she asks what happened, to which she responds that she had a long day. Suspicious, she tells her not to cover things up, and Mya admits that Evie is jealous of Harlow and Ivanna. Winter is swift to correct her, saying that Evie isn't jealous, but she just doesn't like them. Mya snaps that Evie said they were a bad influence, causing Winter to jump backward, and she continues to rant aggressively. She realizes that she can't tell Mya how she feels herself, and before she can rant anymore, Winter gently soothes Mya and tells her to come into her. She obliges, settling down, and Winter takes her to her bedroom. There, she asks why she is tired, and Mya explains that she took a glass of water from Ivanna - upon further prompting, she adds that white particles were in the glass. At once, Winter becomes horrified, and realizes that her sister was drugged by her grandparents.

She exclaims that she was drugged, which Mya vehemently denies, but Winter comments that sugar can't knock a person out in a few minutes, only sleeping medication can. Mya snaps that she wasn't drugged, beginning to complain again, and Winter hugs her. This soothes her, and she apologizes. Winter advises her to rest, and once Mya is asleep, she tucks a plush horse in her arms. She shuts the door to the living room, returning to the living room, and going back to her contacts. She texts Evie, instructing her to get Amira while she gets Daniela and to meet at Pinelake Park. She questions why, and she mentions that she has something to share regarding Mya. Evie agrees, and Winter runs to Daniela's place, knowing the way there even though she hasn't been there for a year and a half. She finds no one in the living room, but rings the doorbell regardless, hoping for Daniela or Rex. No one answers, and she prepares to turn away, but Rex suddenly appears in the doorway. She greets her, and Winter informs her that she needs to speak to Daniela right away. Moments later, she appears, inquiring about what's going on, and Winter explains that they're meeting Evie and Amira at the park to discuss news on Mya and the Parkers. Daniela wonders what they're up to, and stifling a laugh, Winter reveals that they drugged Mya. Immediately, the two rush to Pinelake Park, meeting Amira and Evie. The latter asks about what's happening with Mya, and swallowing a lump in her throat, Winter confesses that one of the Parkers drugged Mya with a glass of water spiked with sleeping pills. Evie frantically questions if she's alright, which Winter confirms, but she reports an issue - Mya is in denial over her grandparents drugging her.

Daniela nods in agreement, saying that one of a villain's common moves is to knock their prey out, and Winter winks at her. When Amira falls into a memory of Shetani, Winter softly kisses her, asking if she's okay, and she murmurs that she had a bad memory. Evie declares that they must confront Mya as one group, and all the girls agree with her. Afterward, Winter tells her adopted parents of what Harlow and Ivanna have done, along with Evie, and Winter pleads with her mother that they must do something. However, she responds that they can't, about to reveal more, but Patrick silences her before she can terrify the girls. Apologizing, he tells Winter that they've already tried to confine Mya here, but she can't be tied down, which she knows is sadly true. Getting an idea, Evie instructs the Heartley parents to let Mya go freely to the park to be picked up, and that way, the other girls can ambush her and hopefully pressure her into severing ties with the Parkers. Winter agrees to her plans, and so do her parents. The next day, Winter gets a text from her parents, and she warns the girls that Mya is coming. Once Mya learns that Evie is aware she got drugged, she wonders how that claim spread from Winter to her. After being confronted by Evie, Amira, and Daniela, Mya is fed up and begins to walk away, certain Winter will side with her. She finds her with her arms crossed and hugs her, failing to see Winter not hug her back. Mya expects her to back her up, but instead, she is shocked when Winter questions why she thinks the other girls are lying.

Winter then calls Mya crazy for not even trusting her own girlfriend, asking why she'd think she would agree with her. Mya tries to say something, but her sister interjects, revealing unapologetically that she hates Harlow and Ivanna as well. She shakes her head, looking at Winter with pain and dismay and inquiring as to why. Winter clarifies that while she liked Harlow and Ivanna at first, she learned their true colors from Evie. Then, Mya started avoiding her family, in addition to not acting like herself, which made it clear the Parkers are a bad influence on her. She wishes that she could see the pain they're putting them through, and Mya glances around, realizing nobody supports her at all. Enraged, Mya attacks Evie for sharing the information, and she then accuses Winter of "lying" that she got drugged to the other girls. Winter remains silent, hiding her pain, and Mya calls them all delusional. Winter warns her that once she keeps making mistakes, she won't stop and will just run away from the mess she made eventually. When Daniela tells Mya that she'll become a villain, Mya pins her on the ground, and Winter snaps at her to get off. In that moment, Harlow and Ivanna arrive, and Mya informs them of what is going on. Winter snarls at them to confess they drugged Mya, baffling Ivanna. After Harlow gets extremely close to Daniela, Winter flashes her pocket knife as if she wishes to cut him open. Once he backs off, she speeds to the side of her friend and hugs her. Following Mya's departure with her grandparents, Winter grimly admits that she doesn't know what to do now.

#### *The Dinner Party*

"*We aren't romantically into one another anymore, and we've been at each other's throats many times. But Dani, what happened tonight made me realize that I can't forget that promise I made to you years ago. I'll* never *leave your side, and I'll always stick up for you and defend you. You're my friend, and you mean so much more to me now than you ever have.*"
—Winter to Daniela

Despite it being a day, Mya misses Winter's laugh. Later, Mya calls for Winter, who runs out of her bedroom and meets up with her in the hallway. She is surprised to see Mya so jovial, noting that they've been distant and acting more like rogues since the fight. She snatches up a pink paper from Mya's hands, finding out that she and the Parkers have invited her over for dinner, and she asks if this is true, raising an eyebrow and thinking about her distaste of Harlow and Ivanna. Just as she is about to say no, Amira texts her, revealing that she got the same invite and will go if she is going. Winter changes her mind, choosing to attend to be with Amira, pleasing Mya. Winter then walks up to her parents, wishing to eat with the Parkers and not wanting to leave Amira alone. Her parents are shocked, and Patrick sternly tells her that she's staying home. However, Nita tells him that he's being overprotective, glancing around nervously and almost revealing something, confusing Winter. She allows her to go, and Winter nods, pointing out that she doesn't want to wear anything fancy. The night of the party, Winter makes sure her haircut is smoothed and refined, becoming satisfied with her appearance. Shortly after, the girls arrive, and Winter and Amira hop along from the grass lights like they are frogs. They walk in the doors hand-in-hand, and Winter apologizes for their lack of fanciness, saying that they brought their own swag, much to Mya's confusion. They sit next to each other on the right side of the dining table. After Daniela is pulled into the kitchen by Harlow, Evie comments that something feels off, and Winter silently agrees with her. When Daniela returns from the kitchen, Winter asks how it went, and Daniela report that they're getting less than ideal food. This baffles the girls, and Amira shares a dumbfounded look with her girlfriend.

On the other hand, Mya is more excited, and Winter is glad she is happy. Harlow and Ivanna appear with the food, and Ivanna serves Winter steak with green beans, much to her ire, as she doesn't eat steak. She is about to reject it, but seeing Mya so happy, she chooses to dig in anyway. Daniela accidentally sneezes some food onto Amira's face, causing her girlfriend to look at her in confusion, but Amira shrugs it off. While eating her spaghetti, she starts to choke on a meatball. Worried, Winter whacks her on the back, which helps her to swallow it, and she thanks her. Evie points out that Harlow and Ivanna said there were no meatballs in Amira's spaghetti, and Winter realizes that she's right, glaring at the Parkers, though they do not betray anything. Sighing, she tries to eat her steak, but finds it undercooked and wonders if Harlow and Ivanna tried to poison her. Not wanting to upset Mya, she doesn't protest to them and only stares at her plate. She notes that while she didn't eat the undercooked steak, the green beans were alright. Ivanna takes their dishes in, and wheels out a chocolate cake for the girls. However, none of them are interested in the cake, and Winter only pokes at it with her fork. Evie apologizes to Harlow and Ivanna, stating that they should probably get going, and she motions at her friends to leave. Harlow refuses to let them, wanting them to stay for the spectacle and locking the doors. When Mya forces Evie to dance with her, Amira hides behind her girlfriend, and Winter begs Mya to stop, but she doesn't listen. When the dance concludes, none of the girls clap, and while Ivanna tends to Mya, Amira and Winter escape upstairs. She wonders what's up here, and Winter isn't certain, but they find a door slightly ajar.

They discover Mya's bedroom, and Winter remarks that it's like her den, but Amira retorts that it's theirs now since Mya isn't here. She falls back onto the bed, sighing in peace, and Winter joins her, kissing on the neck. Then, she finds a balcony with a stunning view of the Hollowleaf Forest, loving the view. Amira joins her, and she says that this sight is beautiful, with Winter adding that it's only a moment they can share together. Her girlfriend presses her nose against her own, telling her to close her eyes, and Winter obliges. Amira asks her where she imagines them, and she responds that they'd be running around in Hollowleaf Forest, following the starlight and laying down in the grass. Amira builds onto her idea, mentioning that they could howl at the sky like wolves and fall asleep there. Winter wishes to fall asleep in her arms, but she wishes to kiss her right now underneath the balcony more than she can ever know. Amira makes her move, kissing her, and the two make out passionately under the balcony. After Daniela is almost violated by Harlow, she desperately searches for someone upstairs, hearing Amira and Winter. In Mya's bedroom, Amira states that Harlow and Ivanna can screw off, briefly flashing her middle finger, and Winter is about to kiss her when Daniela barges in. Seeing her so distressed, Winter helps her to the bed, and Amira asks her about what happened. Daniela only squeaks, so Winter tells her to fetch Evie. Once she does, the three slowly encourage Daniela to speak about what happened. She stammers that Harlow attacked her, much to Winter's disgust. Upon Daniela's revelation that Harlow tried to kiss her neck, Winter becomes even more disgusted, gripping the handle of her pocket knife.

Daniela finally manages to reveal that Harlow sexually assaulted her, shocking her friends, and they hug her. As Evie and Amira go to talk to Mya, Winter stays behind with Daniela, and they press close to one another. Daniela murmurs that she's glad she's here, and gazing at her warmly, Winter says that they don't date anymore. The events that defined them are in the past, but tonight has reminded her of something - her promise to her from a while back. Winter falls into a flashback where she hides under the park structures with Daniela, who is scared of a group of boys playing above them. Winter rubs her chin, reassuring her that they won't find them and nobody will harm her with her around. Suddenly, her stomach growls, and she gets up with the intention to get something to eat from her father. Daniela tugs her back, not wanting to be left alone, fearing the boys will bully her for wearing glasses. More sypathetic, Winter hugs her, assuring her that she won't get hurt. She walks out from under the castle and up to her father, asking for something to eat. He gives her a fruit bar, kissing her on the forehead. Without warning, she hears a scream, and Winter is terrified, knowing that was Daniela. She runs off at lightning speed, finding Daniela on the ground, in obvious pain and surrounded by five boys. One of them destroys her glasses, and Daniela turns to Winter, giving her a look that asks why she allowed this to happen. Winter feels immense guilt, realizing one of the boys saw her leave, which caused the rest to take advantage of Daniela being alone. Her regret turns into white-hot rage, and she demands that they step away furiously, threatening to make them suffer if they hurt Daniela again. She snaps a twig cleanly in half, and spooked, the boys run off.

Winter hugs Daniela, apologizing for putting her in danger, and she points out that her glasses are broken. She asks Daniela if she can see her clearly, which she confirms, and Winter tells her that she's already beautiful without glasses - to her, she is everything. Again apologizing for letting her down, Winter promises to never abandon her side again, and when she needs her, she'll be there. The two return to hiding under the park castle. Returning to the present, Daniela remembers the promise, and Winter tells her that she can't forget it; she'll always stick up for her and she means more to her now than she ever has. Grateful, Daniela snuggles closer to her. Soon, the two also join Evie and Amira on confronting Mya, and Winter informs her that what they have said is true. She urges her to cut ties with Harlow and Ivanna, but before they can, the two accuse Daniela of scarring Harlow over his eye. Mya becomes livid, but Winter tears her away from Daniela, stating she she's telling the truth. Mya screams that Harlow never followed her, causing her to fall on the ground, and she is helped up. Mya forces the girls to decide where their loyalities lie, and Winter is conflicted between putting up with everything for her sister or joining Daniela. Finally, she chooses Daniela, as does Evie. Harlow snaps at them to get out, and the girls rush out the door, leaving Mya in disbelief over Evie and Winter choosing Daniela over her grandfather. Back at home, Winter explains to her parents that Daniela was sexually assaulted by Harlow, in addition to Mya's refusal to believe it was true. This horrifies Nita and Patrick; the latter decides to get Mya away from her grandparents. Winter asks if they should call the police, and he says that they'll do that later. However, he finds out that Mya has blocked them all, stunning Nita and Winter, and tensions build around them as they realize what has happened.

#### *The Divide Between Us*

"*Mya treated me and my friends horribly. Like* jokes*. She's* greedy for power *and wants* that *over love.* **She's not even a person I know***. She left* **us***. **SHE LEFT ME ALONE**!*"
—Winter distraught and screaming at Amira

Mya notes that she doesn't need to dwell on conflicts with her family and friends. The next day, Winter tries to text Mya with no success, and frustrated, she curses to herself. Worried, she groans, and her mother hugs her. Patrick tries to diffuse the tension by being optimistic, but Nita continues to worry for Mya, not wanting her gone again. Winter tries to comfort her by saying that Harlow and Ivanna are likely keeping her safe, which causes her mother to spit that she knows Harlow and Ivanna are dangerous, as she has seen it herself. Suddenly, Winter realizes that she lied about Harlow and Ivanna, and she demands why neither the girls or Mya were told, or why this was hidden from them. Patrick warns her not to press her mother on, but furious, Winter snaps that they lied to her. She adds that they could have all done something to protect Mya, curling her fingers and feeling betrayed. She mutters that she could have saved her sister before running to her room, slamming her door and crawling onto her bed. Winter only feels resentment with Mya's absence, her tears dripping onto the pillow. Unable to contain her anger at her parents, she takes it out on the pillow, hitting it violently and screaming until she cannot anymore. An hour later, Winter wakes from a short nap and decides to speak to someone who knows Mya. She rushes to Evie's place, knocking on her door and revealing that Mya has blocked them off. Shocked, Evie calms her and invites her into her room. There, Winter explains that her parents were lying and could have avoided all of this, making Evie panic, and Winter worries over not being able what to do.

Evie assures her that they'll find a way, and Winter asks if she's tried to contact her. Evie, thoughtful, sends Mya a message - and it goes through, surprising the two, and Winter wonders where they'll go from here. That night, as Mya eats dinner with her grandparents, she notes that her family and friends have been a thorn in her side. A day later, Evie gathers the girls at Pinelake Park, and Winter is surprised to learn that Mya responded to her. She pledges to be at the meeting, along with Amira and Daniela. That night, Daniela nervously questions if Mya is here yet, but Winter urges her to relax, pressing against her with Amira. When Mya arrives, things go well at first. However, she notices the other girls and immediately begins to attack Daniela. In her rage, she calls her a monster, which makes her spiral into a flashback of a terrible day in prison. In the flashback, she notes that this is what she deserves for almost killing Winter, and she begins to wash her face. The inner demon in her head argues with her, asking how she thinks Winter feels after what she did to her, and recalling the painful memory of the school party, Daniela murmurs that she'd believe she is a monster. Looking in the mirror, she appears as a monster with hands dripping with the blood of the people she hurt - including Winter. Winter and Amira eventually snap her out of the memory, with Winter assuring that nothing will happen to her.

Then, Winter stomps toward Mya, fury in her ice-blue eyes. She berates her for calling Daniela a monster, even outright saying that she's not the real Mya and is merely an impostor who is brutal and ambitious. Mya dismisses her and Amira, getting into a cruel spat with Evie. Having had enough, Mya screams that she doesn't love her anymore, stunning the girls and breaking Evie's heart. After running off, Evie collapses onto the sidewalk, and her friends join her side. Later, Winter is in Amira's bedroom, and she notes that she lied to her parents that she was sleeping over, not being able to return home in her current emotional state. Amira pities her girlfriend greatly, seeing her so saddened, and she reassures her that they'll fix this. Winter growls at her that she let Mya down and regretting not doing enough, ordering Amira to leave her alone. She tries to tell her that it wasn't her fault Mya betrayed them, but Winter snaps that she's gone and she can't fix the damage done, shocking Amira, who backs up. She urges her not to give up, but Winter snaps that she's lost Mya and can do nothing about it. Shoving her girlfriend away, she adds that Mya treated them all like jokes and abandoned her. Suddenly, Winter pulls her pocket knife on Amira, which horrifies her. Realizing what she has done, Winter apologizes and runs off in tears. Amira chases her, running into Dahlia, who notes that she is a mess. Hearing the back door, Amira heads out onto the porch to find Winter sobbing hysterically. Amira joins her side, soothing her.

#### *Rise to Power*

"*This is the* only time *I'll warn you, sis. You are being* consumed *by darkness. And once you're consumed, you* won't *know when to stop acting out until it's too late, and you'll fall into the dark* forever*.*"
—Winter warning Mya of a dangerous outcome influenced by her actions

While attempting to console Evie, Amira puts herself in her shoes and thinks of what would happen if Winter turned her away the same way Mya did to her friend. Breaking through to Evie, Amira reminds her that she's like a sister and shares a bond with her that is different from her relationship with Winter. She adds that if it weren't for the latter and her, she wouldn't have stopped Shetani and probably would have killed herself before getting a chance to properly know Evie. Later that day, Winter sits with Daniela at Pinelake Park, her ice-blue eyes glimmering with concern and longing. Daniela notes that her friend took days to recover from the shock of Mya's betrayal. Winter was unable to do much and had bitter crying outbursts, but with the help of Amira and Daniela, she has eased into more of a calm. However, she still despises her parents, and Daniela senses her lingering anger, personally relating to it. Winter murmurs that they haven't seen Evie for two weeks, and her friend nods, recalling seeing Evie on the night of the "breakup." Suddenly, the two hear footsteps, and turning, they find Amira approaching them, Evie by her side. With her heart leaping, Winter exclaims that Amira's brought Evie, almost bowling her girlfriend over in a hug that she reciprocates with a kiss. Evie apologizes for her absence, vowing to be their leader and to get Mya back, and Winter happily pledges her allegiance to her.

Evie then starts to sculpt out a plan to get Mya back, but Winter interrupts her thought process, pointing out that Harlow and Ivanna are still a major threat and need to be dealt, being a modern Bonnie and Clyde and possessing multiple weapons, after all. Evie, realizing that her claim has merit, draws lines in the dirt that form the shape of a Y. She then gets an idea, announcing that they will operate a two-sided diversion: while she and Winter reach out to Mya, since they know her the best, Amira and Daniela will sneak into Hollowleaf Mansion and gather information to expose Harlow and Ivanna as criminals. Daniela, terrified and refusing to be around Harlow, backs out. Despite this, by the next morning, she worries about Amira and possibly Winter getting in harm's way and changes her mind, choosing to go on the mission after all. Five hours later, Winter stands near Amira outside her house, waiting for Dahlia to fetch the keys to her Jeep. Amira apologizes for the delay, and sympathetic, Winter relates, having felt bored and impatient when living by herself in the Piney Woods. Once Dahlia gets her keys and Daniela arrives, the girls are driven to Hollowleaf Mansion and dropped off outside. Upon reaching the doorstep, Winter motions at Amira and Daniela to hide, and she then turns to Evie, asking if she's ready for this.

In turn, Evie replies that she is, knocking at the door and becoming surprised when they teeter open on their own. Winter is shocked, quivering, and her friend takes her arm, saying that there is no going back now. The two head inside, bracing for anything, and Evie calls out, but nothing seems to happen. Out of nowhere, the lights flicker on, causing Evie to latch onto Winter, who is now deathly pale. Footsteps sound from upstairs, and Winter calls out a hello weakly. At that moment, Mya appears, now donning a cape, purple fingernails, and a crown that she places on her head. Evie demands what's going on, but Mya orders her and Winter to leave, to which they both beg that they're not armed and only want to talk. Mya stares at her girlfriend with lethality, pointing out that she lied last time, which makes Winter's fear turn into fury. She affirms their intentions to talk, an edge present in her tone as she also adds that they're her family and have a right to speak with her, whether she likes it or not. Mya scoffs, considering Harlow and Ivanna her only family and expressing utter apathy toward her; this leaves Winter feeling dejected, and she struggles to blink away tears from her eyes, believing that everything they went through is all for naught. Mya warns her and Evie to leave for a final time, but she is interrupted by the chime of a bell, which reveals the presence of Harlow and Ivanna, the two eyeing the girls with slitted stares.

Winter is in shock, but she becomes disgusted upon hearing Ivanna mention the "Heartley's code," believing it is nonsense and glaring icicles at the Parker. Mya reluctantly agrees to speak with the girls, ordering them to head to the game room. Winter follows, but stops briefly, turning back and ushering Amira and Daniela upstairs. Once they are in safely, she continues to follow Mya and avoids suspicion. In the game room, Winter settles on the sofa with Evie, noticing her welling anxiety. Mya demands why the duo are here, and Evie explains that they need her back, as they miss the resilent and creative old her, only making Mya snort and say that they're better off without each other. Winter, maddened by her frostiness, snaps that their parents lied to them and know all about Harlow and Ivanna's true, deceptive nature - and they never protected Mya. While Harlow stares at her curiously, Mya retorts that their parents are just as bad as her for holding her back from power, questioning if it really looks like she cares about them, to which Winter spits that they aren't cowards. Mya growls that she doesn't need imbeciles in her way, pushing Winter over her edge, and Evie notes that she looks so intense to the point where it looks like she wants to throw her sister into the fireplace's flames. Before Winter does anything reckless, Evie puts her hand on her shoulder, which allows her to ease. Despite this, her friend senses her sadness from being constantly betrayed, the latest nail in the coffin being Mya turning into a rogue queen.

Evie warns Mya that what she's doing is dangerous, and while she can call herself a different person, she will never be vicious or power-hungry. Mya haughtily dismisses her, claiming that she's destined for power and believing that she and Evie do not need each other. Growling, Winter points a finger at her sister and hisses that she destroyed everything around her, calling her a foolish breath. Regaining more control over herself, she then adds that Mya had the audacity to tear Evie down and left her heartbroken in bed for two weeks because she only loves herself. Evie agrees with Winter, revealing that she chased Mya's ghost at Pinelake Park until she couldn't breathe, stunning Winter, who hadn't learned of this until now. Infuriated with Mya, she almost calls her a "seething little bitch," but Mya cuts her off and expresses apathy at Evie's situation, shocking the two. Meanwhile, upstairs, Amira tells Daniela that if they can't find anything, they will go downstairs and wait for Evie and Winter. Back in the game room, things have turned to silence that Winter is quick to break when she reminds Mya of all she did to save her; she understood her roots, supported her when she revealed that Daniela was her ex-girlfriend, and so on. Because of her, she isn't lying in a grave dead. She pants, and Evie becomes startled by the amount of anger in her tone, as it is close to her breaking point - the same point she and Mya both saw when they dealt with Shetani. Mya shakes her head, and Winter screams that she wouldn't be her sister without her, asking if she's fine with that reality.

Evie gasps, hoping that Mya will be moved by what Winter has said, but instead, she confirms that she's fine with not having a sister. Mya rants on, disinterested in love and desiring people to respect her family. Evie points out that the Heartley name is already respected, which her girlfriend dismisses, and she guides her to a portrait of her, Harlow, and Ivanna on top of the fireplace. Evie attempts to fire back at her, but Mya then attempts to seduce her into serving alongside her, saying that she wants this and wants to be with her again. Winter warns her to stop manipulating her, but Mya comments that she always gets what she wants. Evie struggles to break free of the trance Mya has put on her, and in her eyes, time slows down; she sees Winter about to make a grab for her knife and finally manages to reject her girlfriend's moldering offer. In the game room, Amira promises to Daniela that they'll help Evie and Winter solve this mystery together. After Ivanna captures Amira and makes her relive her trauma from her days with Shetani, the young girl remembers how Evie, Mya, and Winter saved her life. Meanwhile, Winter and Evie watch as Mya continues to rant about power and her refusal to be weak. Suddenly, Ivanna interrupts and drags Amira and Daniela into the doorway, mortifying both Winter and Evie. Harlow gets close to Daniela and pulls her into a hug, which causes Amira to tear away from Ivanna in rage, only for the Parker to pull her back and threaten her. Winter, irate and not thinking of the consequences, charges at Ivanna and points her pocket knife at her.

She demands for her to let go of Amira before she sticks her knife in her throat, but Ivanna dismisses the threat, pointing out that she's her grandmother. However, Winter retorts that she doesn't have a grandmother, and to prove her original point, she makes enough of a slice in Ivanna's throat to draw blood. Wincing, she lets Amira go. The latter points out Daniela's predicament, and Winter nods; Amira leaps at Harlow and kicks him in the pelvis. Without warning, Mya screams at everyone to stop and singles out Evie for crafting the mission, horrifying the girls, even more so when she pins Evie to the floor. Seeing Evie in tears and petrified causes Winter to snap again, and whipping out her pocket knife, she pulls Mya up by her cape and points the blade at her sister's throat, warning her only one time that once darkness completely consumes her, she won't stop and will remain in the dark forever. Winter, satisfied, hides her knife and stands with the girls. Having lost her final nerve, Mya exiles the four from Hollowleaf Mansion, and they dash to Dahlia's Jeep. Later, they hang out at the Fleckenshire household, and Amira joins Winter on the sofa, asking if she's alright. Winter responds in the negative, feeling lost now that Mya is further away from them, in addition to lacking enough evidence to incriminate Harlow and Ivanna. Amira admits that while she doesn't know what the future holds, she'll always have her, and that alone will never change. The two, melting into each other, hold hands and share a positive kiss, which Daniela observes and Evie does not.

#### *Two Lives, Many Horrors*

"*It goes without saying that I owe the two of you an apology." [...] "I took out my anger out on you for valid reasons. I still feel betrayed, and I'm still not okay inside mentally. None of us are. But what I didn't realize is that you're just like me - you did all of this, lied to me and Mya, because you came from a place of insecurity. The same reason I put ten thousand layers under myself to cover up what I had gone through to Pineshadow." [...] "Look... I can't entirely* forgive *just yet. We still have things to patch up, and things to heal, and to stop a queen and her figureheads from destroying this family and Pineshadow completely. However, I will say this, mom and dad... We're on a good start.*"
—Winter apologizing to her parents for misjudging them

As Evie and Amira plead with the Heartley parents to do something, Amira and Nita both notice Winter's lack of attention to the conversation, and the latter's heart breaks - she knows that her daughter is still mad that she got lied to and still hates her parents. After the Heartleys take the blame for what happened, Winter is stunned, though she still eyes them with a hard glare, not liking a direction this is going in. From her place on the sofa, she stares at her parents with fury building inside of her. When Nita reveals that Harlow and Ivanna threatened to come back for Mya when she was just three, Winter slams her fist down on the coffee table, her knuckles red from the impact and blue eyes burning. She demands why they hid this if they always knew that Mya was in danger and did nothing to protect her. Amira, realizing the damage Winter could potentially cause with her outburst, steps in front of her girlfriend and encourages her to calm down - her parents have struggled to come forward, and even if she holds transgressions right now, she still has to be fair to them. Winter tries to push past Amira to scream at her parents, only to find herself unable to move, and she falls back onto the couch. Relieved, Amira kisses her on her cheek and tells her that she loves her, but this does not erase her rage. A scowl then lines her face as Winter wonders why she should care when her parents betrayed them all, glaring at her parents with hatred.

Patrick shakily admits that they had to burn the photo, as they didn't want Mya to know her grandparents were criminals, and Winter harshly demands why they never called the police, tears in her eyes. Nita replies that they were too fearful and didn't want to get famous for the wrong reasons, and Patrick adds that Mya grew up happy and carefree since the evidence was burned. However, as his wife points out, everything changed when Mya and Winter found the photo. While Evie and Amira both agree that the Heartleys are getting on a better start and making up for their mistakes, Winter snaps that they lied to all of them, beyond infuriated. She hisses that they betrayed the girls and kept a secret that could destroy the very town she's grown up in. Besides that, they also betrayed their daughters, a remark that makes tears drip down her cheeks. Patrick begs for her to calm down, and weary, Nita says that they're trying to make amends. Their pleads do nothing to ease Winter's aggression, and she steps closer to them, leaving a hand close to her pocket and making Daniela worry that she is going to pull her knife on her parents. Nita promises Winter that they've always cared for Mya and loved her, but she demands why she should be listening to her. Amira jumps to her feet and grabs her girlfriend's arm, urging her to back down and be grateful that her parents are reaching out, though she throws her off. Winter then growls at her parents that they're backstabbers and lying snakes who betrayed her just like Daniela and Mya did, although Daniela cries that she wasn't like the Heartleys and that she is being irrational.

Ignoring Daniela, Winter snarls that Nita and Patrick caused Mya's betrayal by remaining silent and that they are no better than people who want to watch the world burn. Nita, unable to take the pressure any longer, suddenly blurts out that Mya stopped her from killing herself. Winter freezes, mortified, her animosity turning into sorrow. She only manages to squeak out "What?" - a shell of what she was just a minute ago. After Nita shares her story of how Mya prevented her from commiting suicide, Amira quietly points to Winter, indicating that she was the one who saved her life. Since the revelation, Winter has remained emotionless and blank, and when prompted by Evie to speak, she blinks and runs to her room, slamming the door shut. Patrick worries that they've ruined everything, but Amira refuses to let the Heartleys fall and offers to speak to her girlfriend - she hears her out. Patrick nods, and Amira immediately heads inside Winter's room, finding her buried under her bedsheets. She calls out her name, not getting a response, though she is not deterred and lifts up the bedsheets. She finds Winter, who's eyes are dripping with tears, and Amira notes that she is one of the girls who has suffered the most - constant betrayals, insecurity, and fighting for her life - Mya's rise to power was the latest ordeal for her. Amira asks if she's alright, and Winter wonders if she's foolish for attacking her parents; they didn't do anything to stop Mya, but only because they were insecure, just like she was. Amira agrees, but reassures her that she wasn't being a jerk - she was just venting and getting everything out, which is completely okay.

Her parents did make a mistake they're all reeling from, but her emotions have been getting the better of her, and for now, she should focus on conserving her energy until they have to face Harlow and Ivanna again. Finally, Winter feels her world open around her, but an ache wells, and she points out that she gets anxiety when at her most vulnerable. Amira encourages her to breathe and let it go, and with that, Winter places her hand on her backside and goes up to her shoulder, making her girlfriend mumble contently. Her skin itching, Winter realizes how much she has missed this feeling, and wishing to fuel the fire more, she scratches Amira's neck and kisses her, tasting passion and sweetness. Amira then breaks the kiss, stating that they have to talk to her parents before getting distracted in their relationship. At once, Winter drags her out and back to the living room, where the Heartleys prepare to be rejected. However, Winter apologizes to the two for misjudging them. While she took her anger out on them for valid reasons and still doesn't feel alright inside, their actions stemmed from insecurity, something which she has dealt with as well. She can't entirely forgive them just yet, but they're on a good start. She then gives them her hand, which they proceed to shake. Later that night, Mya is dropped off some distance away from her house by Harlow and Ivanna, who have done so in order to avoid suspicion from Winter and the Heartleys. Using a spare house key, Mya sneaks inside, knowing that her sister is likely asleep and her parents are in the bedroom trying to sleep.

She keeps her guard up high, especially upon realizing that the office is near Winter's bedroom, and sneaking in, she remembers talking to Winter. Shaking the memory away, Mya attempts to sneak away with her parents' money, but accidentally smashes into the wall and curses. Winter slams her bedroom door open, and Mya runs, but is unable to get away in time. Not being able to see her in the dark, Winter demands what the "intruder" is doing with her parents' money, not gaining a response. Growling, she draws her pocket knife and leaps onto Mya, although the latter knows that she isn't going to be killed by her. Winter threatens to kill the "intruder," but moonlight shines on them, revealing Mya to her. Instantly, she asks what she's doing with the money, and her sister vaguely retorts that she's avenging what was lost. She pins Winter at the edge of the sofa, and she warns her to stop, refusing to harm any part of her body - as she is still is her sister. However, Mya dismisses this and drags her toward the coffee table. Winter gives her a final chance to back down, but instead, Mya suddenly slams her head into the side of the coffee table. Screaming, Winter collapses on the ground, almost unconscious. Just then, Nita and Patrick arrive in the living room and turn on the lights. Nita shrieks upon seeing Winter and shakes her, attempting to wake her back up to no avail. After Patrick returns back inside following his failure to catch Mya, Nita holds a bloodied and upset Winter in her lap, and she stammers that Mya could have killed her sister by doing this to her. Outside, Mya describes her encounter with Winter to the Parkers.

#### *Disappearance*

"*Yes, [our parents would] always stay to protect me and Mya, no matter what. They were here when Shetani happened, and I know Harlow and Ivanna are dangerous, but wouldn't they fight tooth and nail for us...?*"
—Winter questioning the authenticity of Nita and Patrick's departure letter

Nita and Patrick watch Winter sleep in her bedroom, a plushie curled in her arms, relieved that she is alive after Mya's attack a few days ago. Before the two can go to bed, someone knocks on the door, and Patrick opens it to find Harlow and Ivanna. Nita screams that they borderline traumatized one of her own daughters, causing Patrick to glance at her warningly, not wanting Winter to be awoken. The Parkers back them against the hallway wall, pistols in hand, threatening the Heartley parents with a sickening ultimatum - leave Pineshadow, or Mya and Winter both die. Patrick is mortified, imagining his entire family getting shot to death, and Nita stammers that they have no choice. She and Patrick concede and pack their things. The next morning, Winter awakens to a sunny day, holding a horse plush, which she notes is one that Mya fondly talked about. Shaking the bittersweet memory away, she gets dressed and heads out into the hallway, only to become deeply petrified when she notices blood on the hallway wall - and realizes the house is far too quiet. Screaming, and in a bad panic, Winter searches the entire household for her parents, but finds that they have mysteriously disappeared. After making two laps around the yard, she gives up and cries into the sofa, her panic attack leaving her in extreme emotional and physical agony. Once the attack subsides, Winter turns on the TV and phones Evie, frantically stating that her parents are missing. Shocked, Evie questions if she's looked everywhere, and Winter replies that she couldn't find them. She promises to come over with the other girls as soon as possible, and while she waits, Winter prays that things will be alright.

Fifteen minutes later, Evie, Amira, and Daniela arrive; Amira, seeing her girlfriend in copious amounts of distress, falls right into her arms and gets hugged back. Daniela asks about what happened, and Winter stammers that she found blood on the hallway wall that morning; she searched everywhere, but her parents are gone. Crying, she sinks onto the floor, with Amira quickly joining her side. Evie, suspicious, exclaims that Harlow and Ivanna have to be behind the disappearance, putting Winter into even more anguish. Daniela states that they have to stop Harlow and Ivanna, or else, they'll be doomed - making Winter rock back and forth, pleading for her parents to not be dead, but Amira reassures her that nobody is going to die. When Evie points out that one of them needs to tell Mya about her parents vanishing, Daniela instantly offers to go, but Winter begs that she can't sacrifice herself like this. In turn, she retorts that she can see Mya eye-to-eye, as she was a villain just like her before, and Evie remembers Daniela attempting to kill Winter. Unsteadily, Winter inquires if she's sure that she wants to do her mission solo, which Daniela confirms. An hour after returning home, Rex is optimistic that Winter volunteered to speak to Mya, but Daniela instead reveals to her that she herself chose to do so. Back at the Heartley house, Evie and Amira sit between a tense and distressed Winter, her ice-blue eyes far away. Evie asks if they can do a questionaire on what happened with her, which she agrees to, and her friend asks about the last time she saw her parents. Quietly, Winter responds that it was last night when they tucked her into bed.

Amira asks if she searched everywhere and found any other evidence, but the two questions only make Winter break down, convulsing with heartbreak. Amira takes up her hands and places one of her hands under her chin, caressing it softly when she notices the scar on the side of her head, horrifying her and Evie. She demands what happened, and whimpering, Winter recalls Mya's greed and having her head smashed into the coffee table by her, refusing to believe everything is over. Amira holds her cheek, and gazing at her warmly, she assures her that they're here and that she can relax. Despite feeling uneasy, Winter eases, takes a breath, and reveals that Mya gave her the scar on the side of her head. A few nights ago, Mya broke in, stole her parents' money, and confronted her in the living room. While Winter didn't want to hurt her, her sister turned the tables on her and smashed her head into the side of the table, escaping unscathed. Evie, in disbelief, pleads that it can't be true, but Winter confirms that the culprit matched Mya's appearance. Observing Winter's scar again, Evie recalls having a similar gash as hers that was given to her by her mother. After telling her of the memory, she says that it's not one of her pretty memories, but they all have their scars from family. Winter thanks her for sharing this, feeling much better, and returning to her point from earlier, Evie states that they must search for evidence - she and Amira will do the searching while Winter rests on the sofa. Winter nods as Amira throws a blanket onto to her, encouraging her to call if she needs anything.

Once Evie and Amira find a strand of Nita's hair, they greet Winter in the living room, and she asks if they found something. Amira shows her the strand of hair, mentioning that her parents engaged in a bloody altercation with Harlow and Ivanna. Terrified, she stutters, and whirling around, she buries her head in Amira's shoulder. Just then, Evie finds evidence hidden in a magazine - a letter - and she, Amira, and Winter evaluate it. The letter reveals that Nita and Patrick left Pineshadow, much to Amira's astonishment, and Winter appears to be violently ill as she processes this information. Shakily, she admits that she's skeptical about the letter's authenticity, as Nita and Patrick would always stay to protect her and Mya, especially if they've dealt with someone like Shetani before. She adds that her parents can't have left altogether, fearing that they might be dead, but Amira weaves her way around her and reminds her to have hope. Now relaxed again, Winter stares at the letter and realizes that the handwriting does not match her parents' - showing their journal as proof. Evie, connecting the dots, deduces that the Parkers forged it. Suddenly, news on the TV reports that the Parkers and Mya were behind the attacks on Old Town Pineshadow, and mortified, Winter whispers that this can't be happening as she holds Evie up, tears falling from her eyes.

#### *Ultimatum*

"*Listen here, Ivanna Parker. Don't think we're not as intelligent as you are, for we know* **everything** *you guys have tried to cover up. You are **GLUTTONOUS PSYCHOPATHS** for* **destroying families** *and* **taking shots** *at storefronts like this is all a game. But this is* **no game***. It's a full on* **crime scene***. You've destroyed my family, and **I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY MINE AGAIN**!*"
—Winter admonishing and screaming at Ivanna

After Mya wakes up, she realizes that Winter was right about Ivanna drugging her previously. When Harlow informs her that one of the girls is obstructing their plans, she thinks about Winter and Evie, and her heart falls when Harlow names the latter. Meanwhile, at Evie's place, Evie, Winter, and Amira worry heavily for Daniela; Winter reluctantly suggests that she's missing, but Amira refuses to believe it. Once Rex arrives, revealing that Daniela is missing, the blood in Winter's veins turns to ice. However, she regains her strength, and when Amira declares that she's going to go back to Hollowleaf Mansion for Daniela, Winter firmly states that she'll join her - she'll need backup if they're talking about fighting the Parkers and Mya. Evie approaches the girls and wishes them luck, encouraging them to always trust their first instinct, hugging the two with tears in her eyes. Turning to Rex, Winter asks if she can take her and Amira to Hollowleaf Mansion tomorrow, and she agrees. Grasping their hands, Evie says that they're in it to win it, and the girls proclaim that Harlow and Ivanna will be defeated. The next day, Evie, Winter, and Amira bid farewell to each other before Winter and Amira head off to Hollowleaf Mansion. Soon, they arrive and hold hands as they walk up to the mansion, and Amira comments that once they're in, there's no going back. Winter exclaims that they must make it count, or otherwise, they'll be dead, and her girlfriend takes her to a nook in the brickwork that she previously hid in with Daniela.

Winter rests close to Amira, taking in the summer atmosphere peacefully, but she quickly becomes bored with nothing happening. Out of nowhere, audio plays from right next to her, startling her, but she becomes confused when she finds Amira watching *Minecraft* YouTuber Grapeapplesauce on her phone. Winter is surprised to see that she is a *Minecraft* fan, and her girlfriend replies that she is, intent on watching until they find a way in. Winter playfully calls Amira an idiot and ruffles her hair, then peers through the window, finding Harlow and Ivanna in discussions with one another. After breaking away from his conversation, Harlow approaches the door, and Winter warns Amira, who quickly turns off her phone and hide behind a bush, going unnoticed as Harlow walks by them. Amira asks if they should follow, but opting to head inside, Winter instructs her to watch the window. While she catches the door before it closes, Amira observes Ivanna through the window, watching as she is seemingly beckoned upstairs by Mya. She tells Winter, and they quickly enter the mansion, shutting the door softly. Winter questions where they should search first, and she mentions the bottom floor, not wanting to draw Ivanna and Mya onto them by going right. However, the two don't find any trace of Daniela downstairs. Amira wonders what they'll do now, to which Winter suggests searching upstairs - they can avoid the room she and Daniela were in previously.

Briefly recalling Ivanna playing into her trauma, Amira shakes her thoughts away, she agrees to go upstairs, and she and Winter sneak up. Together, they try every door upstairs, only to come up empty-handed. Eventually, they reach the last door, and Winter tries it, causing a gasp to sound from inside. Startled, Winter falls back into Amira, but picking herself back up, she orders her to keep watch as she gets the door open. Crouching down, she peers through the small space between the floor and door and finds a different-looking Daniela bound by chains in a chair, shocking her. She questions what she is doing, and Winter reveals that she and Amira came here to free her; panicking, Daniela warns her to get out, as Hollowleaf Mansion is far too dangerous. In her impulsitivity, Winter doesn't heed her warning and instead starts kicking at the door, chipping it, satisfying her and Amira. Winter prepares for the final blow to break the door, tasting victory on her tongue, but before she can land the kick, Amira screams. Whirling around, Winter is terrified to see that Ivanna has her in her grip, enjoying every second of her uncalculated fighting. Getting an idea and not giving her a second to react, she throws Amira down the stairs, and Winter screams her name in fear. She runs downstairs, and Amira rasps her name in turn, fingernails cracked and nails bloodied. In her moment, Winter doesn't see Ivanna, who cuffs her across the ear with an object and pins Amira down by her neck.

Amira struggles to break free, but the Parker kicks her in the head, sending her into the floor with a thud. Winter loses control of her temper and immediately draws her knife, warning Ivanna to let Amira go before she cuts her jugular vein in half. Snorting, she retorts that she's not frightened by her; she invaded her mansion when she got exiled, and even though Harlow is out gardening, she has every right to make her and Amira pay. Amira, despite the pain in her body, exclaims that they know the truth about her and Harlow - they're greedy, only want to fend for themselves, and made Mya's parents disappear. Upon hearing the remark, Ivanna presses her boot heel down on her throat and screams at her to be quiet. Winter, her anger ten times more potent than poison, spits that they're just as intelligent as the Parkers. They're psychopaths for destroying families like it's just a game, especially her own family, but she won't let them do it again. Her lips parting in a scowl, Ivanna scolds her for her lack of manners, and promising to discipline Winter for her reckless behavior. She fumbles around in her pocket and pulls out a revolver, loading a bullet inside and pointing it at Winter, which frazzles her and makes her drop her guard. However, instead of targeting her adoptive granddaughter, Ivanna points the revolver at Amira. The young girl glances up, and seeing the gun aimed at her head, she lets out a blood-curdling scream.

Ivanna threatens Winter by saying that Amira will be executed right in front of her should she take steps closer, but refusing to be fazed, Winter moves closer and snaps that it's just another trick in her book of lies. Scoffing, Ivanna remarks that she's a tryhard for going off and pushing the limits to get what she wants, and deciding to prove that her threat is serious, she points the revolver at the floorboards and fires. This terrifies the girls, and covering the hole in the floorboards with a boot, Ivanna gives Winter a choice - she can back down and allow herself and Amira to survive - or she defies her, which would lead to Amira's death. Amira wishes for everything to be over, her vision so distorted that Ivanna briefly turns into Shetani, terrifying her. Ivanna prompts Winter for a response, suffocating Amira further, and thinking of everything she has gone through ends up pushing Winter to her limits. She takes a step closer to Ivanna, demanding that she lets her girlfriend go, even adding that she will kill her ten thousand times before Amira pleads for her to stop. She says that if she fights Ivanna, they will both die, encouraging her to not let her anger go to her head. Winter, realizing that she can't slice open Ivanna's throat no matter how hard she wants to for everything she's done, she concedes and tells her that she can't let her kill Amira. Ivanna, pleased with her obedience, allows Amira to escape and orders the two to follow her, as they'll stay put just like Daniela from now on. The two obey without a word.

#### *Warbringer*

"*Earn my trust? Oh, come on! You're already* forgiven*. Families don't split up or break apart - they heal and remain* strong*.*"
—Winter forgiving her parents

In the wine cellar, Evie inquires about the whereabouts of Winter and Amira, and wincing, Daniela mentions that they're prisoners somewhere; she only knows that Amira got thrown down the stairs by Ivanna, making Winter scream. Her friend is horrified, and she comments that Ivanna is a sneaky fox for using Amira's trauma as a means to stop Winter from killing her. Evie, sick, calls Ivanna a psychopath and despicable for her actions. After Evie reveals that Mya was taken to Hollowleaf Mansion, Daniela suspects that she is imprisoned just like Winter and Amira, noting that they have to find them as soon as they can. In Daniela's flashback, she knows that no escape is certain since the capture of Winter and Amira, although the door to her prison room is chipped from Winter destroying it. Upon leaving the wine cellar, Daniela orders Evie to find Mya while she finds Winter and Amira. Breaking away from her, she heads left, busting down the first door to find nothing. Daniela kicks down more doors, still having no results. Frantic, she shouts out Amira and Winter's names, and from next to her, she hears a noise. Realizing that it is the weapon room Winter told her about, Daniela shoves the door aside and discovers Winter inside. Relieved and surprised, she hugs her, asking how she found out she was here. Daniela says that she has no time to explain, and together, the two focus on finding Amira. Winter picks a lock on a door with a knife while Daniela destroys another three doors, but none reveal Amira. The final door, a less than ideal laundry room, is one Daniela cannot seem to kick down.

Winter encourages her that they can do it together, and kicking in sync, the two bust the door down. Inside the laundry room is Amira, bloodied and pale, but seeing the two, she immediately leaps up to Winter and kisses her. Daniela urges them to hide in the dining room with her as they wait for Evie. Once Evie returns with a wounded Mya, Winter locks stares with her sister, murmuring that she's back. Mya doesn't reply, but blinks in understanding. Daniela insists that they have to get out of the mansion now before they get killed, but Evie says that she has something to do, and quickly, she desperately goes into her phone contacts. Winter warns her that they don't have time, but she urges her to trust her as she texts the Heartleys, informing them that Mya is safe. Before Harlow and Ivanna can murder the girls, Daniela distracts them, allowing her and the others to escape. However, during their retreat, Mya gets stranded and captured by the Parkers. Evie, furious, attempts to reach her, but Winter and Amira pull her back. Winter warns her that if she faces Harlow and Ivanna alone, she'll die, and realizing that she is right, Evie relaxes. After the Parkers torment Mya emotionally and physically, Winter feels tears well in her eyes, and she loosens her hold on Evie's arm. Daniela stands next to her, taking her arm gently. When Harlow reveals that he and Ivanna killed Elloise and Luca Heartley, Winter is sick to her stomach and hisses that they're murderers. Shortly afterward, following Mya's forced depature from the scene, Evie declares that they'll die fighting Harlow and Ivanna, leading the girls into battle.

Winter quickly pulls her pocket knife and fights Ivanna, Amira by her side. Ivanna approaches the two, preparing to scratch out Winter's eyes, but she already knows her moves, blocking her hand and tearing into her blouse with her knife. Chunks of fabric falls to the ground as she keeps tearing through, Amira holding Ivanna's arm against her chest. Enraged, Ivanna snarls that she paid a hefty price for her blouse, toppling Winter and sending her to the ground. Seeing that her granddaughter is dazed, she picks her up and slams her into a tree. Winter, agonized, accidentally throws her pocket knife right into Ivanna's hands. Swiftly, her vision clears, and much to her horror, Ivanna points the knife blade at Amira. She taunts that she should've been more careful with her weapon; instead of attacking Amira, she goes for Winter. Jumping up to her, she cuts the blade through the flesh of her neck, and blood trickles down to her shirt. Amira screeches at her to stay away from Winter, startling Ivanna, who turns around just as the younger girl whams her into the ground. Catching the knife, Amira tosses it back to Winter, and Ivanna snaps that they're brats. She throws Amira into a tree root and glares at Winter, but before she can react, her granddaughter slashes her cheek open with the pocket knife blade. Blood droplets splatter the area, and distracted by her pain, Ivanna fails to see Winter slide over to Amira. She encourages her to keep fighting, but Ivanna interrupts their moment, violently kicking Winter back into the tree. This time, the force is enough to knock her unconscious.

Fueled by rage and desires of vengeance, Amira yells that if Ivanna thought she could murder Winter, she has another thing coming. Sliding over to Winter's body, she grabs her pocket knife and rises back in front of Ivanna, slashing at her madly. As Daniela runs into Hollowleaf Forest, she notices Amira fighting Ivanna by herself with Winter's knife, her girlfriend unmoving on the ground. Upon meeting Mya, Daniela informs her that Winter is unconscious and bloody. In an effort to have her listen, she reveals that she knew Mya was brave the second she saved Winter and deflected that knife blow. After Mya and Daniela return to the battlefield, Winter is still passed out, her knife now by her hand. When Mya is surrounded by the Parkers in the clearing, Winter finally regains consciousness, her body sore. Blinking awake, she sees what is unfolding in front of her and gasps. Once Harlow and Ivanna are knocked out, Mya finds Winter conscious, confused and stunned, and she tells Daniela to check on her and Amira. Moments after Mya returns to Evie's side, Harlow ambushes them, and Winter shrieks her sister's name in terror. She stumbles up to Amira and links her arm with hers. The two and Daniela watch helplessly as Harlow prepares to kill Mya and Evie. Before he pulls the trigger, Evie flashes back to the day she played roulette in Winter's cabin; Winter and Mya are bound in a corner. Shaking the memory of the day away and refusing to let Mya die, she pulls her back, which causes her to accidentally shoot Harlow and kill him. Immediately, she leaves Evie by a tree and checks on the other girls. Amira and Winter hold hands while Winter's other hand is on her head.

Mya walks up to Winter, who gazes at her with bright ice-blue eyes, and she murmurs that she saved them. In turn, she replies that she did the right thing, shuddering upon seeing the re-opened gash on the side of her sister's head. Mya questions if she's alright, but before Winter can fully respond, Ivanna screams that her granddaughter is a murderer. Turning, Mya and the other girls are horrified to find Ivanna facing them down, a gun in her hand aimed at Mya, and screeching, she backs up into the girls. Gaining strength from them, Mya challenges Ivanna, and Winter grabs her pocket knife. During Daniela's confrontation with Ivanna, Winter remarks "shots fired," surprised at her friend's musings. After Ivanna dies, Winter calls for Mya, staring at her lovingly, and she jumps up to her. Noticing her battle-scarred and bloodied face, Mya floods with guilt for scarring her during her raid on the family's money and apologizes, expecting to not be forgiven.
To her surprise, Winter assures her that all things will heal with time, brushing away the tears from her eyes, and she begins to glow a bit brighter. The sisters share a hug, and Winter admits that she really missed her, not wanting to let her go again, to which Mya responds that she should have never disowned her - they will always be sisters. Winter teases her, pulling her up and giving her an affectionate kiss on her cheek, causing Mya to blush, but her heart swells with happiness once more. Upon laying eyes on Daniela, Mya confesses that she is thankful the person she judged so harshly before for saving her life.

She strides up to her, thanking her and holding her hands. Flabbergasted, Winter asks if she rescued Mya, and Daniela nods shyly; Mya reveals that she took a chance with faith because she taught her everyone was more than their mistakes. Daniela explains that, to her, Mya is every color of the rainbow, and like the rest of them, she is a warrior. If she had to run into a forest to find her friend, she was more than willing to. Her face turning pink, she then questions if she killed someone as a good guy, and Amira snorts that she did, hugging her along with Winter and Mya. When Evie and Mya lay on the ground together passionately, they glance up to find that the other girls are looking at them. Embarrassed, they sit upright. Daniela tells them that they have to get out of this place before anything else happens.
Amira inquires as to how they'll even get home, and brightening, Evie reveals that Rex is still waiting for her, shocking Daniela. She recalls that she would wait as long as possible for her, remembering where she's parked, and with that settled, Daniela urges the girls on. Mya helps Evie to her feet, but despite this, she walks with a hobble due to her ankle sprain, leading the girls ahead with Daniela. Mya, exhausted, sticks to Winter's side. Without warning, she is hit with an extreme amount of vertigo, the pain from her wounds reaching her at last, and she passes out, hearing Winter shout her name. At the Burton Vunquist residence a week later, Rex mentions that Evie's sprained her ankle and Winter and Amira were injured, but all have been treated and will be fine - in fact, they're staying here, just like Mya is.

In her bedroom, Daniela reveals to Mya that her bedroom looked different when she dated Winter. As the two talk, Amira and Winter surprise the two, and Mya greets them, asking what they are doing. Winter responds that they're joining them, and Amira takes a liking to Mya's new shirt. Beaming, Winter hugs her sister and whispers that she's beautiful, and she thanks her. Winter and Amira sit next to Mya and Daniela on the bed, and Mya observes that the two are bandaged, but will be alright. Winter pulls her into a hug, remarking that a lot has changed, and agreeing, Mya states that they've gone from innocent to having learned the dangers of the world, evils lying in their own families - yet they stopped it, grew into badass beings, and learned a lot. Daniela repeats that they're more than their mistakes, Amira echoes that they can stand up for what they believe in, Winter murmurs that someone can face their past instead of running from it, and Mya adds that nobody is perfect - she is glad she taught Evie that. Quietly, she notes that she's shown her a lot. She declares that she made one of her best decisions falling for Evie, as without her, she would have never accepted herself and lived in fear, unable to defy her bullies (she winks at Daniela, who nods). She's done so much for them, including being their leader. Winter chimes that she never even intended to meet Amira, but she won't change a thing; she allowed her to fall in love again and they kicked Shetani to the curb together. Amira says that she's forever her savior, proclaiming that she loves her and kissing her, feeling starstruck.

Daniela clears her throat, stating that she didn't expect to get where she is now - she caused her life to fall apart and became a villain bent on hurting Winter, went to prison and almost killed herself under the pressure. However, she's recovered and fought long and hard for her redemption. When she returned, the girls were the first to welcome her back as a new person, and she couldn't thank them more. Winter teases her for being soft. All of a sudden, Mya realizes that what has happened to the girls in the past few months stemmed from one source - their family. Daniela was made bitter by Winter breaking up with her and tried to kill her because of it; Shetani, Amira's aunt, forced her into unwilling slavery and took over the entire school in a quest for power; Harlow and Ivanna, Mya's own grandparents who ran from the law after murdering Elloise and Luca Heartley and turned Mya into an evil queen, only to backstab her in the end. The girls, having been brought together in extreme circumstances, stopped this evil, made friends, found love, and saved Pineshadow. Mya blurts out that they're friends, not family, and Amira agrees with her, noting that they have a sworn leader and a team - all they need is a group name. Mya decides to pick whatever name is suggested, but she turns down Daniela's name of the Golden Girls, as they're not old. Winter proposes the Gay Five, but she rejects that as well, as the name doesn't pop. Amira suggests the Pineshadow Rangers, but Mya dismisses it, an idea forming in her mind. Sheepishly, she proposes the name of the Golden Gays.

A voice remarks that it's perfect, and whirling around, Mya finds Evie in the doorway. Walking forward, Evie is proud to lead the girls and commends each for their signature trait - with Winter's trait being her bravery. In response, she says that she'll fall off a cliff for anybody. The next morning, Mya and the girls eat delicious Belgian waffles made for them by Rex. Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, and Rex shuffles over to the foyer to open it, immediately gasping in amazement. The Goldens are stunned by the sight, and Mya blinks, doing a double take to make sure that what she's looking at is real - the figures approaching her are Nita and Patrick Heartley. She jumps into her father's arms, crying happily, Winter watching from a short distance away. After her parents hug, they turn to Winter, who no longer faces her parents with animosity. At once, Patrick apologizes to her for lying and breaking her faith. They should have been honest with their daughters from the start, but instead, they betrayed her again. What they did was wrong, but they do hope to earn her trust. Winter accepts her apology, wanting her family to be back together again, stronger than ever. The Heartley family hugs as the other girls watch. Later that day, the girls return home. Winter inquires if Daniela really told her sister that she was the rainbow, which Mya confirms, and the sisters chuckle.

### *Winter's Tales*

#### *Birth of Snowlight*

"*That being said:* liberty *is consecrated.* Liberty *is a blessing, granted to few, to those who* deserve *it. Liberty was a feeling of bliss, and belonging, to enjoy oneself and to not let any other thoughts prevent you from* being *you. Personal freedom and just being* free *is a huge part of what* builds *our autonomy, and it's very well-woven into mine, with me ever since that fateful trip to California.*"
—Winter on liberty and autonomy

Winter opens the first chapter by foreshadowing her life's story and directly introducing herself before she begins the full tale of her life. She is born healthy to her parents, Edwin and Lorelei, and is named for the winter season, the snowfall she was born in, and the snowflake birthmark on her shoulder; her stay in the hospital is extended due to the fact her mother has lupus, and once she is perfectly cleared of any ailments, she goes home for the first time. Notably, she bears a resemblance to her mother whilst lacking the majority of traits from her father. As a young child, she is innocent and carefree as well as impassioned and devoted. Briefly transitioning to the present, she introduces her mother, Lorelei, and father, Edwin, in great detail, comparing and contrasting the two and then returning to the past. One day, a young Winter nearly consumes her mother's lupus medication, earning her a stern, but understanding scolding from her father. Her father also continually chastises her throughout her life for doing anything considered to be dangerous. Moving away from her parents, Winter describes what her old home was like, especially her bedroom, welling with melancholy.

At age two, Winter begins to recall memories, with one of her first being her mother working in the kitchen and taking photos with a Polaroid. Her first word was "snow," and not long after that, she begun to walk instead of crawl. Her personality develops into one built of intrigue, and she continually wonders about every function in the world. However, her curiosity comes with a downside, as she frequently puts herself in harm's way. She remembers the incident where she fell off her father's car trying to reach for a fishing trophy, as well as an incident where she cut herself trying to peel carrots from her father. Out of the named incidents, none where nearly as severe as the squirrel incident, where Winter sees a squirrel in the backyard and chases it out onto the street - nearly being hit by the truck of her neighbor, Saul - and earning her a fierce scolding from her horrified father. Ten minutes later, she relaxes in her father's arms. Her expeditions after that are calmer, and she listens to her mother's stories and watches her cook in the kitchen. By age three, Winter has a basic processing of vocabulary, recollection, and motor skills.

Because of her age, Winter starts to explore the world around her and visits many places around Pineshadow, but she is forbidden from exploring the Piney Woods near the park, the place she frequents the most. When she turns four, her father takes her to Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, for a baseball game. Winter is deeply uninterested in sports and the game itself, instead daydreaming through the Mariners' blowout loss, and afterwards, she returns home. A year later, Winter is five years old and has grown remarkably. Around this time, one of the most monumental events in her life happens; her parents inform her that they're going to Heartbeat Point in California. Winter is excited for the trip, and as she and her family travel throughout the west coast, she marvels at the sights and opens her mind to what the world has in store. Upon arriving in California, Winter is mesmerized by something in the distance, and only at Heartbeat Point does she realize what that something is: the ocean.

She is compelled to make a mark, in love with the ocean's beauty and rhythm, and filling with energy, she takes off across the shoreline. The young girl falls perfectly in line with her own rhythm and love of nature. Her father pulls her aside for lunch, and hours later, night falls. Winter prepares to leave Heartbeat Point, but is caught by the ocean's charm, and one last time, follows the rhythm - this time playing in the waves with her family. After that, she leaves, but remembers to follow the rhythm for the rest of her life. Closing off the chapter, Winter mentions that liberty is a blessing and hints that the next chapter in her life revolves around her innocence beginning to fade into irrelevancy.

#### *Choosing Paths*

"*Even the smallest kinks in the road can form up to five paths to take in life. As I've stated repeatedly: some paths aren't chosen by you, they're chosen by others. It's for better or for worse. You could be walking into the Holy Land that Moses discovered, or you could be walking right into a hornet's nest and have a face covered in swollen pink stings.*"
—Winter on choosing paths in life

Winter's monologue for this chapter focuses on choosing paths in life, some for the good and some for the worse, and how these choices personally impacted her. She then transitions into the story. Her parents begin to talk about huge plans behind her back while she is left up to her own devices in her room. One day, her parents receive a letter inviting them to a family reunion, which Winter is excited about until her father refuses to have her go because of her age, despite some pushback from Winter and her mother. However, when her parents learn that Winter has been directly invited herself, she is allowed to attend. At the family reunion, Winter happily meets and interacts with her extended family, but slowly grows more suspicious and uncomfortable around one of her paternal uncles, Lewis. This is exemplified when he catches her alone on the sofa and tries to coerce her into drinking a mysterious drink (beer), and after mass pressure, she finally agrees. In the nick of time, her father rescues her and assaults Lewis, aggressively warning him to stay away from his daughter.

The ensuing argument and fight deeply shakes Winter to the point where her mother is even unable to comfort her. With a firm scolding from Lorelei, Edwin backs off and takes Winter home. There, her parents sit with her in her bedroom, and Lorelei sends Edwin out due to him being too angered to speak to Winter. The latter's mother soothes her, encouraging the notion that she was taken advantage of due to her age and that none of this was her fault - but she needs to be careful in the future. She puts Winter to bed, singing her a lullaby that quickly knocks her out. Not long after, Winter and her parents partake in numerous fun trips, and Winter herself develops a deeper love of the stars. Soon, her parents inform her that she is starting school, and despite initial worry, Winter happens to get through her first days just fine. Her successes make her earn a very memorable and proper trip to the Pineshadow Outdoor Mall, where she is in love with nearly everything (though she is barred from entering Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister). Christmas comes around, and despite Winter's family not celebrating the holiday typically, they choose to celebrate their own way.

Winter, upon seeing and playing with a racecar set, wishes to own it for Christmas. Her wishes come true, and she excitedly thanks her parents, earning a special memory in her heart. A little after Christmas, Winter's parents inform her that they're attending a very important place - synagogue. From here, Winter is assimilated into her Jewish culture and grows to like attending synagogue, though these feelings go from a blessing to a curse over time. Ending off the chapter, Winter recounts how choosing paths can be influential, implying that the next part in her life set her up for a series of root-shaking transformations.

#### *Transformations*

"*From now on, my faith was in* myself *to decide what was right. I wouldn't listen to Father or the Torah. I wouldn't follow words written on old pages, rules that limited what I could and couldn't do.*"
—Winter becoming an athiest

Winter describes the powerful influence of change and how it personally affected her before transitioning to the next chapter of her story. Winter actively studies Judaism and abides by the Torah and her father's teachings, also learning of the horrors of the Holocaust that had an impact on her family. At age seven, Winter begins to develop extracurricular interests that displease her father; her requests to explore the Piney Woods are refuted, and she makes fun elsewhere. Her activies, perceived as wild by her father, cause her to get repeatedly scolded, gradually making her grow irritated. One such scolding from her father is when she expresses interest in a blood rose tanktop at Hot Topic, which leaves her indignant and intimidated. Things are quick to escalate, as after a school, her father chastises her for complaining about a rude substitute in her class, much to her chagrin. Days later, Winter again gets herself in the hot seat when she complains about being unfairly tripped and hurt at recess by another kid. Her father angrily points out that she weaponized slander, and finally having had enough, Winter snaps that she has a right to complain even if she's breaking some commandment. It is the first instance of her signature anger.

While Edwin is momentarily taken aback by the force of her anger, he turns on her and pins her against the car door. Hearing her plead that she is sorry, he relents in apology and promises that he won't hurt her. Later, Winter informs her mother about what has been going on, and she is outraged that Edwin is policing her interests, but assures Winter that he does love her at heart. Soon, chokers take over the fashion trends at school, and when Winter wishes to buy one, her father vehemently refuses because of supposed "bad messaging." Winter is humiliated, even more so when her father urges her to try and fit in with the norm, and she watches her parents fight over her father's choices in dismay. In the weeks following, her father's behavior only worsens until he is scolding and snapping at her for every minor misdemeanor she makes. After hearing her parents fight yet again, Winter questions the point of being Jewish if it seems to only bring harm, beginning to pivot away from religion. At the same time, Winter makes friends with family allies Beasley and Remi, as well as the young Abigail, and the two romp around Harmony Hollow until the winter season, where Abigail drifts apart from Winter. This leaves her disappointed, but her mother reassures her that losing friends is a natural part of life.

Not long after, Winter and her parents go to Barnes & Noble at the mall, and upon learning of something interesting upstairs, Winter runs up and is drawn to the music section. She is thrust into an immersive display for an album, *The Ancient & Arcane by an artist named Varien, visualizing a vast and dense forest brimming with life. Immediately following in love with the album, she demands she owns it, and this becomes reality just a short time later. Winter grows obsessed with the album, constantly playing it and analyzing each of its songs. Under the guise of wanting to play games, she uses her mother's phone to sneak onto the internet and search up information about Varien and who he is. She expands her knowledge of his discography, and soon, he becomes her entire world. In the fall, Winter discovers that Varien has made headlines by coming out as transgender with feminine pronouns, and she supports her. She falls deeper in love with Varien, and upon analyzing her body, begins to ask herself whether she could actually identify as transgender. She actively researches LGBT+ subjects behind her parents' backs, especially transgender subjects, and dwells on the thought of transitioning.*

At school, the girls hype up Lars, a boy Winter finds unsuitable and annoying, and she finds herself more interested in girls like Kailee and Sigourney, each with commendable traits. Her interest in girls strenghthens in the real world and in her dreams, culmulating where in one dream, she swims underwater with a girl, who then kisses her. Waking up, Winter realizes that she liked the kiss and has a significant attraction towards women, helping her realize she is a lesbian and not transgender like she originally thought. She keeps this revelation a secret from both of her parents. She also strays more and more from her Jewish heritage and silently rebukes her father's teachings as outlandish. One night, Winter tries to ask her father what one of Varien's songs, *Ghost Spores* means, but he proves to be of no use; when she mentions her love of Varien, her father begins to interrogate her on the spot. Her mother intervenes, defending Winter's right to idolize Varien, and while the fight continues, Winter speeds off to her bedroom. She skips straight to *Hypnotique* on her music player, immersing herself in a nighttime Spanish village and the stars and other worlds until she reaches *Ghost Spores*. During this sequence, she chases a light through a forest; said light forms an apparition of herself, which helps her realize that religion does not mold her - her own choices do. She renounces her ties to Judaism and goes full athiest, believing her God to be Varien and no one else.

Later, Winter decides to have her hair cut to something new, but her father denies her request, wanting her hair to be long and natural. She gains input from Beasley and Remi, as well as Rabbi Kealer, that encourage her to accept herself and make her own decisions, not to have others make them for her. This fuels a rebellious urge in her to cut her hair, though she doesn't know how to style it. This changes when she glimpses a semi-shave cut belonging to singer Rihanna on television, which persuades her to ask her mother to cut it to that exact style. She agrees, and soon, the task is complete. Winter proudly shows her astonished father, who scolds her for breaking the Torah, but with quick convincing, he decides it's a blessing and leaves her alone. Winter ends off the chapter by recapping the importance of transformations, but notes that the next part of her life is one stricken by grief and death.

#### *Dawn Will Bring Us Death*

"*Father was my* everything*. I don't know where I'd be today without him and what he's done, the ugly and the* wonderful*. He influenced me, held onto me, and shared my love of the stars and late night milkshakes, even letting me cut my hair, something he thought was taboo long ago in a distant land.*"
—Winter reflecting on her once-unbreakable relationship with her father

Winter brings up death in her monologue, explaining its impact, its darkness, and what death brought upon her. She then moves into the story. After getting her hair cut, things in the family have settled, and Winter is mostly let off the leash, though she is forced to wear a hat to synagogue to hide the shave side of her head. She grows excited for Varien's second album through the winter and is grateful her mother is still alive even with her strong lupus flareups. Slowly, Winter resolves to devote time to her mother and stop worrying about her father's bickering. When spring comes, Winter and her mother agree to hang out together, pushing the boundaries without Edwin's knowledge. On these trips, Winter is introduced to the hummingbird, her future spirit animal, and visits Hot Topic for the first time, where she is shocked by her mother allowing her to purchase an expensive white diamond necklace. Winter loves it and always wears the necklace from that point on, rejoicing in the feeling of being alive. Some time later, she takes a liking to her mother's garden and helps her out, but she becomes paranoid after being stung by a yellowjacket, wishing to stay inside forever.

Her mother, with gentle encouragement, brings her back outside and helps her befriend a honeybee, helping Winter foster a better and stronger connection to nature. In summer, Winter and her mother get ice cream and discuss a potential return to Heartbeat Point, exciting her. They soon head off to Tuesday Morning to purchase a birdbath, and there, Winter's eyes rest upon an empty brown box. Her mother buys it, declaring that she will do something that peaks Winter's intrigue. Upon arriving home, they find Edwin in a somber call with his brother, and he reveals that his mother is dying, shocking the family. Winter thinks about processing death, and she and her mother give him room to grief and be with her. Winter prays for her grandmother and for her father, becoming more petrified over the concept of death, but her mother calms her. Two weeks later, both learn of Anny's death and are solemn. However, Edwin soon returns, and Winter sees her father as more than just a strict man; they warmly embrace, and Winter is delighted when he calls her his favorite daughter.

The happiness fails to last long, as when winter comes, numerous batches of illness spread in Pineshadow. Lorelei's lupus conditions flare up and Winter catches what she believes is a cold, forcing her mother into quarantine. Days later, her father catches the same cold as well, though their conditions lessen enough so the family can eat dinner at the table. Winter's mother, having hardly poked at her meal, gets up to use the restroom, only to collapse still on the floor. Mortified, Winter and her father tend to her and rush off to the emergency room in near-hysterics. There, Lorelei is stabalized, and Winter and her father are diagnosed separately for pneumonia. The diagnosis for Lorelei, however, is grim, as she also has pneumonia - which is even more complicated because of her having lupus. Both pray for her to live, and before leaving hospital, see her in stable condition. The next day, Lorelei has awakened, relieving Edwin and Winter, who each take turns to speak with her privately. Winter chats about her favorite things and her mother's condition until she becomes too tired to speak. She hopes that she'll recover, but the following day, her notions fail to age well. She is picked up early from school by her father, who reveals that Lorelei nearly fell into a coma.

Upon arriving, they learn of her stable but fragile condition. Winter's mother demands to speak with her privately, expressing her pride, faith, and happiness in her. Her continued praise and fondness help Winter gradually realize that she's giving her instructions on what to do for when she dies, alarming her, but her mother urges her to carry on. Revealing she has a gift, she beckons the McCormicks' neighbor Saul over, and he hands Winter the box from Tuesday Morning, now decorated with silver etchings inspired by one of Varien's songs, *Aether and Light* - it was supposed to be a tenth birthday gift. Winter, finding the box special, thanks her mother, who urges her to stand her ground and be herself. While she briefly regains hope her mother will live, it is gone by the next day, as she is unable to be rushed into surgery and can no longer accept food and drink. The days continue to pass, and Winter and her father continue praying for Lorelei's survival, though her conditions keep worsening to the point where nurses suggest hospice, though Edwin refuses it. Winter resigns herself to the fact her mother is dying, and on the fifth day, Lorelei finally succumbs and dies. Winter grieves alongside her father and returns to a lifeless home.

One day later, Winter reluctantly goes to school in the will of her mother and then heads off to Harmony Hollow for her funeral (it is custom in Jewish families to host funerals one day after someone dies). She receives support from family friends, and soon, the rest of the family arrives for the funeral. Each give eulogies for Lorelei; Winter supports her father when he gives his, and she takes her place to give hers. She describes her relationship with her mother as something special, recalling how she pushed her forward and helped her recognize her strengths and passions. In a show of strength, she rips her veil off her head, and the crowd applauds her semi-shaved head. Winter then requests the synagogue play *Ghost Spores* in tribute to her mother, which they do. At home, Winter cherishes her mother's gifts in tears, and her father comes in, sensing their significance. They both reflect on how life is unfair, and despite Edwin's personal anecdotes about Lorelei and reassurance, Winter grows more upset, especially upon realizing that they have no way to carry on her mother's legacy. She places the responsibility on her father, who hesitates, and this strikes a nerve. Winter sobs, begging him to do so and to not abandon her. This works, and Edwin agrees to do what he can, from the small things to the large things.

Winter, sensing tension, apologizes for synagogue, and even with her father's assurance that he loves her and doesn't think she did anything wrong, she rebukes him and reminds him of all the times he oppressed her with religion. Instead of pushing her away, Edwin sympathizes with her and hears out her request to stop going to synagogue, comforting her. To her surprise, he admits that he felt the same way she does in his youth, sharing that he faced a strict family life of pain growing up. He also lost his first love interest because of his mother's iron fist, but eventually, he found value in independence and met Lorelei. He apologizes for his treatment of her, and while he wants her to remember her religion, she is free to be who she wants to be. Winter accepts, and from there, both slowly move on from Lorelei's death. They run off on fun experiences and trips, enjoying each other's company and healing together. They flood the house with memories, and the most personal memories are stored in Winter's box. Soon, Edwin takes Winter to Rye Lake, the place where he had his first date with her mother. A stranger snaps a photo of them together.

Later, Winter is ten years old and has slightly hit puberty. She notes that Varien has just released her second album, *My Prayers Have Become Ghosts*, and finds that her father has gotten a pocket knife to protect her. Now owning her own phone, she scrolls through pictures of Varien, and when her father is out of the house one afternoon, she grows inspired enough to cut her hair even shorter. She cuts shorter and shorter, unaware that her father has returned. When he finds her, he is shocked that she's done this again, but he does not admonish her and accepts her. This relieves Winter, who honors the memory with a photo. Winter ends the chapter by recounting her experience with death and its influence, hinting the next chapter's romantic turn.

#### *Soulmates*

"*If this were a dream, we'd have awoken. But we haven't, which means that it's real... real as our love. Dani, I* love you*... and it would be the cherry on top if you dated me.*"
—Winter professing her love for Daniela

For this chapter, Winter opens it by discussing the blessing and powerful strength in falling in love and taking a soulmate, something she once did herself, before continuing her story. By now, she's fully recovered from her mother's death and has gained a mixed following at school, but she is very displeased by Lars' mounting interest in her. Disgusted, she stays away from him whenever she can, and her father informs her that Lars likely is crushing on her. On one of her off days from school, Winter is at the park when she is jumped by Lars, and disinterested in hanging out with him, she runs. In the process, she smashes into another girl, and they tumble into a hole underground. There, they befriend each other, and the other girl introduces herself as Daniela. Winter hopes to see her again upon leaving Pinelake Park, and to her luck, she does not long after. Daniela summons her to the top of the playground structure, where they affirm their friendship, and Daniela is the first person to give Winter the shorthand form of her name. Their friendship rapidly blossoms, and Winter and Daniela become inseparable, hanging out at their houses, the mall, and everywhere else in between.

Winter finds Daniela to be her perfect link and grows closer and closer to her throughout the rest of the spring and the summer. This leads to Winter proposing a sleepover, which Daniela agrees to, and they have fun leading up to nightfall. When Daniela changes into her pajamas, Winter glances at her photos and grows somber, thinking about how her mother isn't alive to meet Daniela. The latter then returns, and seeing Winter upset, gently comforts her and learns of what happened to her mother. She relates, as her father is absent from her life. The rest of the sleepover goes by without a hitch, and Winter wakes Daniela up to eat the next morning. Their summer escapades continue, leading to them swimming and sharing a deep embrace at the pool and a trip to Looking Glass, an immersive art experience. At the final area, Winter trips over a fake stone but is caught by Daniela, and the two stare deep into each's other's eyes, pressing foreheads together and agreeing that everything is perfect. Winter, unable to deny it, realizes she has feelings for Daniela. She starts to daydream about who they could be and asks for advice from her father (disguising Daniela with masculine pronouns so he doesn't figure out the truth), who tells her to go about it slowly.

A bit later, Winter has a day at the park that becomes interrupted by a nosy Lars, who quickly dismantles her personal boundaries and alarms her. Luckily, Daniela comes to her rescue and drives him off, and the two relax at the playground's edge. She wonders about the Piney Woods, leading to Daniela insisting that she explores it; after some more persuasion, Winter agrees. They head in, and Winter is astounded by the natural beauty, loving the atmosphere and every aspect of nature. Daniela takes her to a clearing, where they create a magic version of the Piney Woods they can protect and create themselves, inspired by the Varien song *Sacred Woods*. They chase each other through the woods, and after leaving, Winter vows to return to the Piney Woods. Some time afterward, Daniela comes over to Winter's place for another sleepover, and outside, Winter asks her mother if Daniela will share her feelings for her. Right after, Daniela snaps a photo of her, which she stores in the house, and both proceed to lay in the grass. They talk about life, Varien, Winter's mother, and their friendship. Eventually, Daniela shifts the conversation to something she's been meaning to reveal to Winter for a long time.

She admits that she fell out of her love with her prior crush, Damian, and realized her attraction to both women and men, coming out as bisexual. The surprises don't end there, as to Winter's shock and joy, Daniela reciprocates her feelings and professes her love of her, asking if she wants to date her. She immediately agrees, placing the two in a relationship; they agree to kiss when they're thirteen. They snuggle for the rest of their time outside before being called inside. Closing out the chapter, Winter recaps the weight of love before alluding as to how the very love she found ended up destroying her entire life.

#### *Betrayal of Blood*

"*It's* **over***, Dani. I thought I truly found my* soulmate *in you. I can't believe I **even loved you** when the truth was, you* **only cared** *about* **yourself***. Wallow in your self-pity.* You *brought this onto yourself - and I will* **never** *forgive you.*"
—Winter breaking up with Daniela

In the darkest chapter, Winter discusses betrayal in the opening and its consequences, something she is all too familiar with, before diving into the chapter. Winter and Daniela have settled into their relationship and negotiated their preferred interests, returning to school for the fifth grade year. Winter becomes friends with Kailee, with both sharing a mutual distaste of Lars. She notes that while Daniela has told her mother of their relationship, she has absolutely refused to tell her father out of fear he will reject her. Daniela understands, placing no pressure on her girlfrend to come out. As the fall passes by, the two frequently see each other and watch many movies. They showcase minimal public affection, and for Winter's eleventh birthday, Daniela gifts her an oversized sweater from JCPenney, which she promises to wear when she fits into it. Their fun continues until a wrench is thrown in Winter's life: her father gets abruptly laid off and does not have a viable way to earn the family income. Winter grows uncomfortable by his raging temper and unusual behavior, concerned that they'll be evicted and forced to live with Saul.

Daniela is the only source of positivity in the hectic times, and she and Winter often spend time outside the house. Unfortunately, one instance ends up being a trip to the Piney Woods, and when Winter returns, her father smells pine tree on her. He forces Winter to confess she has been into the woods without his permission, and he is infuriated that she broke one of his own rules. The fight spills out of control until Winter is borderline about to be attacked by her father, but he stops just in time, breaks down, and apologizes. He expresses his like of her and Daniela's "platonic" chemistry and affirms that he will always love Winter and be by her side - but she must remember to stay on the path he wants for her, much to her annoyance. Eventually, he finds a well-paying job at the pharmacy, and Winter celebrates the spring by hanging out with Daniela. Summer soon arrives, and Winter and Daniela make it a summer to remember, having sleepovers, trips to the Piney Woods and to fancy restaurants, and celebrating the Fourth of July with popsicles and fireworks. A month later, the girls head out to their first day of sixth grade at Pineshadow Middle School and are dismayed to learn that they have no classes with each other.

Winter struggles with the ups and downs of adapting middle school, exhausted by the end of the first day but assimilating more as the days pass. She misses Daniela, but the two make up for missing time in the mornings and afternoons. However, conflict stirs when the girls choose differing clubs, limiting their time to just extended lunch and before and after school, leaving both disappointed. A few weeks later, Daniela acts erractically and is very quiet and clingy towards Winter, heavily baffling her. Eventually, Daniela admits to feeling heartsick for her, and not wanting the conversation spoken publicly, they head into the school bathroom. There, Daniela adds that she misses Winter, and the two vow to meet in the bathroom to ease their feelings of heartsickness. The moment of ease doesn't last, as Daniela then asks Winter if she's come out to her father, causing her to react unfavorably. Her girlfriend apologizes, and at the end of day, Winter observes that she's still upset over earlier. They clear up things and part peacefully. From then on, they meet in the bathroom and intimately grace each other, though Winter suspects that Daniela is hiding something from her.

Later, in the fall, Daniela shows up one morning with glasses, and she shyly admits to Winter that she has them because she isn't seeing well in classes (which Winter finds to be nonsense). She soothes her, reassuring that she will not be bullied. Weeks after, Winter and Daniela's chill day at Pinelake Park is interrupted by a group of rowdy boys playing Capture the Flag, worrying Daniela, as she thinks they'll bully her for wearing the glasses. Winter assures her that it won't happen, reluctantly leaving her behind to get a snack. However, the boys notice Daniela and attack her, breaking her glasses, and Winter, irate, drives them off with the sheer force of her anger. She apologizes to Daniela for ditching her, telling her that she is beautiful with or without glasses and promising to always be by her side. They relax together, unware of the events that will unfold the following month. In November, Daniela and Winter meet outside of school to discuss Thanksgiving plans, and all goes smoothly until Daniela unexpectedly suggests Winter comes out to her father. She again refutes this and walks off, slightly irritated. Daniela still hasn't let the subject go a few days later, pulling Winter aside in the school bathroom to talk, and this time, Winter doesn't hide her visible irritation despite her girlfriend's insistence that she gets her secret off her chest.

Her borderline anger strikes Daniela directly, and she prepares to walk away guilty. However, Winter's empathy prevails, and she holds onto her, telling her that she may not agree with her all the time, but she still loves her, mending the damage from the argument. On Friday, Winter preps the house for her and Daniela's sleepover, and soon, Daniela arrives. They have pizza for dinner and play *Astro Party* in the bedroom before moving out to the living room to watch the live-action remake of *Alice in Wonderland*. They snuggle together, and it remains this way even after the movie, though the peace doesn't last forever. Daniela abruptly startles Winter by getting up and informing her father that she has a secret she wants to tell him. Immediately realizing that her girlfriend is trying to out her, Winter tries to plead her way out of doing it, but is horrified when Daniela doesn't budge. She reluctantly comes out as a lesbian, and the results become permanent scars on her. Enraged that his daughter has defied such an important part of her religion, Edwin attacks her, pinning and choking her by the fireplace wall; Daniela watches but does not do anything to save Winter, which causes her to be deemed a traitor in her eyes.

Winter can barely do anything to make her father stop assaulting her, and when she brings up her right to choose her own destiny and her belief that her mother would have prevented this, she only makes her father more outraged and violent. He pulls away, only to draw his pocket knife and deserves to be punished for the sin she has evoked in her family. Grabbing her wrist, he slices it, and Winter sinks to the ground, sobbing in pain and apologizing to her father for everything, though this does nothing to change his mind. Daniela has still done nothing by this point and is frozen in horror, cementing Winter's belief that she has betrayed her. Her father orders her to pack her things and never return to the house in ten minutes, and stumbling away on limited vitality, Winter cleans her wound, bandages it, and packs everything she knows away - her clothing, her necklace, her Varien albums, and her prized box with her memories. Swinging her backpack over her shoulders, she bids farewell to her room and accosts Daniela near the door. While Daniela attempts to justify herself, Winter refuses to hear it and admonishes her for outing her and tearing her entire life apart. Filling with hatred, she breaks up with Daniela and declares that she will never be forgiven for what she has done - until death may do them part. She runs out the door, leaving the only life she's known behind. Winter closes off the chapter by reflecting on the betrayal and taking a break from her storytelling to get a snack.

#### *Only in a Waking Dream*

"*My heart* thrummed*, pulsing with adrenaline and elation, excitement at the chance to explore and run free, filled with passion and delight. It didn't beat out of fear that I'd be consumed by the darkness. It was* thriving*. It was* restored *- and so was I.*"
—Winter as she dreams herself among the stars

Returning from her lunch break, Winter monologues about dreams and nightmares, their role in life, and how her waking dream significantly brought her into a new, different world. She then dives right into her story. After escaping home, Winter runs in the dead of night and doesn't stop running, fearing her father, Daniela, or someone else is chasing after her. Eventually, she collapses by a tree at Pinelake Park and sobs herself into sleep. The next morning, her trauma surges into her thoughts, and desperately searching for shelter, she heads into the southern part of the Piney Woods. She spends nearly ten minutes tensely walking and alert, but discovers a cabin unoccupied since September 2001 and takes refuge inside. It is in there that she realizes she has no food or drink, and reluctantly, she takes twenty dollars in cash out of her backpack and heads to a nearby 76 gas station with a convenience store, purchasing some cereals, light snacks, and water. Returning to the cabin, she thinks about her traumatic past and school, deciding that from now on, she's lying to everyone about herself and keeping her secrets within her, determined to never let anyone find the truth and send her to foster care. She invents her now-famous motto: out of sight and out of mind.

When the first day back from Thanksgiving break arrives, Winter spends it hiding throughout the school and maintaining as much silence as she can, putting distance between herself and everyone else. Her narrative of being a normal kid becomes successful, and Winter catapults herself into believing she is living a "waking dream" - a living dream that has both elements of a dream and nightmare, but is flexible and can be controlled by her own will. Despite the charm and early success, Winter is worn down and exhausted due to her lack of supplies, and her facade cracks. Mr. Naecher happens to notice her upset one day, but she deflects him away from her and tells him to mind his own business. Soon, Winter comes to see that she's running out of food and water, fearing of what she'll have to do to achieve extended vitality. Before she can craft a plan, however, Rex happens to notice her in history class and immediately summons her into the office for questioning. She shows abundant concern for Winter and tries to help, but Winter, firmly believing that she's going to be like all the others and will take advantage of her trust just to betray her, fights back and resists. This goes on for minutes until Rex fully admits that she doesn't want to put Winter in foster care and only wants her to be safe and healthy.

Winter relents and allows Rex into her life, and from there, everything improves. She gains enough food and water, as well as essential items that keep her health and other personal needs in check. Although she should be feeling happier, she feels as if something is missing, emphasized by how she still bears the reflection of trauma in her appearance, unchanged ever since the fateful night she ran away. Her dilemma is given a potential solution when Rex's friend gives her a set of hair dyes (Winter had previously named dyeing her hair and running off to Rex in their argument). Winter, getting an idea, selects four dyes - pink, blue, silver, and black - and applies them to her hair, breaking the image that had been mentally wrecking her. She rejoices, heading outside to celebrate, only to quickly realize that by adding flagrant colors to her hair, she might attract unwanted attention. Just as she beats down on herself for the blunder, Winter hears a distressed noise and finds a trapped rufous hummingbird on the ground, freeing him and taking him to a nearby Pacific bleeding heart for nectar. In a flash, he is rejuvinated, filled with hope. Suddenly, the link clicks within Winter's head, and she sees that she needs to have hope in order to push forward and survive. She dances with her new hummingbird friend, reflecting at the edge of the woods and naming him Rufie.

Later that night, Winter sleeps peacefully in her cabin and awakens in her old home next to her father, who quickly assaults her, and she is scorned by Daniela. She awakens and heads outside, following the stars in an effort to rid herself of the nightmare. While she has hope for something positive, she becomes upset when she's led into the very clearing she and Daniela once frequented, shutting her eyes to escape from the traumatic memories. Winter dreams herself into a starry wonderland, where she meets her mother and embraces her warmly. She vents out everything she's been through, wondering what she'll do about her future and her dreams, and her mother urges her to trust her instincts, her heart, and dream bigger and brighter - this is her dream, and no one can tamper with it. Ascending, Winter takes her words to heart and imagines herself flying and walking among the stars, summoning everything no normal resident in Pineshadow can see, and running on euphoric thrill and elation. She eventually collapses in a field near Pinelake Park, thanking her mother and falling asleep. Winter ends off the chapter by recounting the influence of dreams, but warning of a test she faces with revenge in the next chapter.

#### *Talking of the Axes*

"*My* strength *was my* anger*. The fact I could* fight *by* myself*, with barely any* help*. I was* independent*.*"
—Winter realizing her strength is her rage

Winter opens this chapter with two subjects to discuss: rivalry and revenge. She mentions how they're intertwined with the same goals in mind before applying them to her story and how a very familiar person in her life would desire vengeance on her the most. She then transitions into the story. Winter has eased into the spring, tending to the Piney Woods and surviving school. She is assigned a *One of Us Is Lying*-themed project in English, and although doubtful about it at first, grows to love it after realizing the book has queer characters. Studiously, she prepares for final exams and continues her meetings with Rex. On one meeting, Rex informs her that her father has been sentenced to thirty years in prison, and each express their joy at this revelation. Initially, Winter believes she has nothing to worry about, but this changes on a cloudy afternoon when she bumps into somebody while rereading *One of Us Is Lying*. To her horror, she realizes it's Daniela, now more different in physical appearance. Immediately, Daniela begins to antagonize her, and while she tries to walk away, her ex forces her to obey and meet her eyes. Winter nervously demands what she wants, to which Daniela replies that she's clever, slamming her against a tree and squeezing her neck. She realizes that she's turned evil as she is accused of ruining their relationship.

Winter protests that she never wanted this, but Daniela bluntly snaps that she abandoned her and is a poisonous snake who won't be escaping her any longer - she'll get her revenge, and that's a promise. Horrified, she attempts to point out that she was once a loving person, though her ex viciously shuts this notion down and hisses that she has nothing. Winter cracks, ordering her to get lost, and Daniela listens - but not before promising that they'll meet again and that Winter is her sworn enemy. Shaken from the encounter, Winter descends into paranoia, seeing Daniela in places where she isn't and breaking down inside whenever she comes into conflict for her, fearing the worst possible scenario each and every time. Eventually, she becomes fed up with having constant nightmares and hallucinations, tearfully confessing everything to Rex, who vows to punish Daniela and shares personal information that terrifies her: Daniela started to spiral into the person she was now after the breakup. Winter momentarily blames herself for everything, but Rex firmly assures her that she isn't to blame and encourages her to blow off steam to alleviate the pain she is in. Taking her words to heart, she soon heads out into the Piney Woods and struggles to come up with a way to loosen herself up.

Upon holding her pocket knife, however, she imagines being in a battle with a horde of shadow demons led by Daniela, which motivates her to fight for her home and for herself. She is precise, violent, and deadly, and slowly, Winter lets herself go in the fray. She triumphs over the shadows with her red-hot rage, realizing that she was struggling with insecurity and that an important part of what makes her a standout is her raw anger and willpower to survive, sharply contrasting her from Daniela. With her confidence restored, she begins to deflect Daniela's challenges and put the bully in her place. She returns to focusing on final exams, also working on strengthening herself for future fights with Daniela. In the end, she ends up succeeding. Closing out the chapter, Winter recounts the effects of rivalry and revenge and hints an easygoing summer as the theming for the next chapter.

#### *The Foxes and the Hounds*

"*With the peace, I was ready to take on the school year once again. I didn't get my hopes up - optimism is dead when there's a constant danger painted on your temple - but I had something worth fighting for:* my inner peace*.*"
—Winter on peace

Winter's subject for this chapter is peace, and she intends to tell this part of her story as a peaceful interlude - one deviating from the main plot. Winter enters the last day of school and succeeds in her finals, allowing her to celebrate by frolicking in the Piney Woods with Rufie. While she is initially elated for a summer by herself, Winter grows bored with a lack of new things to do and strives for solutions, though her mood isn't helped by summer storms. One morning, she wakes up only to find everything enveloped in thick fog, and although she is hesitant to explore it, Winter suddenly gains ideas and rediscovers her creative magic, imagining herself as a symbol-creating deity. A little later, she begins to think of herself as an "oracle" of the Piney Woods, visualizing a far more enchanted and magical woods at varying times of the day. She also attempts to peer into her box and go to Pinelake Park, but is too gagged by her trauma to do so. On a cloudy afternoon, she contemplates the circumstances with Rufie when it starts raining. Disgusted, she prepares to head back inside, but stops upon seeing Rufie enjoy the rain, and she realizes that it's not as bad as she always suspected.

Slowly, Winter grows to love the rain and, through playing in it, feels like she has recaptured childhood essence. From that day on, she appreciates rainy weather. July passes by, and Winter begins to prep for her return to school, starting by fighting imaginary shadow vultures in her training clearing. Soon, it's the first day of school, and Winter thinks about everything and every fear that she has, resolving her doubts and entering with a clear head - unaware that another vendetta is about to swallow her alive. Winter ends off the chapter by recounting the effect of peace and how it impacted her, foreshadowing the evil in the following chapter.

#### *Snowblind*

"*Memories were my backbone, and they still brought* joy *and* merry *and* consolation *and* declaration*, even when overshadowed by the weight of the past. My past couldn't find me, still. There was* light *in the darkness. A* light *that made this blizzard part and stop, and all there was left was* clear skies*.*"
—Winter realizing that she can find solace in her memories

Winter opens this chapter by describing the toxic effects of how bullying and how only a small amount destroyed her reputation. Seventh grade starts as normal for Winter, who faces little to no conflict (aside from Daniela) and maintains her relationship with Rex. Temperatures plummet prematurely, and in October, it starts snowing heavily. On one afternoon, Winter is walking home, and distracted by the beauty of the snow, lets her cover fall. Immediately, she is antagonized by Lars, whom she hasn't spoken to in years, and his clique, with the latter believing Lars' claims that Winter broke his heart, sans Lars' own girlfriend, Desireé. The two get into a nasty fight, with Winter holding her belief that Lars is obsessive and needs to let go of their past, while Lars thinks that she deserves punishment for abandoning him in favor of Daniela. The clique joins in the bullying, which drives Winter's fear up until she can't deny she is terrified. Lars, refusing to let her get off scot-free, dismisses his pacifist (now ex) girlfriend and tells Winter that she'll never be sorry, throwing her into a snowy bank. The cold stings Winter's eyes, and matters get worse when she accidentally stares into the sun.

The clique laughs at her, and Lars, out of spite, gives her the name of "Snowblind." Winter barely has time to react before he vows to encase her name in infamy, and she runs off, mortified and panicking. The next day, things worsen, as the clique publicly bullies her and gets more people to call her Snowblind. Because of this, Winter becomes extremely fearful and spirals into depression, and she loses the ability to see color in the world. Eventually, Rex catches her and learns of what happened, promising her that she'll be alright and that the Snowblind bullying won't go on. However, that same day, things get to their lowest when Daniela overhears Lars and the clique scorning Winter with the taunt name, which makes her realize that Winter was the recipient of the bullying all along. Winter is powerless as Daniela ups her aggressiveness, warning her ex-girlfriend that the dream she tries to live is going to unravel and that her past will catch up to her. Fleeing, Winter breaks down, knowing she's lost everything she has. Afterwards, days pass, and she loses track of time.

Winter believes there is no hope and life for her, resigning herself to the Snowblind bullying. However, on December 15th, her phone reminds her of her birthday - a day she values - and brightened, she resolves to do the impossible and confront her memories. After school ends, she rushes home, and despite welling with melancholy, she forces herself to see the good and bad hidden within her photos. She names all ten photos by writing on their backsides, and taking them with her in her box, she heads outside, where she visualizes each and realizes the true significance of her memories. Now filled with life and joy, Winter believes she has a crutch to help her get through the year soundly. Late in December, she gets Christmas presents from Rex, but suspects that someone is stalking her upon seeing footprints and hearing noises. She waves it off, but in January, she sees the silhouette of someone and runs off, worried for her personal belongings. Luckily, all is in order - until she stumbles upon two strangers seeking to befriend her. Closing off the chapter, Winter recalls the negative power of bullying and how she overcame it, then met two girls who ended up changing her life forever.

#### *Dance of a Thousand Eyes*

"*Evie and Mya had pledged their loyalty to me. They cared, and delivered, and showed me reverence and tenderness, what I had needed in my times of conflict and disparities. They had my heart and my eyes, carved their initials onto them, and I proudly showcased it.*"
—Winter on Evie and Mya

Winter opens this chapter by discussing the importance of friendship and the benefits can bring before diving into the story. Not long after the last stalker situation, she calmly takes the Rye Lake photo and puts it in her pocket, scans the area for any signs of a stalker, and heads out, making a series of mistakes that she fails to catch. She travels to Pinelake Park and reflects on the memory, in the process failing to see two girls approaching her. Upon realizing that they're trying to nose for her information, Winter reacts with a poisonous attitude and dismisses them, running away with her photo. She chastises herself in the clearing for letting her guard down, suddenly realizing with a check of her pockets that the photo has gone missing. Knowing it's in the hands of the girls, she tries to run back to the park, only to find they've invaded her cabin and have her box in their possession. Winter blindly charges them in a fit of rage, demanding their motives and empty-threatening to kill them, though even with their terror, they don't flee and repeatedly offer to befriend her. The fight progresses in circles, with the two girls defending themselves and insisting no harm, and with Winter calling them irredeemable stalkers. However, one of the girls reveals that it was her who wanted to get to know her, sensing something more, and she also reveals that she has her photo - but, through a series of errornous guesses, proves that she never examined it fully. Winter lets her go begrudgingly, but still demands a reason for the invasion. The girls testify that they want to help her, knowing she is troubled, but they go a step too far by bringing up her lack of her parents. Drowning in memories, Winter snaps that she doesn't want their sympathy, to which the girls assure her that they're here to help and understand her pain.

Finally, Winter is convinced to trust them and lets her walls down, introducing herself and telling her story, leaving out a few details for personal reasons. She is surprised by the girls' sympathy and accepts them as her allies, in turn learning that they attend PMS, and they promise to protect her from the bullying. They introduce themselves as Evie and Mya, and Winter thinks of them as a positive change. On Monday, they meet up and walk into school, only to be faced by Daniela, who instantly targets Winter and humiliates her in front of her friends. As soon as Rex intervenes, she runs off, guilty of blindsiding her friends and spending the next few days avoiding them, fearing their reaction. With Rex's advice and love of Evie and Mya, however, she is persuaded to change her schedules to be with them, not regretting anything since then. That same day, she meets Aiden, who begins to rapidly fall in love with her; she is in denial about such a horrid thing and rebukes Evie and Mya's first attempt to get her to come out to him. When he asks her out publicly and embarrasses her, she again shoots down coming out and gets a fun snow day in compromise. This is ruined by a lovesick Aiden, who corners her, and with no choice, Winter comes out. This saves her life and teaches her to open up to others, and with the help of Evie and Mya, she finds Aiden new friends. Not long after, she accidentally strays into Daniela's path, and they get into a vicious argument.

Things take a turn for the worse when Daniela reveals her intentions to murder Winter, refusing to back down on her word and mortifying her. She runs off and breaks down her cabin, and her attempt to sleep everything off ends in a nightmare of the infamous November night replaying. She wakes up after Daniela taunts her and vows to keep their past relations a secret from Evie and Mya, though the struggle weighs her down emotionally and physically. After more nightmares, she takes a walk with Evie and Mya, but hallucinates that Daniela is with her, helping Evie and Mya figure out that something's wrong. Winter flees in horror, but upon coming to see that her friends will never reject her, she decides to tell them the truth and shows them her memories. They piece everything together and do not punish her for dating Daniela, and she firmly accepts them as her best friends. Later that night, she is accosted by Daniela, revealed to be her stalker, but she wards her off. She remains fearful of her threat to kill her, but it seemingly disspates into nothing, and Winter relishes spending time with her friends, individually and as a group. On one such day, Mya approaches her with a bag of stuff, believing she has not experienced proper fun in a long time. They play with bubbles, go birdwatching, and play tag, among other things. Soon, Winter decides to show Mya her type of fun and leads her into the Piney Woods, where they sample huckleberries. Winter accepts Mya into her waking dream.

The two run to the clearing, where Winter summons Rufie, astonishing Mya. Both passionate and joyous, they wish to fly away together for a second time. Later, Winter reflects on Mya's excursion with Evie that led to Mya realizing that she was in love with the latter, noting that she gave her advice, which helped considerably. As she listens to *My Prayers Have Become Ghosts*, Mya knocks, and inviting her inside, Winter throws her a celebratory coming-out party. She then decides to take her outside to see the stars, and they talk about love and personal subjects, holding hands. Mya comments that she loves the view, but wanting to show her something more, Winter goads her into chasing her into the clearing, where she is amazed by the view of stars and scenery. They imagine the galaxies together and play tag once again, ending with the two laying in the grass and stargazing, with Winter unaware that reality is catching up to her. Winter closes off the chapter by recalling the perks of friendship and how it changed her, before alluding to her last fight - the fight that would make her choose between fighting or dying.

#### *Return of Snowlight*

"*My heart was* beating more than a million beats*. I was* flying*,* soaring *from where I stood on the ground. I had the* freedom *of a hummingbird, the* yearning *of a hummingbird, the* craft *of the hummingbird, whizzing around my face and chirping and showing me that I always had the potential to be someone* unique*.*"
—Winter realizing that she must beat Daniela

Winter, in her final chapter, covers heroism and her differing beliefs about what it means to her before diving into the chapter itself. After Mya leaves, Winter returns to her cabin to sleep, only to be awoken by an intruder - revealed to be Daniela - and kidnapped to a storage hut near to the school grounds. Winter is horrified that Daniela has done this, and although she is slightly attended to by her, Daniela spends most of her time mocking her suffering. Winter can do nothing as Evie and Mya are effortlessly lured in as well and tied up, and with dread, Winter watches her ex amplify the torture and reveal that Winter - as well as the other two girls, are all going to die at her hands. Once Daniela momentarily leaves, Winter finds that Evie and Mya are still supportive of her, and with Mya's quick thinking, they escape their ropes and try to break out. However, Daniela returns, instigating a brawl that ends in Evie and Mya being weakened and Winter being left in the open. Now having leverage, Daniela pulls a steak knife and attempts to kill her ex, but Mya intercepts the blow with her shoulder and declares that Winter is like a sister to her, protecting her in the process.

The sweet moment doesn't last, and Daniela pushes Mya aside, poised to kill Winter again; this time, Rex intervenes and drags a kicking and screaming Daniela away. Winter, relieved, embraces her friends, and reluctantly accepts Mya's invitation for dinner at her place. Upon changing in her cabin, Winter travels to Mya's house, where she familiarizes herself with the atmosphere and relishes in the pizza given to her by Mya's parents, whom she finds to be lovely. Not long after, Daniela has been punished with hard paperwork and taken out of her classes, much to Winter's excitement; she becomes more open and free. She, Evie, and Mya eagerly anticipate an upcoming school party and are invited since they all made the honor roll, though unbeknownst to Winter, Daniela has also blackmailed her way into the party. When Evie and Mya warn her of this, Winter feels caught between her best friends and Rex, and not wanting to choose one over the other, she furiously snaps and runs off, regretting her behavior deeply. By the time the party comes, Winter forces herself to enjoy what she has, getting swept up in the party atmosphere and chatting with a jovial female partygoer, unable to catch the red flags in time. The partygoer reveals herself to be Daniela, and she ambushes her, which abruptly puts an end to the party atmosphere.

No matter how many times she tries to guard herself in front of the crowd, Winter is helpless as Daniela cuts into her layers and spills her secrets to everyone, framing her as a supposed fraud and liar. Things reach their peak when Daniela taunts Winter for being Snowblind, and at her limits, she retaliates by drawing her knife and charging. However, Daniela kicks her back, sending her flying into a wall, and the knife lands at her boots. The bully wastes no time in making the knife her weapon, and villanizing Winter further, she attempts to strike her throat. Thanks to shouts from Evie and Mya, Winter instead deflects the blow with her shoulder, leaving her in immense pain. With her mission to deface her complete, Daniela orders her to run away a traitor and never come back, to which she obeys. Outside, she breaks down and shames herself, waiting for death to come to her, but Mya comes to her rescue. After patching up her shoulder, she encourages her to return and defeat Daniela, much to her horror, and Winter vehemently refuses to ever come back. Believing she'll only be humiliated, she accepts her fate as Snowblind and sobs. Determined, Mya confronts her fears by insisting she learns from her past instead of running from it, believing she can start again and stop Daniela by resonating - she isn't Snowblind, but Snowlight. The name spurns Winter's imagination, and she sees her young self in the winter, then her and Rufie in the spring.

Realizing her true power and strengths, Winter decides to confront Daniela and embraces Mya, affirming their sisterhood. They return to the cafeteria, and Winter draws Daniela's attention onto her, saving Evie from an untimely death. She admits that while she was once a fool, she has realized that she can't flee her past, and what has happened to her will only make her stronger. Daniela, horrified of her sudden strength, loses her power over her. It is at this moment that Winter explodes with hatred and rage and attacks, catching Daniela off guard and overpowering her in a shocking display of ferocity. She then kicks Daniela into a railing, regaining her weapon, and the crowd is amazed by her heroics. Winter, making sure Daniela is finished for good, permanently disowns her as a villain and renounces everyone's right to call her Snowblind. Although Daniela tries for a last time to get revenge, she is arrested and dragged off. Winter celebrates with Evie and Mya and greets Rex, accepting her viewpoint of her as a daughter figure. She is suddenly called over to Evie and Mya, finding out that the latter's parents want to formally adopt her into a real family, and she giddily accepts. She interacts with the rest of the girls' friends and also forgives a sorrowful Lars on the condition he never calls her Snowblind ever again. The celebrations are then renewed. Days afterward, Winter is now allowed to concealed-carry her knife on school grounds, and she reflects on the other events that have happened.

She lets a lovestruck Evie and Mya have alone time, briefly witnessing their first kiss together. The next day, Winter packs up her things and moves into Mya's house permanently, decorating her share of the room and taking in her first few activities with her new family, from a long overdue doctor's appointment to getting an autism screening with Mya. One evening, the girls get a flare, and Winter runs around with it in an open field, professing her love of being alive. Soon, she reunites with her family at the mall and gets her own initials carved into her pocket knife; her mother's scrapbook and Polaroid are mailed to her and Mya, and together, they continue making new memories. By the end of it all, they fall asleep together in bed, snuggling, and Winter reflects on being a hero. Enjoying her new life, she signs off for the final time.

### *Two-Sided*

#### *The Broken Pieces*

"*You betrayed me, Daniela. And now I'm emotionally scarred. You didn't even help me! I hate you. I thought I had someone, but now I have no one. It's over. Goodbye, Dani.*"
—Winter breaking up with Daniela

One day, while at Pinelake Park, Daniela meets a unique loner girl with a spikey pixie cut and a black-sleeved shirt - Winter. They grow to be very close friends, doing everything together, and soon falling in love. While Daniela is bisexual, Winter is a lesbian, and only interested in girls. Daniela, however, develops an issue with Winter, involving her inability to come out to her father. Despite pushing Winter to do so, she doesn't, frustrating Daniela and making her plan out a solution. She forces Winter to come out unexpectedly, making her glare at her in disgust and apprehension. Daniela's plan backfires, as Winter's father turns out to be homophobic, and he brutally scars her. Five minutes later, Winter is now bloodied, and she drags herself over to Daniela, demanding an explanation to what just happened. Fumbling around for a response, she accidentally says she didn't know things were going to escalate in contempt. This makes Winter snap, and she breaks up with Daniela, grabbing her belongings and running away.

Later, after running back home, Rex asks Daniela what happened. Too upset, and overwhelmed with the memories of Winter being attacked and splitting with her, Daniela snaps and runs to her room. Sobbing, she grabs a photo of her and Winter happy together. Only seeing it emit negativity, she violently throws it away, crying heavily. Rex comes in to comfort her, finally hearing what went down, and she promises to search for Winter and arrest her father. However, those promises never happen, and only make Daniela feel worse than she already is. When Daniela is being confronted by a voice in her head, it scolds her for letting Winter put herself in a bad position with her issues and the breakup, calling her nothing. Agreeing with that voice, Daniela rebrands herself, forgetting Winter and everything that happened, and only desiring to hurt others for what they have done to her.

#### *It's Murder*

"*Knowing who I wanted, I immediately went for Winter. She was the one person who ripped into my soul. And I was going to mend the damage by ending her life.*"
—Daniela on Winter

Winter unexpectedly passes by Daniela one day, with Daniela describing her features and affiliation with Evie and Mya - just managing to refrain from blushing at her. Suddenly, she recogizes her, and Winter runs away, spooked. Daniela then vows to hurt her, as she is the reason there is pain in her heart, and she decides to pay her a visit. One day, Daniela follows Winter into the Piney Woods, finding that she now lives in a cabin. With a plan now in motion, she returns later on during the night, pretending that she is concerned and looking to get Winter's attention. While she doesn't find her at first, Winter leaps out from a bush and holds her at knifepoint, and they bicker back and forth for a few minutes. Eventually, Daniela obliges to Winter's command to leave, but as she does, warns her that this isn't over. Soon, Daniela has a new plan - lure Winter to her hideout near the school, torment her until she is weakened, and use her as bait in order to get Evie and Mya as well.

She gets to the cabin, but accidentally wakes her ex-girlfriend up, making her draw her pocket knife. She then attacks Daniela, leaving a cut on her arm, but this only gives her pleasure. She then knocks Winter out cold, drags her to her cabana, and ties her around a pole while also tying a dishrag around her mouth so she can't speak. When she tries to, Daniela taunts her for thinking that will do any good, and promising that the real fun will begin once Evie and Mya are here. Once they are captured, Daniela leaves to grab her steak knife, but she is startled upon returning to find that her captives are escaping. Immediately targeting Winter, and wanting to mend the damage by killing her, Daniela begins to torment her. However, Mya distracts her for a moment by blowing a raspberry in her face, leading to her being attacked. After dealing with her and Evie, Daniela goes for Winter again, ready for the killing blow. Instead, Mya deflects it with her shoulder, and it is noted that she has a deep bond with Winter.

Daniela prepares to try murdering her ex-girlfriend again, but Rex arrives, dragging her to the car, and she cuts herself on the arm Winter slashed at in order to feel better. Daniela's desire to kill Winter grows even further following her mother's attempt to scold her. Later, after hearing about the party, Daniela feels ready to murder her ex-girlfriend, ready to end the person who has made her suffer for a long time. At the party, she easily finds Winter on the bottom level of the cafeteria, ambushing her and beginning to torture her emotionally and physically. After throwing her into the wall, she obtains her pocket knife, feeling the pain lift off of her. Daniela strides toward Winter and tries stabbing her throat, but Winter is distracted by a noise, moving so that her shoulder is hit with the knife instead. Still, Daniela thinks she has won, feeling like she is in a state of euphoria. When she tries to kill Evie, Daniela is stunned to hear Winter's voice telling her to leave her friend alone, and she realizes that she hasn't won. It is noted that Winter is unstoppable alongside her friends, and while she tries to get back at them, Daniela is then arrested for her attempt to murder her ex-girlfriend.

#### *Behind the Bars*

In prison, Daniela thinks about her hate of Winter and uses it as a coping mechanism. She begins to not care for the others around her, as they don't care for her, and she notes that many (including her ex-girlfriend) hate her. Later, Daniela realizes that Winter was never to blame for their breakup - it was only her entirely - making Daniela feel overwhelmed with guilt and regret. She constantly dwells on her, thinking of her pretty appearance and her strong, confident personality, and she sees how much Winter truly influenced her life. Winter is soon mentioned again by Daniela, who wishes for a friend like her.

#### *Aftermath*

"*No scars or demons can hurt you now, Dani." [...] "I have something to tell you too. Don't change a thing about yourself now. The world can change its heart. There are* no scars *to the beautiful person you now are, no better you than the* you that you are*. It will take time for others to understand - but you've proven to us that you have what it takes to become a better person.*"
—Winter accepting Daniela

While she is disowning Daniela, Rex tells her that she lost the right to be her daughter the moment she stabbed Winter. Later, Daniela hears Winter with Amira at the park, and jealous, she listens in on their conversation. Winter asks Amira if the fashion police caught her for her mismatched outfit, to which she responds that she wasn't, now the "bearer of the green-striped sweater and the *Coraline* gloves." Daniela then realizes that Winter gave away the birthday sweater she obtained from her to Amira, frustating her, as she longs for friends. She then continues to listen in, seeing how deeply the two have bonded through struggles. Moments later, Daniela is overwhelmed by her past memories, including when she tried to kill Winter, causing her to snap violently. Her screaming gets the attention of Winter and Amira, and much to her ire, they investigate the tall grass where she is hiding. Upon discovering her, Winter becomes angry and yanks Daniela upward, holding her at knifepoint and demanding for an explanation.

Not wanting to fight, Daniela puts her hands up tearfully. However, Winter ignores her, once again demanding for an answer and threatening to "send her to hell" if she doesn't speak up. Daniela cries for her to kill her, as her life isn't worth living anyway, and Winter retorts that she's just faking being depressed. When she admits that she hates herself for what she's done, her ex-girlfriend draws her knife back, confused, inquiring if she's really being honest with her. Daniela snaps that she doesn't want to kill her, but rather wants someone to connect with her, and Winter realizes that she is telling the truth. Agreeing with Amira, and becoming softer, Winter allows Daniela to talk with them, but warns her to not harm them. On the step leading to the playground, Daniela mentions her entire vendetta against her ex-girlfriend, calling herself the worst person that she ever met. Adding on, she reveals that she has bipolar disorder and only wants someone to appreciate for who she is today. Crying, Daniela regretfully hugs Winter and apologizes for causing the breakup, admitting that it's her fault for ruining her life.

Getting an idea, Amira questions Winter if she can use it, and she agrees. When Amira opens up about her past, she mentions that there was one person saw past her, and that person is now the love of her life. Understanding dawns on Daniela as she realizes that Winter and Amira aren't friends, they're actually in love. Winter says that she, her girlfriend, and Evie and Mya stopped Shetani, and remembering that Amira gave her grandmother a second chance, she becomes willing to do the same for Daniela. Winter steps up to her, telling her to never change anything about herself, and that there are no scars or demons to hurt the beautiful person that she is today. Daniela hugs her happily, crying tears of joy and making her feel like flying. Suddenly, she loses control of herself and kisses Winter, who shoves her back in shock, and Daniela embarrassingly apologizes. However, Winter isn't mad and starts giggling instead. Seeing how she and Amira are happy together, positive energy fills Daniela, and she no longer feels depressed, thinking about how right Winter is.

#### *A New Start*

"*Mya, I know. You have a right to be mad at Dani because she bullied you. I was mad at her when she unexpectedly surprised me and Amira recently. I acted just like you - but Dani* has *changed. Give her a chance to explain herself, and you'll understand what she's been through.*"
—Winter urging Mya to give Daniela a chance

In her diary, Daniela notes that it's been a while since she talked to Winter and Amira, transitioning into the past. When opening up about her past to Rexy, Daniela mentions the split with Winter and how she had a vendetta against her, nearly leading to her death. However, after her time in prison, she and Amira taught her about the true beauty she had, inside and outside. Following that day, Daniela realizes that she still needs to make amends with Winter's friends, Evie and Mya. As she mentions the incidents Daniela was involved in, Evie recalls her vendetta against Winter. After choosing to trust her, she admits that Mya and Winter were the only ones to understand that she was under the influence of a tiger parent. Daniela then tells Evie that her ex-girlfriend and Amira became her friends, forgave her, and helped her lose the inner demon which haunted her for ages. During her argument with Mya, Winter backs her up, stating that while Mya has a right to be mad, Daniela really has changed and deserves a chance to tell her story. Finally agreeing, Mya hears her former enemy out, and upon hearing that she is reminded of failing Winter, she advises her that it's okay to be flustered sometimes. Winter rejoins them, and together, Daniela hears everything she missed while in prison.

### *Little Miss Perfect*

"*Oh, Evie... I'm so sorry to hear that. But you* aren't *alone. You have Mya, and now, you have me. Trust me, I* completely *relate to what you're going through... Thinking about* him*.*"
—Winter to Evie after she confesses that her mother is a tiger parent

When Evie's mother tells her that Mya is sick, Evie heads out to hang out with another friend she met recently. She reaches Pinelake Park, but her friend isn't there, and she then travels into the Piney Woods. Evie knocks on the door of a cabin, revealing Winter, who is excited to see her. Evie walks into her cabin, recalling how she and Mya met Winter - she jumped them and threatened the two with a pocket knife, but they'd instead become her friends and had helped with her insecurities. Evie asks Winter how she's been, and she trails off before saying that she's rattled, albeit scared. Evie promises that she and Mya will protect her, and she can always visit their parents, though takes back the idea of seeing her own parents. Detecting her sadness, Winter questions what's up with her parents, and she knows she needs to tell her about Opal. Evie admits that she has to tell her something personal, and Winter sits on the floor with her, touching her shoulder and inquiring what it is. Evie confesses that her mother is a tiger parent, explaining how cruel Opal is to her, and Winter hugs her. She says that she's not alone, having her and Mya by her side, and relating to her because of her biological father - who had proceeded to scar her following her admission that she was a lesbian. Winter promises to always be around Evie, and getting an idea, she mentions a stranger helping her to survive alone in her cabin; every time she leaves, new stuff appears. Evie proposes a steakout whilst binging YouTube and eating snacks, which Winter instantly agrees to. For twenty minutes, the two sit beside a tree and bush, eating snacks and watching YouTube. When they hear a noise, they keep low, and discover an old woman entering Winter's cabin, a box marked with "charity" in her hands. Winter asks if she saw that, then comments that she's glad to know someone of a good cause is helping her.

Seeing that she needs to leave, Evie hugs her farewell, and Winter pats her on the back of the neck. After Evie gets home, she hears her parents arguing over Winter, finding out that her mother doesn't believe she is real, which is contradicted by Winter's recent appearances at school and at their own house. Anderson cites these incidences, but Opal thinks Evie is tripping and bringing up the season, but her husband states that Winter's name is pretty, and he thinks she is strong, reminding her that Evie is allowed to have more than just one friend. Opal scoffs, making Evie snap, and she kicks the door aside out of anger. Immediately targeting her mother, she snaps that she's a hypocrite for meddling in her social life, but Opal retorts that she made an "imaginary friend" for attention. This strikes a nerve within Evie, and she spits that Winter is real - she is an amazing person and her friend. Her mother believes she is lying, but Evie shows her a picture Winter took of them together, proving that Winter is real person. Embarrassed, Opal finally relents and lets Winter be Evie's friend. As she argues with Evie, Mya admits that she can't confess her secret like Winter did, shocking Evie with that comparison. Thinking about the Winter comparison, Evie finally figures out what Mya is hiding from her - she is gay - the same issue Winter had with them. Evie says that she knows what Mya wants to say, as she's acting like Winter when she told her backstory. Later, during the confrontation at the party, it is noted that Evie and Mya had tried to stop Winter from going because of Daniela, but she didn't listen to them. Daniela had ambushed her former girlfriend, and now a shell of her former self, Winter is frozen in fear as Daniela prepares to stab her fatally with her own knife.

She wishes her a goodnight, but before she can deliver a death blow, Evie and Mya screaming her name causes Winter to deflect it with her shoulder. She screams, writhing in agony on the ground, blood dripping from her shoulder. Daniela taunts her by saying that it serves her right, and that she has no more family left. As Mya heads off to protect Winter, Evie warns Daniela about a fight. While dueling with her, she states that she won't go down until Winter is safe, and thinking of her enables her to throw Daniela off. When Daniela spits at her to give up, Evie says not until Winter is free from her soul. However, Daniela pins her, causing her to panic, as her friends need her. Right before Daniela can kill her, a voice snarls that she'll be hurt if she touches her - revealing Winter. Evie scrambles away, and in a flash, Winter sends Daniela flying across the cafeteria. Evie praises her, to which Winter praises Mya, making Evie fall for her even more. Shortly afterward, Winter is adopted by the Heartley family and becomes their daughter and Mya's sister. Nights later, Evie admits to Mya how proud she is of her for helping Winter. While reflecting on herself, Evie notes that she prefers Mya and Winter over any boy. When Mya hears that Evie is a lesbian, she jokes that she is now Winter's twin. Evie soon worries about coming out to her mother, but Mya reassures her that she'll never go through what Winter went through. After Evie accidentally comes out prematurely to her parents, she repeatedly apologizes to her mother, pleading that she doesn't want to be like Winter. A few weeks later, Evie recalls how Mya had accompanied Winter while she visited Amira, but never came home afterward. Trying to rescue her, Evie had fallen for a trap in Winter's cabin, and played Russian roulette to save her and Mya. She uneasily admits to her parents that she was in her friend's cabin. When she confesses that she played Russian roulette, her mother is furious, but Evie defends herself by saying that if she didn't play, she would have lost Mya and Winter, asking if their lives matter to her.

Opal then grounds her for two weeks, disappointing Evie, as she'll never truly care about those she loves. Some time after evening, Evie recalls how Amira is Winter's girlfriend, and how the two were attacked at Pinelake Park; that morning, the two had showed up to Evie's house. While Amira takes a bath, Evie dwells on her plan - she, Mya, and Winter are to sneak into Shetani's office to gather information on her. That night, Amira calls out for Winter in her sleep, and Evie realizes that she misses her girlfriend due to them not sneaking out to see each other anymore. She doesn't know how to soothe Amira, not being Winter, but she decides to try being like her in an effort to soothe her friend. She kisses Amira, believing Winter would have done that, but Amira wakes up instead. She tells Evie that she doesn't need to act like her girlfriend to be of comfort, as she's perfect just the way she is. Later, Evie, Mya, and Winter dig through Shetani's notes in an effort to bust her as a devil to Pineshadow, and it is noted that some of Shetani's notes detail her suspicions regarding Winter. When Shetani returns, the girls jump together, and Mya and Winter guard Evie. Winter growls at Shetani that they know what she's done to Amira, but the girls are then chased out by the principal and expelled moments later - making Evie believe she is a traitor to them. Winter embraces Mya, and along with her adopted sister, they try to convince Evie that her plan didn't entirely fail and that she did good. However, she runs away from them, too distraught to take in everything. After the adopted sisters get home, Winter explains everything to her parents, and Evie soon finds her and Mya looking at her. She questions what they want, and Winter softly raises her chin up, locking her ice-blue eyes with hers. She states that they aren't mad at her, and they won't let her mother hurt her. Evie is skeptical, but Mya changes her mind, and she eventually relaxes, apologizing to the two for snapping.

Winter soothes Evie, hugging her and saying that she doesn't need to apologize. Minutes later, Evie hugs Winter goodbye. Once Amira finds out about the expulsion, she reassures Evie that her, Mya, and Winter being expelled was better than death. While confronting her mother, Evie admits that she, Mya, and Winter broke into Shetani's office, and they were expelled, but it doesn't matter. Days later, Evie sees how cute Amira is, not finding it shocking that Winter fell for her. She thinks about her new mission with Mya and Winter - spying on Shetani - and reveals this to her mother. Opal is immediately concerned for her safety, but Evie is adamant on doing the mission with her girlfriend and friend. Amira wishes for her to tell Winter "Te amo," which Evie agrees to do, heading out the door and greeting her and Mya. Some time after, Evie stands with Mya and Winter, noting that thanks to Winter going berserk, they escaped Shetani and got their confession. She gets Winter's attention, telling her to rally everyone, needing time to herself, though she says that she's not good at public speaking. Evie remarks that she has faith in her, urging her to think of Amira, and Winter takes that into consideration. Later that day, Evie recalls how Shetani kidnapped Amira and Winter and how they had all fought her near the Pineshadow Bridge. Winter retaliated at Shetani fiercely, and when she was apprehended, Amira sacrificed herself for her. Believing she was dead, Winter was heartbroken, but Amira survived and reassured her that she was alive.

### Specials

#### *Daniela Wrecks Christmas*

"*Yeah. Also, I'm* glad *Amira got to* moonrock *Daniela! She was a* badass*, from the way you described it. She's been through so much... she deserves to live in peace and mend her relationship with her parents, dealing with all of that morbid stuff...*"
—Winter happy Amira has found peace

Mya spends a lazy day with Winter in her bedroom, tricking her into getting up so she can stretch her legs. Winter notices one of her jackets is on the floor, fixing it for her, and she encounters boxes of old items forgotten in their closet. In particular, she grows interested in one related to Christmas and persuades Mya to tell the story behind it even though they're in the springtime - and involves a person she's hauntingly familiar with. In the first break of the story, Winter admits that she had no clue Daniela disliked Christmas with a burning passion and is shocked a Christmas carol managed to shut her ex-girlfriend up. She is also surprised Mya spat hot chocolate into Daniela's eye, calling her a madman. Upon reaching the second break, Winter is in disbelief that Daniela recruited Amira for her schemes since her ex was always a lone wolf, to which Mya confesses that she was just as shocked by this information.

Her sister is also incredulous that Daniela appeared to have a crush on Amira. Mya then informs her that they're about halfway through the story, and Winter thinks things are about to go downhill - a major understatement on her end. By the third break, Winter is horrified by the fact Daniela abandoned Amira in the freezing weather, believing she would have died from Mya's descriptions, but the latter reassures her that Evie and Mya rescued her in time. She hopes Christmas won't be like this for them, but her sister is confident it won't. At the end, Winter is in awe by the creativity of Daniela's punishment and by the fact Amira got to defy her, wishing to meet her and go back to mall for Christmas. She and Mya both agree to hang up a photograph of Mya, Evie, and Amira together in honor to Amira.

#### *The Guardian of Angels*

"*In fact, I felt a real thrill doing this. It's been a little while since Pineshadow had something interesting going on. Got to use my knife again. I enjoy the wild side of life.*"
—Winter to Evie

Winter sits with Mya, Amira, and Daniela around a fake campfire, dressed as Amity from *The Owl House*. Mya is eager to tell her story, and Winter says that they all know, asking who wants to go first. When Amira agrees to, Winter nestles against her, watching her eagerly and demanding what happens next shortly after. She kisses her on the cheek, making Amira blush, but she goes on. Once she finishes, Winter claps and tells her that was amazing, hugging her. Winter volunteers to go next, and says that many years ago, a boy lived in a small city, longing to be appreciated. He met an attractive girl, and Daniela whistles, making her joke about her being attracted to a fictional character. Refraining from giggling at her, Winter comments that boy wanted that girl to be his, but she already had a partner and rejected him the more he got in her business. Mya points out that he's Aiden, and embarrassed, her adopted sister retorts that he is not. Continuing her story, she says that if the boy couldn't get the girl, he would take her by force. While her partner was alone, he attacked and killed her. But her lover came home, and in a fit of rage, charged at the boy. They crashed through a window and impacted the pavement below, becoming mortally wounded.

As the boy was dying, he told the girl to look out for him, wherever she went. Daniela gasps in shock, and realizing she has accidentally made her ex-girlfriend uncomfortable by mirroring a threat she made in the past, Winter apologizes. However, Daniela isn't mad and praises her story, and the others praise her, including Amira, who is then kissed on the cheek by Winter. After Mya becomes frustrated that Daniela is going before her, Winter reassures her that her turn is next. When Daniela begins her story, she listens on, curious. She later mumbles that Daniela went down a dark path upon the revelation that Solas killed himself, but praises her story nonetheless. Mya then announces that it's her turn to storytell, and Winter tells her to go on. In the middle of her story, she questions if gods are involved, and Mya remarks that it's a good guess. When someone touches Amira on her shoulder, Winter questions if she's okay, and as her adopted sister continue on, she, Amira, and Daniela press closer to each other, shaking. A hand grabs her neck, then lets go seconds later, all while she hugs Amira tightly. When a stranger jumps the girls and confronts Mya, Winter rises to her defense, grabbing her knife and snarling that she won't get what she wants.

After the figure drops a smoke bomb and kidnaps Mya, Winter screams to go after her, and she dashes off with Amira and Daniela following. She looks around nervously in a clearing, then runs into the stranger, who says that she is her and drags her off by her necklace. Amira and Daniela quickly find her pinned against a tree, and she screeches at them to run. Soon after, she breaks free and rejoins Amira and Daniela, demanding where Mya is, and they find her tied against a tree. When Mya unexpectly makes the figure back down, she swears she wouldn't do that, and Winter asks what she is talking about threatingly. The stranger bolts off, and she orders Amira and Daniela to go after her while she stays with Mya. Winter slides to her sister's side, hugs her, and then cuts her free. She promises to not let her be touched, and asks if she's ready to catch her, and Mya eagerly agrees. They rejoin Amira and Daniela, where Winter remarks that Daniela has caught the freak. Upon finding out that the stranger was actually Evie in disguise, Mya is so shocked that she collapses into her adopted sister. Winter reassures Evie that she found a thrill doing this, liking the wild side of life. Daniela snorts that she lived in a cabin for a year, but she points out that she drove her there in the first place, much to Daniela's embarrassment. She also remarks that Evie was like a ghost, but Mya refers to her as the "Guardian of Angels," and every Golden then hugs Evie.

## Personality and Traits

Winter was originally quiet, yet a kind and loving tomboy-ish girl who wasn't bothered by the fact that she was a general outcast. Upon meeting Daniela, she grew attached to her and developed a fun-loving and positive nature that satisfied her and made her happy. When learning that she was a lesbian, Winter was slightly startled, but nonetheless accepted herself for who she was. However, she personally lacked the strength to come out to her father, much to the impatience of Daniela, who soon forced her to admit her secret abruptly one November night. This left Winter shocked and disgusted, which soon turned into outright fear when her father brutally attacked her and scarred her permanently. Shaken up, traumatized, and absolutely revolted by Daniela's betrayal of her privacy, Winter broke up with her and ran away from home, feeling very insecure and saddened and only wishing to celebrate the fact that she was away from what she just experienced. Soon after encountering the cabin and moving there, Winter changed in personality. She becomes an antisocial, secretive recluse, refusing to interact with anyone and keeping herself hidden in the Piney Woods, and only coming out when nearly no one is around, showing that she prefers being alone.

She is haunted thinking about her past, and in an effort to avoid going back to dark memories, Winter "destroys" her old entity by dying her hair and refusing to dwell on her prior conflicts entirely. This gives her some pride in herself and makes her happier. When people happen to get too close for her comfort, Winter is prone to acting aggressive and overly defensive of herself, her insecurity making her come off as harsh and unwilling to talk. This is primarily shown in *Meeting Winter* when she snaps at Evie and Mya to stay out of her business and orders them to leave her alone. After the two break into her cabin and nearly open her box, Winter is furious that they didn't listen to her, and unleashes her full-blown rage onto them, screaming that they are stalkers and threatening to stab them with her pocket knife. This reveals how far Winter is willing to go to protect her identity. However, her threatening act was revealed to be a facade in *Winter's Tales*; she had only wanted to scare Evie and Mya and intimidate them into staying away from her. Despite her attempt, Mya is not bothered, and instead gets her to bring her walls down for the first time. In the end, Winter becomes friends with her and Evie, no longer viewing them as enemies and feeling more joyous in her own skin; however, she is still very insecure about her identity and past.

In *Stalker*, she is too uncomfortable to stand up to Aiden and get her to stop swooning over her, fearing that he will tell the entire school that she is a lesbian and violate her privacy like her ex-girlfriend did before. In *Ex-Girlfriend*, she struggles to come to terms with telling her friends that school bully Daniela is her former flame. Her arrogance and affirmations often get the best of her, and Winter can unintentionally make her problems worse, getting herself into troublesome situations. Winter is also prone to easily panicking, and can lose focus of her surroundings or freeze up entirely. This is prominently depicted in the aforementioned episodes and *Winter Storm Arising*. In the end, Winter comes through and regains momentum and her confidence. She comes out to Aiden, which causes him to leave her alone; she also tells Evie and Mya about her damning secret and is relieved to hear that they will always support her no matter what. With support from her friends, Winter grows stronger and more confident, ready to take on new battles. At the end of *Ex-Girlfriend*, she jumps on Daniela and holds her at knifepoint without hesitation, easily making it clear that she is not to be messed with and establishing herself as unlike the person she was in the past. In *She's Plotting Something*, she puts up a stand against Daniela before being knocked out and taken to an abandoned building near the school.

Even when Daniela threatens to kill her, Winter is relatively unfazed and manages to fight back long enough for her, Evie, and Mya to get her ex-girlfriend apprehended by Rex. After Mya reveals that she is like a sister figure to her, Winter grows increasingly fond of her and is very affectionate towards her and her family, having already helped Mya with coming out as bisexual in *There's Something About Mya*. Upon learning of a party and her having the chance to do something exciting after nearly a year again, Winter's pride blinds her to Daniela's potential uprising. She is stubborn with Evie and Mya and refuses to listen to them, showing that she does not want to lose a potential chance to do something that was taken away from her. She rebuffs them and stalks off, though she soon comes to regret her actions, as Daniela ambushes her at the party. There, Winter's confidence and strength is put to the test. While she succeeds in confronting Daniela at first, she begins to struggle under the weight of her past and Daniela trying to twist her backstory in her favor, ultimately crumbling and allowing for herself to be cornered against the cafeteria wall. With her pride and determination drained, Winter becomes a shell of what she was before, making her appear weak. Using this to her advantage, Daniela stabs her in the shoulder with her own knife and leaves her to die in front of the partygoers, and Winter feels hopeless and burdened, thinking that she can't fight back because of her past.

However, with Mya's encouragement, Winter learns to let her past go, picking up her signature stride again and confronting her ex-girlfriend with newfound inner strength. Now knowing that she is not a burden and that she is perfect the way she is, she rallies and manages to defeat Daniela. With her ordeal over, Winter is happy, and is excited to learn that she is being adopted by Mya's family. Following the end of Season 1, Winter is now seen as joyous, creative, strong-willed, and determined to make things right in the world. While her temper has eased, she can still be easily ticked off and can have mild to explosive bouts of anger, especially when a person she loves is in danger. Upon meeting Amira, she grows a personal attachment to her, especially after learning that controlling school principal Shetani is her abusive aunt. She becomes protective of her friends and Amira, her strength fueled by her desires to protect them from Shetani at all costs. She is also shown to be very sweet and sympathetic, connecting with Amira because of their dark history in *Shocking Secret*, and ultimately falling in love with her in *Unbroken Love*. She is also shown to be very playful and silly, willingly dancing and running through fireflies with her girlfriend, not caring what others think about her.

When pushed to her brink, Winter will lash out violently at those who have wronged her. She easily cuts into Skelly and drives him off in *The Attack*, breaks her neck restraint and slams Shetani into the ground in *Devil's Dungeon* (even having her at her mercy), and nearly kills her for what she did to Amira in *Your Pain is My Pleasure: Part 2*. She is also shown to be sensitive, and cares for those she loves deeply. She breaks down in *The Attack* when Amira tries to go back to Shetani, and when Amira is believed to be dead in *Your Pain is My Pleasure: Part 2*, Winter is beyond heartbroken and can't bring herself to leave the body of her girlfriend. Upon the revelation that Amira is alive, Winter instantly lightens up and is wary of her other family members when they arrive on the scene. With Pineshadow saved once more, she is finally put at peace now that she, her family, and friends are safe. Ultimately, Winter's defining traits are her sheer strength, her desire to protect those she loves, and her willingly putting herself in the line of danger for Amira or anyone else. Av frequently compares her explosive bouts of anger in confrontations to the climax of *Jumpsuit* by Twenty One Pilots.

## Family

**Mother:**

Lorelei (Deceased)
**Father:**

Edwin (Living)
**Adopted Mother:**

Nita (Living)
**Adopted Father:**

Patrick (Living)
**Adopted Sister:**

Mya (Living)
**Former Girlfriend:**

Daniela (Living)
**Girlfriend:**

Amira (Living)
**Maternal Aunts:**

Bonnie (Living)
Debbie (Living)
**Paternal Aunt:**

Jodie (Living)
**Maternal Uncle:**

Willie (Living)
**Paternal Uncles:**

Barry (Living)
Lewis (Living)
**Maternal Grandmother:**

Krystine (Living)
**Paternal Grandmother:**

Anny (Deceased)
**Maternal Grandfather:**

Pierre (Living)
**Paternal Grandfather:**

Darrell (Deceased)
**Adopted Maternal Grandmother:**

Elloise (Deceased)
**Adopted Paternal Grandmother:**

Ivanna (Deceased)
**Adopted Maternal Grandfather:**

Luca (Deceased)
**Adopted Paternal Grandfather:**

Harlow (Deceased)
**Cousins:**

Fanny (Living)
Brody (Living)
Steph (Living)
## Trivia

* Winter is voiced by Mae Whitman.
	+ As a child, she is voiced by Hala Finley.
* Winter was named after the snowfall that was occuring during her birth, as well as for the season she was born in and the snowflake birthmark on her shoulder.
* Winter was initially (and is still slightly) inspired by Amity Blight from *The Owl House*:
	+ Both have dyed hair.
	+ Both identify as a lesbian.
	+ Both have the same voice actor except in childhood; Mae Whitman voices Amity as a child while Hala Finley voices Winter in her youth.
	+ Both have black nails (Winter would paint her nails after *Winter Storm Arising*).
* The hair dyes that she has applied to herself symbolize varying aspects about herself: Pacific bleeding hearts (pink), the starry night sky (blue), the shine of moonlight (silver), and contrasting from her father's wishes (black).
* Winter's main theme song is the Twenty One Pilots song *Jumpsuit*, which became so promiment that it permanently influenced her character and became embedded into the writing of *Evie and Mya* repeatedly.
	+ Notably, the climax of *Jumpsuit*, which has Tyler Joseph intensely screaming out the hook lyric of the song ("Jumpsuit, jumpsuit, cover me"), is often compared to Winter's extreme levels of fury when her boundaries are pushed in *Evie and Mya*. Av and Sisi often refer to the indicators that Winter is going to flip as "going *Jumpsuit*."
	+ *Jumpsuit* has also appeared in *Prologue*, *Winter Storm Arising*, and *Only in a Waking Dream*.
* Winter's second theme song and prominent inspiration is the 2014 Au5 song *Snowblind*. Av fell in love with the song after realizing that the lyrics were a "perfect match" for Winter and fit her story, basing much of Winter's character off the song. *Snowblind* would later receive a major role in the series when the song's title became a taunt name used to bully Winter, in addition to the line "out of sight and out of mind" serving as Winter's motto. Av personally considers the song to be one of the biggest series inspirations.
	+ It notably appeared in *Snowblind*, the chapter named after the song itself.
* Winter's third and final main theme song is *Just A Dream* by Tut Tut Child. The song is also credited as a huge inspiration for Winter and a perfect match for her character.
	+ This was confirmed by its varying references and its appearance in *Only in a Waking Dream*.
	+ South African singer and songwriter Tasha Baxter, who performed the vocals to both *Snowblind* and *Just A Dream*, has recognized Winter's character herself and is honored to have inspired her with her music.
* Her favorite colors are pink and blue. She also likes silver, green, purple, and black.
* Winter is gender non-conforming. Therefore, she refuses to conform to the stereotypical feminine role society would usually expect out of someone like her.
* Her official ship name with Daniela is **Winiela**, while her official ship name with Amira is **Wimira**.
* While the front tips of her hair are dyed pink and blue, the colors of the bisexual flag, she openly identifies as a lesbian. She pokes fun at this in *Meeting Winter*.
* She is a fan-favorite among the community and is Av's favorite character in the series, tied with Daniela.
* She always keeps her pocket knife on her, even at school. Av says that this is because she feels "more secure, in a sense" with it on her.
* It is revealed in *Stacking the Rules* that Shetani either doesn't know she still goes by Winterlyn McCormick instead of using her adopted family's last name, or chooses to disrespect it on purpose.
* Following Season 1, her role was bumped from recurring to main.
* Winter's brindled jacket is similar to one Av purchased from Aéropostale.
* In earlier drafts, Winter was drastically different in appearance and personality.
* Originally, Av said that despite strong implications, Amira and Winter were only going to remain friends and would not get together. However, this was revealed to be a lie, as they fall in love in *Unbroken Love*. Av clarified that she had intended for this to happen, and only lied because she didn't want to spoil major plotpoints of Season 2.
* Av originally planned to just name her Winter McCormick. However, something felt off to her, so she extended her first name to Winterlyn.
* She visits her cabin frequently despite moving in with Mya.
* Despite Av confirming that she is younger than Mya, she acts as a protective older sister to her.
* The dye Winter used on her hair was permanent. Therefore, it cannot be washed off. However, she does re-apply it every few months so the dye doesn't lose its value.
* Winter no longer holds any transgressions with Daniela as of the end of *Two-Sided* and has forgiven her completely. The two are now close friends.
* Winter's worst fear is being invalidated for being a lesbian. She also fears family betraying and/or leaving her.
* Winter is notably similar to Carmen Santos from the Tehlor Kay Mejia novels *We Set the Dark on Fire* and *We Unleash the Merciless Storm* in the sense that both had "forbidden" relationships with another woman; Winter kept her relationship with Daniela under wraps out of fear her father would be homophobic, and Carmen deliberately disregarded what she was taught in Medio School for Girls to be with her husband's Primera, Daniela "Dani" Vargas, despite it being made clear that a Primera and Segunda should not engage in romantic relationships - but stay loyal to the husband they jointly share.
* Winter bears many parallels to Shoto Todoroki from the anime series *My Hero Academia*:
	+ Both are associated with winter, moreover ice. Winter is named after the titular season, and her eyes are a very defined shade of ice-blue. Todoroki also has one light blue eye similar in shade to Winter's (his other being dark gray). One of Todoroki's two quirks is his ability to turn everything in his path into ice.
	+ Both can appear as cold and condescending and can be rather quick to anger.
	+ Just like Winter, when Todoroki is pushed to his limits, he can exhibit raw power and display an extreme, volatile, and livid side of himself. His second quirk, possessing the ability to wield and burn anything with fire, can be viewed as similar to Winter's raging temper.
	+ Winter and Todoroki both have trauma caused by their parents in addition to permament scars left by them. In *Evie and Mya*, Winter's father cut her with a pocket knife in order to brand her as a "sin" for being gay, while in *My Hero Academia*, Todoroki had hot water poured on his face by his mother, Rei, who viewed him as unbearable because of his father. Todoroki is deeply traumatized because of this experience, but gradually settles into using his father's quirk with Deku's help (something which can also be viewed as a parallel to Mya rescuing Winter in *Winter Storm Arising*). He also comes to forgive his mother, who had been in rehab and still loved him, though Winter has never forgiven Edwin and never will.
	+ Both have faced scrutiny and/or abuse from their father. Winter's father also is reminiscent of Todoroki's father, Enji (Endeavor).
	+ Like Winter, Todoroki has a soft side and genuinely cares for his friends, notably Deku.
	+ Both have cheerful sisters - Winter with Mya and Todoroki with Fuyumi.
	+ In the beginning of his arc in *My Hero Academia*, Todoroki had an identity crisis and struggled to use his father's fire quirk, supressing himself from using it to prove he wasn't like Endeavor and only sticking to his ice quirk. This is similar to Winter concealing her identity and her past from all of Pineshadow and deflecting everyone away from her, fearing that someone would take advantage of her weaknesses to ruin her life.
	+ Both are taunted with nicknames from people that don't like them. However, unlike the malicious use of the Snowblind taunt in *Evie and Mya*, the use of "Icyhot" against Todoroki by Bakugo is more out of Bakugo's short temper and sense of superiority over him.
* Originally, in her youth, Winter's hair was past her shoulders, long, and fluffy. When she was nine, her hair was shaved on the side, inspired by a viral 2013 Rihanna look before cutting it to the current length it is and then dyeing it later.
* Her spirit animal is the hummingbird, which represents hope, intelligence, devotion, and love. Hummingbirds are also her favorite animal, with foxes being a close second.
* Winter loves anything to do with space, stars, stargazing, nature, and forests.
* Winter would be Evie's second-in-command if not for how quickly she loses her temper.
* Her favorite movies are *The Fox and the Hound* and the 1951 version of *Alice in Wonderland*.
* Her favorite song by Varien is *Snowlight*, a song that also plays a huge role in terms of her character. She also likes *Of Foxes and Hounds*, *Morphine*, *Aether and Light*, his cover of *Can You Feel My Heart*, *Sacred Woods*, and the *Valkyrie* trilogy.
* Winter's favorite music genre is EDM, but mostly experimental concepts of the genre.
* Her favorite stores are Barnes & Noble, Yankee Candle, and Hot Topic. She would shop at Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister if Mike Jeffries, known for his controversial practices, did not own the companies (Jeffries has not been the CEO of both companies since 2014, but maintains his position in the *Evie and Mya* timeline due to the series taking place before 2014).
* She has the biggest family out of every character in the series.
* Although she has become an athiest and distanced herself from her Jewish heritage, Winter still celebrates Hanukkah every year.
* Daniela was her first love, but Amira was the first person she ever shared a proper kiss with.
* Winter despises Gwen Stefani.
* Outside of Varien, she also likes music by Tut Tut Child, Miyoki, and Veela.
* Winter, despite her temper, deeply values being compassionate to others - which is a major trait of hers.
* Her favorite thing to play with is a frisbee. She also likes to imagine herself fighting invisible enemies with her pocket knife.
* Out of every character in the series, Winter has the most fictious and vast imagination.
* Her first word was "snow."
* Despite her trust issues, Winter prides herself on exhibiting compassion and mercy to those she feels as if deserve it.
* Winter loves the beach.
* One of her life ideals is to "follow the rhythm."
* She has been to Oregon and California.
* She had almost died several times in her youth, and was nearly intoxicated by her uncle at a family reunion when she was five.
* Attributed to her trauma, Winter once lived what she called a "waking dream," where she distorted reality to conform to her own imagination, which relieved the burdens and outside pressure she felt from adversaries and the world. She no longer abides by this after defeating Daniela.
* Winter has a deep value for physical consent; she will make it clear if she needs consent before being touched and will always ask others if they are fine with being touched should a moment require intimacy or close contact.