Ultimatum

***"How is everything I've heard... real?"***
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And spare yourself from Av's old writing, please.
"I'm not there yet!"
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## Ultimatum

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Ultimatum*** is the ninth episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 3, and the twenty-ninth overall.

## Synopsis

Harlow gives Mya a ghastly ultimatum, putting her loyalties to the extreme test; Evie prepares to meet her vagrant girlfriend and Winter and Amira attempt the impossible.

## Content Warning

*This episode contains blood, violence, abuse, mature language, and mentions of sexual harassment. Viewer discretion is heavily advised.*

## Transcript

*It is a warm summer day in Pineshadow as the sun rises over the magnificent, dense Hollowleaf Forest, illuminating the dark green leaves and thick trunks throughout. Sunlight filters through a small window in the room and directly onto a sleeping girl on the floor.*

The sun's rays shone directly onto the face of Mya, who was sound asleep, hunched up on the ground. It tickled her, ever so gently, until she finally blinked awake.

*Huh... Where am I?* She raised her chin off the ground, feeling something sticky on her chin. A thin, slimy gray streak hung between her mouth and her finger. *Ew! Was I drooling that badly?*

Recoiling in disgust, Mya swept the drool off and cleaned herself up. She couldn't remember how she fell asleep on the floor, and tried recalling the events of yesterday, but it was still unclear and fuzzy to her.

All she knew was that she had captured the wild, assertive, and powerful Daniela, and she was being held at Hollowleaf Mansion until further notice - for their own safety and to make sure she didn't interrupt their plans any further.

Mya sat back down on her bed, trying to think, but her gears were stuck, non-moving. She had blacked out yesterday, but couldn't remember *how* and *why*.

*I walked out of that room following Daniela's capture. Harlow told me to sleep, I didn't want to, I stormed off...*

She *had* gotten angry with Harlow for trying to order her around and had stormed off to her room. She glanced at her mirror, where her lavish, polished crown still lay on the desk.

*That's right. I went to the mirror to put on my crown... Then what?*

She did remember someone coming in... *Someone*. Her gears were moving a bit faster now. Now Mya could recall seeing a figure in the doorway. The figure stood on heels.

*Heels... Heels! The person that came in was Ivanna!*

Then, in a blur, *everything* surfaced back to her, and the reflex was so fast she almost vomited. Her skin burned. Badly.

Ivanna had come in, and she had shoved her against the wall. A glass of water was in her hand, and before Mya could even utter a complaint, she had poured the entire glass down her throat. She was choking, struggling to get the excess liquid out of her mouth. But she passed out in less than a minute. Now, it was morning - she had slept the entire rest of the previous day.

Mya frowned. There was no way water would make her collapse on the floor like that.

Unless... Oh no.

Mya felt so sick to her stomach that she rolled off her bed and onto the floor, where she kept herself on her knees.

It made sense to her, so much sense that it was *haunting*.

Ivanna had drugged her purposefully - she had been disruptive and unruly. Her punishment was to be knocked out for the rest of the day.

Another thought crossed her head then, and it was pure *fire*.

This was not the first time Ivanna had drugged Mya. Winter never lied to her all along about the day Ivanna gave her a glass of water in bed.

*My own grandmother drugged me twice! What motive does she have against me, and why is she out here compromising my safety?*

Mya needed to find out why as soon as she could. Any move she had would risk her being drugged again - and the dosage could be *lethal*.

Gathering herself, she headed out of her bedroom, hearing a delicate, smooth, and welcoming noise on the other side of the second floor. Curious, she followed it.

The sound was comprised of *dings* and *daps*. *That's music! Piano keys!* It was coming from the middle room next to the bathroom, and across from the closet room.

Mya noticed the door was ajar, so she pushed it open, and there she found her moving target.

Ivanna was jovially playing the piano, her fingers moving deftly across the keys as she concluded her tune, clapping to herself. "Oh, how wonderful that was!"

Even though she had her qualms with her grandmother, Mya brought herself to smile. She hadn't expected Ivanna to be such a talented pianist. It seemed to be one of her passion projects.

Before she knew it, she had creaked open the door a little too much, and the noise caught Ivanna's attention. "Hmm? Do come in, please," she invited. Mya revealed herself, her cape trailing behind her as always.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop-"

"Don't apologize, darling. Playing the piano is one of my favorite pasttimes, and Harlow sometimes comes in to watch me play too. Very entertaining, isn't it?" She explained.

Mya nodded. "I'm hungry. Would you like to go downstairs?" She asked.

"Of course. Let's go." Ivanna got up and led the way down the stairs to the living room. As they walked, Mya observed something foreign in Ivanna's eyes, and it was definitely a secret she wanted to stow away.

*Hiding the fact that you drugged me?* She thought quietly to herself.

In the living room, Harlow leaned against the bookshelf, a typical smirk on his face. He was holding something behind his back, and Mya tried craning her neck to see, but Ivanna walked in front of her to stand beside her husband. Lightly frustrated, Mya bit her tongue.

"Good morning, Mya. It will please you to know that we have reached the final stage of our plan," Harlow greeted, giving her a small nod of courtesy. A hand was still tucked behind his back, and Mya wondered what possible surprise was waiting for her.

"You have shown great obedience to us, along with the tenacious ferocity of a true queen, which we commend," he added. Ivanna winked at her, clearly agreeing with Harlow.

"Thank you, Harlow." Mya bowed in response, adrenaline slowly kicking in her. Harlow looked eager, as he shuffled his feet on the ground. He wanted to continue on.

"Every piece of this puzzle is in place - except for *one*. There is still a major *disturbance* in our plans, the last spark of the fire - *her* intelligence still poses a serious threat to obtaining everything we've ever wanted."

Mya raised an eyebrow, slightly baffled. Many girls could be the one Harlow was referring to. Daniela seemed likely; she was being held as a prisoner, and if left to her own devices, could start a rebellion.

Amira wasn't a candidate, the Parkers barely wanted anything to do with her anyway. Mya quietly gulped when the last two girls' names appeared in her head.

*Evie and Winter.* Winter had a weapon on her and would fight blood and fire, tooth and nail to obtain victory. Yet the world intelligent lingered on Mya's tongue.

Her heart dropped, even more so when Harlow finished his sentence.

"Evie. That mastermind has done everything she can to unravel us and make Mya unpure. Sending her minions to loot our information. Refusing a beneficial offer. *Not* bowing down to our order... It is time this *prepostorous simpleton* was put to an end."

In a flash, he retracted his left hand, and Mya saw for the first time what he was concealing.

*His dagger*.

Mya had a bad feeling of foreboding build inside of her, and her arm began to shake. She thought vertigo would storm into her body again and make her drop dead.

Harlow held out the dagger, with its shining blade and golden handle, in front of her. His gray and hazel eyes locked with Mya's leaf-green, chilling her to the bone. Then, he delivered his message.

"Mya. *You* have until tomorrow at midnight to eliminate Evie *for good*. Should you choose to back out, me and Ivanna will dispose of her *ourselves*."

Mya's heart was thumping so hard she thought Harlow could *see* how terrified she was. Yes, she hated Evie's guts, and she had screamed at her, and said all those callous things to her in an effort to make her avoid crossing paths.

But she had *never* wanted Evie to be harmed. She could never bring herself to do that, even if she tried. Evie was *her girlfriend*.

And now Harlow and Ivanna had just told her to kill the very person she used to love so fondly. The dagger was gleaming in front of her.

"Well?" Harlow prompted pointedly.

Mya sighed. She had a family honor to uphold, not past commitments. She took the dagger in her smaller hand.

"Yes, Harlow. This family's honor is counting on me."

"Good girl," he praised. "You are welcome to leave. Ivanna will cook up some breakfast in an hour."

Without another word, Mya turned and headed back up the stairs. When she reached her room, she placed the dagger next to her crown and opened the door to her balcony, allowing the sun and the gentle breeze to say hello to her.

Her stomach and heart were a melting pot of overwhelming emotions. She had a choice to make, and it was a choice that would change the path of her life *forever*.

**SEASON 3, EPISODE 9 - ULTIMATUM**

*Oh, have her be okay, please have her be okay. Surely everything's fine.*

The words swam in Evie's head like a sea of savage sharks as she sat on the sofa, staring blankly ahead at the TV. It had been one day since Daniela had volunteered to speak to Mya by herself, but she hadn't returned since then.

Winter and Amira shared her concern, as their lips formed two frowns. Winter was deeply worried for her best friend. She had already been through so much, and if she was stuck with Harlow, all hell could break loose.

"You don't think she?" She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence; it stung like wasps.

"No. We cannot *believe* Harlow has her in his grimy hands. Dani took a chance on faith, and we must hope that faith chose to spare her from *any* monstrosity the Parkers want to commit on her," Amira said, her defiance brimming inside of her.

Evie wished she could share her friend's will. Not only did she fear Harlow and Ivanna, but she had a fear of what weapons Mya could potentially have right at her feet. Daniela was a fighter, but against a three-headed snake...

She blinked - there was no *way* she'd want to dwell on that outcome.

The door to the house opened, and in stepped Evie's mother, Opal. She had an envelope in her hand.

"Evie, this letter is addressed to you," she stated. "Don't worry. I haven't peeked at it."

Appalled, Evie took the letter from her mother. She didn't recognize the handwriting on it, but it was clearly sent to her.

"If this is another dinner party, *con trai của một người mẹ*," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, startling the girls.

"What the?" Opal was decently surprised. She unlocked the door, but before she could even react, a frantic, middle-aged old woman bowled her into the wall.

Her light brown hair was frazzled and ruffled, her blue eyes manic and bleeding with perturbation.

*Rex*.

"**REX**!" The girls exclaimed at the same time, and Evie put a hand on her mouth, seeing how frantic the former school principal - and Daniela's mother - looked.

"Rexalia? What in the name of god's green earth are you doing? And what's gotten you so *frightened*?" Opal questioned, putting a hand on her neck.

"Dani's gone!" Rex wailed. "She hasn't come back since she left yesterday!"

Winter's blood turned to ice in her veins. Daniela, the villainess-turned-warrior of the girls, vanishing mysteriously in the span of a day. Things weren't adding up, and it was nerve-wracking.

Evie got up, shakily approaching Rex. "As much as I hate to admit this... Harlow and Ivanna *must* have Dani hostage. They have too many tricks up their sleeves for her, and they wouldn't let her escape if she managed to sway Mya onto our side."

"*No*!" Rex cried, falling to her knees. "My baby... In possession of that *predator*... They're gonna screw her up, and we can't do anything about it!"

"Rexalia," Opal soothed, joining her on the tile foyer. "Calm down. I know this is distressing. Losing a daughter is a big deal - I'm concerned for Daniela as well. But working yourself over it won't fix this. Why don't you settle down here and I make you some tea?"

Rex nodded uneasily, walking over to the couch and sitting next to Amira, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you know that Dani and I are close friends?"

"Yes. She's told me all about you. Sounds like you have a great dynamic."

"Indeed. She saved me from Ivanna. And I'd do the same if it meant throwing away all that I had."

Rex, surprised, became even more pale than she already was. "You're telling me you'd go back there to rescue Dani?"

"Of course I would. I have *loyalty* to all of the girls, and until I die, I'd give anything to set them all free. I'm... I'm going back to Hollowleaf."

"And *I'll* be joining you."

At the sound of her voice, Amira turned around, finding Winter standing in front of her. A look of sharp determination was on her face.

"There's no way I'd let you go alone, Ira. You'd need backup if we're talking fighting both Parkers and... And Mya. This is a full rescue and raid, and we're going to do it - together."

Rex, eyes wide, cleared her throat.

"Girls, you don't have to do this... We're in uncharted territory. If you go out trying to save Dani, then what will we do?"

"We pick up the pieces, and try again until we die fighting for what's right," a voice murmured behind them. A voice of a *leader*.

Evie approached Winter and Amira, rigid with courage and her strong will. "You two are risking everything you've known for a friend we haven't had for a while. Good luck, and when in doubt, always trust in your first instinct." She hugged the two, tears forming at the base of her eyes.

"Rex, can you take us to Hollowleaf Mansion?" Winter asked.

Rex nodded. "Yes, I'll take you and Amira tomorrow."

Evie walked back around, noticing the letter was still on the coffee table. "Oh, right!"

She tore open the letter with her fingernail, pulling out a paper from inside the envelope. It read, in beautiful handwriting:

*Evie, I know we've spoken more than just words and have pitted ourselves against each other. However, I've felt the need to talk to you on life... Please meet me in Hollowleaf Forest tomorrow night. You don't need to dress fancy, I just want to see you.*

*Sincerely, Mya Heartley*

Evie gasped, almost dropping the personal letter out of her hands completely.

"Evie? What was that about?" Amira questioned.

"It's... It's from Mya... She wants to meet me *tomorrow* in Hollowleaf Forest."

Opal looked horrified, and she ran up to Evie, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Evie, don't think about going! This *has* to be a trap. There's no way..."

"Mom. Mya likely wants to offer up a truce. I can tell she's being genuine in the letter, there's nothing passive-aggressive in it. She's *longing* to see me."

"But you know Mya. She's smart enough to-"

"*Kill*," Evie finished. "Mom. I get your fears. However, this could be our only *shot* at peace and I'm not going to waste it. Mya needs me, and *we* need her."

Opal put a hand on her head, rubbing the folds of her skin. "You have the bravery and strength I wish to have sometimes," she murmured quietly. "Alright, baby. If you insist on going, do it, and restore order to this town."

"Would you like me to take you later after I drop off the other girls?" Rex offered, much more relaxed now.

"Much appreciated, Rex." Evie dipped her head in gratitude. She then moved toward Winter and Amira, grasping their hands.

"We're in it to win it."

"Harlow and Ivanna will be defeated!" Winter declared.

"I'll see to it that both join my aunt in *hell*!" Amira chimed warmly, causing her friend and girlfriend to chuckle.

Meanwhile, Mya paced her bedroom repetively, her cape tickling her ankles. Ever since she had been given her ultimatum, she felt caught between two worlds, all seemingly perfect and enticing.

The first world was to turn against Harlow and Ivanna, whom she'd loved fervently, and save Evie, returning to the girls just like she was before. She and Evie would never grow apart again.

Yet the second world was a temptation in of its own. She'd kill Evie, effectively ridding her of her existence and allowing Harlow and Ivanna access to every single bit of Pineshadow's riches, power, and fortune. *Everything* would be theirs, and Mya would be treated as royalty, fulfill her destiny as the chosen one.

*I'd be famous, I'd have saved Harlow and Ivanna from a tumultuous, scarring reputation. If I'm truly meant to be a hero, Evie must die...*

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Harlow revealed himself. Mya raised her hackles, standing bolt upright.

"Mya. Do check on our prisoner, please," he ordered her calmly. Mya nodded, heading over to the other side of the second floor.

All too quickly she reached a door that had been labeled with a black 14 on it - Daniela's age. Mya gulped. A stirring feeling in her stomach communicated that something was awry.

Nonetheless, she turned the knob on the door, and it creaked open, letting light fill the room. Her eyes were drawn to a startling sight.

Daniela was chained by her arms to a chair, and they were so tight to the point where she couldn't even move. The chair was also tied to the ground by more silver chains, seemingly to counteract Daniela's strength. She swayed and tried to bust open the chains using her muscle alone, but it wasn't enough, and she was forced to settle again.

Noticing Mya was in the doorway, she growled at her, baring her teeth.

"Quiet!" Mya hissed, annoyed by the distraction. She sat down on the bed next to the chair, undoing the clasp on her cape and causing it to fall onto the mattress. Daniela eyed her suspiciously.

I can't believe

The night lay waste to all we've given

"I'm not going to do anything to you," Mya muttered. "I'm only in here to check on your status, and then I'll be out, okay?"

She went around Daniela, surveying her arms and shoulders, which were tightly bound by the chains. She touched them tenderly, and her prisoner growled again, gritting her teeth.

But honestly

You've gotta know that this ain't living

Before Mya could deliver a stinging retort, Daniela interrupted the tense silence herself.

"Harlow's been sexually abusing me," she blurted out. "He wants to kiss me. He wants to make sure there's no part of me that's pure, and he's waiting for the opportunity to strike. Only god knows if he'll send you in here one day to see what dirty work he's done on me."

"That's freaking *ridiculous*. Harlow wouldn't-"

But we could run

From Elysium

"Quit being a **dumbass**, Mya!" Daniela snapped, her orange-amber eyes furious. "You're in so much denial that, if anything, you're just as *horrible* for letting me get abused like this. Harlow's been kissing me on my face. Sticking his fingers in the corner of *my mouth*. He's been gripping me so hard there's marks on my *neck*. Just look!"

"You're bluffing!" Mya responded, mouth twisted in irritation. "You've always been a liar. You *enjoy* covering your own goddamn tracks! Harlow never assaulted you, and you proceeded to almost tear out his eye."

And let it burn, let it burn

You've gotta know that nothing lasts forever

All of a sudden, Daniela whipped toward her so fast that Mya jumped in shock. "**LOOK AT MY NECK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF**!" She screeched, making her captor clutch at her ears briefly. They *rung* from her shrill voice.

"Ugh. Fine." Mya kneeled down, looking at the right of Daniela's neck. This was ludacris. There was no way there would be-

Mya's thoughts crashed and burned. Her mouth was open, deadpan *speechless*, from what she was seeing.

A dark bruise was under Daniela's ear, and pink marks were all along the side of her neck. Her head was spinning. Vertigo was ready to take her.

She had hardly been in this room to check on her. Ivanna had never been in the room.

*Barely anyone* had gone in the room and spent their sweet time in it. Except one.

*Harlow*.

Mya gagged and clambered back over to the bed, panting rapidly. Her organs felt flipped inside out.

"Now you get it, do you?" Daniela said, her tone filled with lethal amounts of acid. "Harlow *lusts* for me. For all I know, he wants to keep sexually abusing me until I comply to his wishes and give him what he wants. Mya, he **will not stop** until my ***innocence is gone***."

"I'm sorry," Mya bluntly apologized, getting up. "But Harlow's advances aren't my damn problem. My check-in with you is done, and there's no more business I need to be attending to here." Quietly huffing, she walked over to the door and put her hand on the knob.

"Oh, no you *don't*. Stop right there, Mya."

Daniela's voice caused Mya to spin back around in anger, her fists shaking. "**WHAT DO YOU WANT**?"

"I heard *everything* Harlow told you this morning. *Every*. *Single*. *Word*."

I can't believe myself

I never thought this would be our end

Mya gasped, her heart pumping so fast she thought it was going to burst, and she clutched at it. Harlow's ultimatum from the morning instantly reappeared in her head, and it was horrifying, ghastly, and so soul-destroying Mya wanted to lunge at Daniela and scream at her for overhearing.

*Kill Evie. Or we'll kill her ourselves.*

"I don't *care* that you heard private details, Dani. You're the *detriment* to our plans, hence why you're here. But Evie must go," she stated curtly, her leaf-green eyes amounting for the visible pain she was in emotionally.

But it's nothing new

And my love is honesty

"But you don't want to *kill her*, though. And it's because you still *love her*!"

It was a punch to Mya's *gut*. She approached her, sheer disbelief and astonishment on her face. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was racing violently.

"How... How? How did you know that?" She finally managed to ask.

But I can push it back, push it back down if I have to

If you want me to

"Mya, I can read you like a book every time you've stepped in here. When you sit on that bed, Evie is the first person to come to your mind. You claim to hate her guts, but under all that you've built, you still have feelings for her and want to be *her girlfriend*. To you, you can't *eliminate* her because you vowed to *love her* until you died."

Mya put a hand over her open mouth as Daniela went on.

"When you think of Evie, your heart becomes a big ol' balloon. When you picture her touch and her sweet voice, your eyes are hazy. Your reluctance to fire away at me after I revealed I knew about the ultimatum proved it."

Cause we can run

We can run

Mya backed up from Daniela, all the way to the door. Her heart was thumping so hard she thought she was going to pass out any minute.

Daniela had aired out *everything* she had tried to hold together inside of her. Everything, right before her eyes, unfurled by the one person who used to loathe her the most.

Cause the stars they fall

All for you

She'd spoken the truth, but it only agonized Mya to think about it.

*I still love Evie. Yet she thinks she can stop me from upholding the family honor!*

*But... Evie was the love of my life...*

So tell me now

What's left to lose?

In a flash, a hurricane of emotions swirled around Mya, and she shut her eyes, trying to fight it all away. Daniela's words lingered in her mind.

*And it's because you still love her.*

Evie's voice, her soft skin and the sweetness underneath her exterior.

Mya missed it. She missed *everything*. Tears dripped down her face, and in that moment, she *snapped*.

If we run, if we run, if we run

Forever

Letting out a cry of absolute, incomprehensible rage, Mya charged at Daniela at full force. Daniela gasped, closing her eyes and preparing for her foe to bust her chin wide open.

Yet Mya saw what she was about to do, and terrified, she skidded to a stop right at the chair. Daniela breathed heavily now, fear penetrating the air between them.

"You're that heartless, Mya? Really? You want to make me miserable for feelings you can't even *control*?" Daniela remarked, breaking the silence.

With steam blowing out of her ears, Mya cuffed her over the ear with her fingernails. "*Don't* test me again, fool," she warned coldly. Finally, she spun away from her and opened the door again, stepping out.

"Pick your battles wisely, Mya. I didn't once - and I paid the ultimate price for it."

Mya growled under her breath as she slammed the door shut, blocking out Daniela from speaking to her again. But what she had just spoke hurt like pricks of a dagger.

*Pick your battles wisely.*

What *was* there to pick when Harlow and Ivanna were depending on her to *commit* a crime that was *worth it*?

Troubled, and still agonized, Mya stared at a frame on the wall, which was of a hand, seemingly belonging to Ivanna, on the day she got married to Harlow.

Mya didn't stop herself as she reached out to feel the picture, and sadness welled up in her until she could feel tears at the base of her eyes.

*This could be Evie, and I could be gripping her hand.*

Something soft touched her hand then, and Mya broke down inside, her anger dissolving into guilt that scorched her with the force of a wildfire.

That night, with the crescent moon high in the sky, Mya crawled into bed without a word. She yawned, curling into her warm bedsheets and resting her head on her pillow. She was tired after everything today, and most *certainly* didn't want to dwell on her confrontation with Daniela in the prison room.

She closed her eyes, and like a raven, darkness descended on her in a matter of minutes.

When she awoke, Mya was in a dense forest, and the pink petals of cherry blossoms drifted around her. Tall, gray mountains surrounded the area.

The trees here were thin and had gnarled, exposed roots.

*Am I dreaming... This isn't Washington at all!* Shocked, Mya crawled to her feet. The air reeked of smoke, causing her to hack, but also of another vile smell that made her face turn a shade of green.

Something had died here.

Then Mya looked down.

The forest around her was littered with *dead bodies*. Human warriors, bloodied beyond belief, were all around her, rotting away in the daylight. Swords, guns, and daggers all strewn around in the grass that was *red*.

Red with *blood*.

Mya screamed, mortified beyond belief and running away with as much power and speed as she could. The battleground forest was filled with more and more corpses, and the smoke in the air lingered, making her almost collapse on the ground retching.

Somehow, she managed to drag herself all the way to the edge of a forest, where a small, battle-torn clearing sat in front of her. Here two women, both adults and with hair tied back, faced each other.

One of the women was bleeding from her midsection. Fearing she would be seen, Mya crouched behind a tree and a bush, yet cupped her ear so she could hear the conversation unfolding before her very eyes.

"Geisha..." The wounded woman fell to her knees, putting a hand on her stomach, which seeped with blood. "This wound is too great to be healed... I am no longer able to lead the *Jōshitai*."

"No!" Her sister shrieked. "Sister, please! We will get you to a healer! The *Jōshitai* can't afford to lose their leader."

*What on earth are they talking about?* Mya wondered to herself.

The mortally wounded woman shushed her with a gesture of her hand. "We have already made many sacrifices to fight in this great war. I've given all I could give, and our enemy is closing in on us all. But if there's one thing I know, he must never take my body, dead or alive. I only ask of you one thing, my darling."

Mya crept closer, shaking with anxiety.

"Geisha of Blades, you are wise and cold. I demand that you take my life peacefully and without as much pain as possible, and with that, take my head as well. Bury it where none of our mortal enemies shall find it. This is the *only* way to ensure our survival."

"Are you sure? I promise to give you an honorable burial," the "Geisha of Blades" remarked.

Her sister nodded. With that, she raised a shining, long silver blade up into the air. Mya gasped, clutching the grass and ripping it up, fear pulsing through her. Those blades she saw on the battlefield were as sharp as katanas.

And before she could even react, the Geisha of Blades had taken a single swipe at her sister, and she faded into mist peacefully and swiftly.

Beneath the starlight

Upon this wooden bridge

夢しても (Yeah, yeah)

I tell myself that

Now you are but a dream

And to let you go (Yeah, yeah)

Mya frowned. This solace was *eerie*.

*I just witnessed a woman die... Why do I feel so peaceful?*

(Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah)

(Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah)

(Ooh)

(Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah)

(Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah)

The "Geisha of Blades," despite having been responsible for decapitating and killing her own sister, let out of a sigh of relief. Shouting echoed in the distance, and she drew her blade, charging back into the battle.

The noises of war then made Mya remember she was standing in a bloodbath, and she hacked violently, collapsing on the ground, fingers becoming sticky with crimson blood.

Then, out of nowhere, she began to levitate until her feet were off the ground. Shocked beyond her wits, Mya saw the grass becoming smaller and smaller as she ascended into the sky.

*What is going on?* She tried to slow down, but she floated, hovered in the air, her auburn hair a wild mess around her head.

*You have a decision to make, Mya Heartley*, a voice whispered in her ear. The voice of the warrior woman who had just died.

*Let your heart guide you. Either set the dark on fire and let reckoning blossom, or taint the flowers around you in darkness and gluttony. The choice is yours.*

In a flurry, her emotions spiraled out of control, and the world spun round and round and round as Mya screeched in sheer agony.

Gravity betrayed her then, and Mya fell all the way to the ground...

And jolted with a start in her bed.

Mya was bolt upright, clutching at her blanket should it magically start levitating as well. *Just a dream. It was just a dream.* But she couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was brewing.

*Let your heart guide you.* Her heart prodded at her chest, indicating that where she sought answers was not in her bedroom. Slowly, she got up and went over to her nightstand, grabbing Harlow's dagger, the blade handle cold to the touch.

Don't call me by my name

All of this is temporary

She glanced at her reflection on the blade, seeing a dilligent, cutthroat queen with burning leaf-green eyes, a flowing purple cape, and a glimmering crown. *This* is the her Harlow and Ivanna wanted Mya to be.

Still holding the dagger, Mya snuck out into the quiet, dark Hollowleaf Mansion. The Parkers were both fast asleep, unaware of what she was about to do next.

Watch as I slip away

For your sake

All of this is temporary

Mya crept down the stairs and to the dining room, finding candles dimly lighting the table. That was confusing, nobody lit candles after lights out. Momentarily she feared one of her grandparents was awake, but nothing stirred, and she proceeded.

Well, maybe I could hold you in the dark

You won't even notice me depart

Secondhand thread

In a second hand bed

With a second man's head

The next place she went was the living room, where a nagging thought returned to her head with full force, causing her legs to buckle.

*Evie*.

Leaving through the door without a word

You won't even notice, little bird

Better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead

Mya cursed under her breath; she was the *last* thing she wanted on her mind right now. She went up to Harlow's study next, though the thoughts of her girlfriend continued to wait for the right moment to strike.

Here, Harlow's papers were sorted neatly, but a mirror bore her reflection - and around her, tons of Harlows surrounded her.

So don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

"Faltering? How pathetic. You have a job to do, *kill* the girl!" He spat.

Gasping, Mya ducked out and ran into a closet, shutting the door. Everything in her head was jumbled, and she could still taste *affection* on her tongue.

So don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

*Evie!* Oh, how she'd do anything to be kissed by her again. Her touch, gently grazing her skin with the softness of the morning dew. Her voice, precise with an elegant charm to it.

"Ugh, stop it!" Mya scolded herself. Evie wasn't her lover anymore, she was an *enemy*.

Well, maybe I could hold you in the dark

You won't even notice me depart

Secondhand thread in a second hand bed

With a second man's head

But despite chastising herself, Evie *still* couldn't leave her mind. Mya felt a familiar ache in her veins that was killing her, and she collapsed on the ground, grunting.

How could *love*, a thing which she had discarded for the life she had now, break her down like this?

Leaving through the door without a word

You won't even notice little bird

Better off dead so I reckon I'm headed to hell instead

Mya jumped back up and off her feet. By now, she had been set *afire* by her conflicting desires, and there was no clarity in sight.

As swiftly as possible, she exited the closet and trailed down to a place she had only visited once before.

So don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

*The wine cellar*. Mya shoved open the heavy door and stumbled into the small space below.

The wine cellar was comprised of old cobblestone and shelves full of barrels that held wine bottles, both empty and full. It was also clogged with dust that made Mya sneeze briefly.

Don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Here, Mya searched for something, something to tell her what path to choose so she could put herself out of the agony, the *inferno* she was in.

Before she could even reject it, the night that she had her first kiss with Evie flooded into her mind, shattering any hope she had left of keeping herself together.

Don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

It's not a happy ending

Mya sunk to her knees, *still* clutching the dagger blade in her hand, sobbing.

"I don't want to do this to you!" She wailed, biting her lip so hard it began to bleed, leaking blood into her mouth.

Don't wait for me

Don't wait for me

Wait, ah

The vow. The tree. The night. The euphoria and *drugs* that shot through her the moment her lips touched Evie's in their first, pure, blissful kiss.

She had vowed to love her *until the day she died*.

Her loyalties to Harlow and Ivanna were being torn apart from the seams, but they depended on her. She couldn't let everything fall apart.

All of this is temporary

All of this is temporary

She held out the dagger blade, and it caught the moonlight, making it a reflective surface once more. Mya stared into her soul, seeing the mess that was her green eyes.

And here, she saw no innocent, cowardly girl about to turn tail.

All of this is temporary

All of this is temporary

What Mya saw in herself was power. Heart. Vindication.

Her grandparents would *never* fall again.

All of this is temporary

All of this is temporary

She'd never be as foolish to be in love again.

"I am the Queen of Daggers, and not once will I show weakness in this new light. It will be finished by tomorrow..."

All of this is

The next day, Evie stood with Winter and Amira at the foyer of her house, looking at them with pride. It was time for them to go with Rex to Hollowleaf Mansion in a last-ditch effort to rescue Daniela from the clutches of the Parkers.

"Good luck, girls. Stay safe, and play your cards carefully. We know what's at stake here," she instructed, giving a dip of her head.

"See you on the other side, Ev," Winter responded. Then, she turned the door, and she and Amira were headed off to Hollowleaf Mansion.

Sighing, Evie returned to her room, noticing the letter had remained on her nightstand. Curious, she picked it up, feeling the delicate edges with her fingernail.

She read the message again, and her heart ached for *her* Mya upon seeing how beautifully she wrote her words.

*She still loves me... She wants me, she'll get me.*

Evie got a sudden burst of speed, and in less than five minutes, her hair was brushed out and silky, and she was spotless.

Mya was going to get the best of her tonight, and she would make sure she'd be able to hold her *forever*.

Sitting by her window, and tingling with warmth, Evie hoped it wasn't too late to restore her relationship with her vagrant lover.

Meanwhile, Winter and Amira approached the tall, imposing figure of Hollowleaf Mansion, holding hands.

"This is it. Once we enter, there's no going back," Amira murmured.

"Ira, we have to make it count. One wrong move, and *all of us* are dead!" Winter exclaimed, gripping Amira's wrist hard.

Amira nodded. "Let's go. I see a place where we can hide until we get our chance."

The two ran to a small nook near the doors of the mansion, pressing themselves firmly between the wall and a shrub. This was the same place Amira hid with Daniela the day they snuck in, and she shuddered.

Winter put her shoulder against hers, eyes cast on the cloudless sky, the sun slowly beginning to set. The crisp summer air tickled her nose for a brief second, and she sighed in peace.

Five minutes passed by. No opening was in sight; the two front doors to Hollowleaf Mansion stood closed and locked.

Bored, Winter placed her head on her knees. She heard audio come from right next to her, and she almost jolted in surprise. Panicking, she had just reached into her pocket when she turned and faced Amira.

Much to her confusion, she had her phone out and seemed to be watching some YouTube.

"Uh... What are you doing?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm watching Grapeapplesauce."

"You're a fan of *Minecraft*?"

"Yeah. Guess I am." Amira chuckled, then focused intently on her phone screen again, excited voices shouting left and right.

"How long are you gonna be watching Grape?"

"Until we get in."

"You're such an idiot." Ruffling her girlfriend's bangs, Winter took the opportunity to peer through the window, rubbing away the dust with her hand.

In the dining room, she saw Harlow and Ivanna talking, with Mya nowhere in sight. The two seemed to be in close discussions, and Harlow had a bag slumped around his shoulder. He gave Ivanna a quick peck on the head, then walked straight toward the door.

"Ira! Harlow's going to open the door!" She whispered.

"Ah!" Amira shut her phone off and hid it back in her pocket, taking Winter's hand in hers. They crouched by the bush again.

A *click* became audible. Harlow opened the doors and walked toward them, but thanks to the shrub, he didn't catch the duo. The Parker kept strutting on by, humming a tune to himself, and he disappeared around the corner.

"Should we follow?" Amira asked. Winter shook her head.

"Stand pat, keep watch through the window!"

With a nod at her girlfriend, she ran up to the doorstep and caught the door before it slammed shut. Amira watched Ivanna intently as she looked up at the ceiling, dragging her boot heels on the ground. Her head jerked upstairs, and wrinkling her nose, she went up - Mya must have summoned her.

"Okay! Coast is clear. Let's go," Amira said to Winter, who still held the door open. She dashed in first, then was followed by her partner; Amira allowed the door to close with a soft, dull click.

The girls ducked behind a potted plant near the stairs, tingling from the mansion's silence.

"Where should we search first?" Winter questioned in a hushed whisper.

"Bottom floor. Stay to the left. Going to the right would risk drawing Ivanna or Mya back onto us."

"Alright. Cmon!" Amira and Winter walked side-by-side through the first hall, cracking open doors left and right. However, none yielded a single trace of Daniela.

The weapon room was quiet, but enough to make Winter want to gag.

Amira coughed at dust from closet and storage rooms, and winced when she found the laundry room. It was *hot garbage* in there.

They entered another corridor, but none of those doors contained any evidence pertaining to their search.

Daniela was *not* down here.

"Rats, now what?" Amira muttered, stamping her ankle boot on the ground in annoyance.

"Upstairs?" Winter suggested. "Don't worry. We are *not* gonna go to the room you and Dani were in."

Amira blinked; the memory was sharp and dizzying to think about. She and Daniela had found the Parkers' secret information room, but a few mistakes had made Ivanna discover them. Ivanna was a wry fox, for she bought into Amira's trauma and played the role of her aunt, something which wasn't only vile, but downright *ignoble*.

She would have likely been forced to relive more of her trauma that day if it hadn't been for Daniela's nobility.

Shaking herself of her inky thoughts, she responded, "Definitely. There are more rooms up there that could have been repurposed by now."

As lightly as cats, the two crept up the stairwell and immediately tried the first door. It was dead-bolted.

Winter muttered a curse under her breath. She then tried another door, but it was locked, and peering under it was unhelpful either. It only made her wheeze.

Amira tried the other doors on the right side of the wall, but they just led to more closets and dust.

The bathroom door was open, and the tile room was empty. Only served as a *disgusting* reminder of what Harlow tried to do to Daniela in there.

"Two doors left," Amira murmured. "Please, if anyone is with us, show us where Dani is."

The first door was the same room she and Dani went in. Despite Winter saying they weren't going to go to it, Amira's natural instinct told her that it must be investigated - *any* evidence could lead to where Daniela was being held.

She tried the door. Locked up tight, and it appeared to have a new padlock installed on it now. There was no *way* they'd get in unless they tried snatching a key, which would mean more trouble and a grim fate.

This left the final door farther down. Like the others, it was made of dark wood, but had a single 14 drawn on it. The handle was silver.

Amira slid over, allowing Winter to try the knob. She turned it, but the door remained locked. Out of nowhere, a single gasp sounded from inside the room, followed by the scraping of boots against a wood floor, and startled, Winter jumped back into Amira. The latter proceeded to blush, pink covering her light brown cheeks.

"Amira, keep watch!" Winter ordered. "I'm going to try to find a way to get in there." As Amira looked on ahead of her, Winter crouched down and tilted her head through the side, glancing through the small space between the door and floor.

She was beyond *horrified* when she saw that Daniela was sitting in a single brown chair, chained to it by her arms, with the chair itself being chained to the ground, probably to prevent any escape attempts. Daniela's appearance was also different; she wore black leather. And was that a choker on her arm?

"Winter, what in god's green *earth* are you doing?" She questioned, equally astonished and frightened.

"Dani, me and Ira are here, and we're gonna get you out!" She declared.

"Winter, *no*! You need to get out with Ami. Hollowleaf Mansion is too dangerous, and I've already suffered for coming here... This is a *broken house*. Get out **now** - before *he* targets you next!"

"So what? I don't care how many times I'm gonna get scarred or beaten by who knows what in here, but this is the only chance we have at saving you!"

Crawling up, Winter gathered as much strength as she could, backing up. Then, she leapt at the door and kicked it at with her boot. *Crack*.

Amira backed up, watching as wood chips went flying, and she cracked a grin.

*Yes! So close!* Winter evaluated the damage. Another two kicks, and the door would give way.

She swung her right leg a few times in the air, then struck the wood hard. *Crack*!

The wood was chipping away from her kicks at this point. She could taste it on her tongue now. *Rebellion*. *Freedom*.

*Victory*.

Winter took in a gulp of air, preparing for her biggest blow yet. Her eyes were set on the grand prize.

Suddenly, someone *screamed* from right behind her, and Winter's eyes went wide in shock, shock that so quickly melted into *horror*, her heart freezing into ice.

She brought herself to crane her neck, turning around - and the sight was so *sickening*, so head-turning, she thought she was going to die.

Ivanna laughed madly, gripping Amira's shirt collar and raising her up into the air. Her kicks and squirms were nothing to the elder woman, who enjoyed every second of her prey's weak, uncalculated fighting.

"Ah, well, well. If it isn't the little *rat* from before..."

"Amira!" Daniela exclaimed, voice muffled by the battered door.

Ivanna noticed the stairs. A *brilliant* idea crossed her mind.

Before Winter could even draw her pocket knife, she swung out, and the next thing she knew, Amira went *flying* down the stairwell.

"**IRA**!" Winter screeched, her heart pounding harder than rain, and she bolted down the stairwell.

Amira was bunched up on the ground, her hands wobbly and a few of her fingernails cracked. Blood leaked from her nose, and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Win..." She groaned.

In her moment of hesitation, Winter failed to see Ivanna, and she cuffed her across the ear with a sharp object. Reeling, she focused her attention back on her grandmother, who had a foot pinned on Amira's neck, making her gasp for air.

Struggling, she tried to crawl up, but Ivanna kicked her in the head. Molten hot pain shot through her, and Amira fell back to the floor with a *thud*.

Stinging rage pulsed through Winter's veins, and she drew her knife at last, clicking the button that made the blade pop out.

"You have **ONE CHANCE** to back off and let **her go**," she warned curtly. "I'm *not playing* with you, Ivanna. This knife is going to slice your **JUGULAR VEIN IN HALF**!"

"Oh, please! What gives me the right to be frightened by *you*?" Ivanna snorted. "*You* invaded my mansion when my granddaughter **forbade you** from stepping a foot in here again. That, and you tried freeing that **brattish prisoner**. Harlow may be out gardening right now, but that doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook - I have every right to make the two of you ***PAY***!"

Amira raised her head up, and despite her entire body aching, determination burned in her brown eyes. "We know the truth about *you*. You're *greedy*. You only want to *fend for yourselves*. And you're the ***REASON*** that Mya's parents are ***MISSING***-"

Suddenly, Ivanna pressed her boot heel into Amira's throat like a knife, and crying out in sheer *agony*, she silenced herself, more tears falling from her face.

"**STAY QUIET, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE IDIOT**!" Ivanna snarled. Then, she focused her attention on Winter again, her adopted granddaughter stepping up to her.

Her ice-blue eyes were *fire*. And it was ten times more potent than poison. She was ready to *blow*.

"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 took *another* step up to Ivanna, who jumped up to her face, her lips parting to reveal a deathly scowl.

"Winterlyn McCormick, have **some manners** when speaking to your elders!" She scolded, her blue-eyes vicious and almost *murderous*. "It's about time you were ***disciplined*** for this **disgusting behavior**, insolent firecracker!"

Ivanna fumbled around in her pocket, and that's when she felt it. The polished wood and icy silver metal. Perfect.

In a flash, she pulled out a full-blown *revolver*, loading the bullet inside and aiming it directly at Winter's head. Gasping, Winter kept her pocket knife and hackles raised, her anger momentarily subsiding with fear and astoundment.

"Wait," Ivanna then said, her scowl turning even more *devious*. "Even *better*."

She took the gun away from Winter's head - and directly pointed it at *Amira*. Winter choked out a *sob*.

Amira glanced up, seeing the revolver facing her, and she screamed. It was so ear-curdling that Winter felt her stomach contract and expand violently.

"Keep yelling at me all you want, *Winterlyn*. But if you take any more steps closer to me in that defiant body you have, your little *doll* will be **executed**. You'll be front-row, how *delightful*!"

*Me? Witness you murder my girlfriend? You son of a mother!* At once, Winter's rage welled inside of her again, and it was so red-hot, so blinding, so scorching, that she was the entire *core* of the earth rising up to the surface.

"You think I'm stupid? That's just a classic trick in your ***BOOK OF LIES***!" She spat, and she took yet *another* step closer to Ivanna. Her fury was not going away, and it wasn't going to stop.

"Winter, don't!" Amira weakly begged.

Ivanna scoffed. "Tryhard. Always thinking you can push the limits to get what you want while also throwing a hissy fit about it. I think it's time I proved your *charade* can have some lasting damage..."

Slowly, she took the gun away from Amira's head and aimed it at the ground next to her. Smiling, she pulled the trigger back.

*BLAM*!

Amira *screamed* so hard her lungs became dry, and Winter jumped back, placing her knife blade against her chest, her heart pumping at a rate so fast she felt nauseous.

A deep hole was now in the floorboards, thin streams of smoke trailing from it. Ivanna covered it with her boot, then stuck another bullet into the revolver, reloading it and cocking it again - aimed at Amira.

"Now you've seen what this bad boy can do, Winter. You have a *choice* - back down, and both of you can come out of this alive. Or, you defy me, and **she dies**."

Amira gulped, wishing everything would be over. Her vision was distorted, and she thought she could see devilish red hair and dark blue eyes staring at her battered, pathetic soul.

*No! She can't be... She just can't be!*

"Well?" Ivanna prompted, pressing her boot heel into Amira's neck for a second time, and she hacked.

Winter dug her nails into the handle of her knife, closing her eyes and retreating into her mind. She'd fought everything to get to this point. Through solitude, the bullying, the name-calling, Daniela's reign of terror, her identity crisis.

Through Shetani, rescuing Amira, and falling for the love of her life.

Shetani had almost killed her that day at the Pineshadow Bridge. Amira saved her life.

Harlow and Ivanna had taken her sister and corrupted her into a *demon*. Ivanna was pushing her limits here.

Winter would not stand for it.

"**LET MY GIRLFRIEND GO**!" She snapped, stepping forward and stomping onto the ground with her boot.

Ivanna pulled the revolver's trigger back slightly.

"***I WILL KILL YOU TEN THOUSAND TIMES IF IT MEANS***-"

"*Winter, stop*!" A weak voice commanded.

Winter *froze*, holding her knife blade at her waist. That voice, so sweet, drug-inducing, and familiar. Then her mind settled and came into focus.

Amira had turned to look up at her, her face wet with numerous tears that were shed out of her pain and distress. Her brown eyes, usually so calm and attractive, mortified beyond comprehension.

Blood had dripped from her nose, staining her lips and her chin. Winter's heart fell. She went *numb*.

"Winter... There's no choice we have! Please don't do this... If you fight Ivanna... *Both of us will die*! Dani won't be free!"

"Amira, Evie said to trust our first instinct! This is a *war*!"

"Forget what she *said*! This is a matter of *survival*. You need to stop letting your anger get to your head and *think*!"

With dread, Winter realized that she was right. Her first instinct was her fight or flight mode, but even then, if she stuck a knife in Ivanna's throat, Amira would be dead with a bullet planted in her brain.

Daniela would never be free.

Mya would remain a selfish, greedy queen.

Evie would be heartbroken for life, and worse, Winter would be dead *herself*.

*Everything* in her body now told her to walk up to Ivanna and rip her apart bit by bit. But it wasn't worth it. Her girlfriend counted on her to save her, just like she always had.

Her heart was torn apart, and in this moment, she chose to sacrifice it all.

"Fine, Ivanna. You win," she conceded, hiding her pocket knife blade. "I'm foolish. I can't let you kill Ira because of my fury."

"That's better," Ivanna praised. She let her boot off of Amira, allowing her to crawl back up to her feet, and she ran up to Winter, clinging onto her as if she was going to drift away in a vast sea.

"Since you two invaded *our mansion*, you two are going to *stay put* just like your other friend up there. No more interference in our plans... Come with *me*."

Her death glare got Amira and Winter moving, and Amira leaned up heavily on Winter's shoulder, terrified for her life.

Trepidation marred Winter, and as she squeezed Amira's hand, a dangerous foreboding told her that this was only the beginning of *their end*.

Later, the sun had given way to a blue-black night sky dotted with stars, the surrounding trees quiet and animals hidden away in their burrows.

Rex pulled her car to a stop in a small forest copse near Hollowleaf Mansion, and she hopped out, along with Evie, who had green eyes lit with determination.

"Wait here for me, okay?" Evie asked.

Rex nodded. "Of course, I'll wait for as long as you need. Even if it's past midnight, heh!"

She pulled Evie into her for a hug, adding, "You've always impressed me as a student when in school, Evie. Having the drive to take command, your vast intelligence, setting others straight, and fighting with the strength of a badass. I couldn't be more proud of you than I already am..."

Evie blushed, resting her head against her chest briefly. "Aww Rex, you're being another mom to me!"

"Please, I'm everyone's mother these days. Dani really did teach me a lot." She patted her on the back one more time, then stood back.

"Okay. Off you go. Good luck!" Evie winked at her, then set foot on the cobblestone path leading up to Hollowleaf Mansion.

A part of her was anxious, tugging her back to the safety net of Rex, but the other part of her was yanking her forward.

*I must see Mya. I have no other option. She's the way back to restoring peace again.*

Her footsteps became more and more confident, and soon, she had almost reached the yellow glow of the windows and the big, brown doors leading inside Hollowleaf.

Before she could enter, however, a voice stopped her. "You've come!"

Evie's heart leaped up in the air as she caught sight of Mya, who adorned no cape, no crown. She was the Mya Heartley she had always known, her signature smile on her face.

"Mya!" She greeted warmly, approaching her. In the moonlight, she was beautiful, her auburn-brown hair gorgeous and elegant leaf-green eyes shining.

"Evie!" Her wide grin was enough to tell her girlfriend that she was extremely happy to see her. "Do you want to walk in Hollowleaf Forest?"

"Yes please!" Evie followed Mya as they walked on a small path leading into the forest. Dark green leaves covered up the starlit sky, and in the distance, an owl hooted. Leaves crunched under them, and the feeling of tranquility lingered in Evie's blood.

This was *everything* she had hoped for tonight.

A soft hand made contact with the skin of her own, fighting its own battle for dominance, and Evie gave into it. For the first time in weeks, she grasped Mya's hand, and her skin heated up with the burning passion she received every time Mya was with her.

"You know, through everything... I've really just wanted to spend time with you as of late. I've missed this, having time alone to ourselves to be who *we* wanted to be. I've thrown away too much... Haven't I?" Mya then admitted, glancing at her with the warmness of fire. A hand was tucked behind her back, and she swallowed down her fear.

The *dagger* was on her. She still had a mission to do.

"Words can't describe how much I've missed the touch of your skin and your voice... This is the *you* I see and appreciate - with open arms, always," Evie whispered back, her black hair hanging over her shoulders as she walked.

"And this is the you I've adored since I was a kid." Mya chuckled, then settled down, still holding onto Evie's hand strongly.

The two had reached a small clearing in the woods where the trees parted, letting moonlight flow onto the long grass below. *Many* stars hovered in the sky, glinting and forming constellations that made Evie's mouth hang open.

"Wow," she murmured, awestruck. Mya pressed closer to her side.

*Just like the first night we kissed.* Her heart swelled and her chest puffed with pride. Oh, she'd missed this!

But a familiar voice reminded her that all the love, the romance, and her relationship, was done. Her new era was to begin, and she had one final task to complete.

"The stars are glimmering tonight, aren't they, Evie?" She said to her, clutching the dagger tightly behind her back.

"Yeah. Shining just like we are." Her head was still tilted up to the compelling sky, and Mya saw her opportunity, then and now. Her target was in striking distance.

"Do you see the Little Dipper?" She pointed Evie up to the constellation, and her girlfriend cooed, eyes glinting.

"*Yes*! It's so alluring... Mya, I honestly think we should do things like this more often. It's just special, you know what I-"

Suddenly, something *heavy* whammed against Evie's side, and winded, she collapsed onto the grass. The world spun, and the stars blurred out, appearing like white streaks in a nearly pitch-black sky.

Then, her bearings returned to her. A powerful force was sitting right on top of her, and the moon's rays revealed Mya, who was looking calm.

*Too* calm.

*Dangerous*.

"Mya... What are you d-doing?" Evie asked, her voice heightened with fear. Mya said nothing, but her smile turned from affectionate to *wicked*.

And in a blink of the eye, she pointed a dagger at Evie's throat, and dread pooled in Evie's belly, her eyes wide with *terror*.

She had made the *biggest* mistake she could have *ever* possibly made.

"No more running now, Evie. It's *all over*."

With that, Mya laughed maniacally, and Evie's body went *limp* with the most trepidation she had *ever* felt in her entire life.

***TO BE CONTINUED***

## Cast

* **Pam Ferris** as Ivanna
* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Udo Kier** as Harlow
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Zoe Saldaña** as Amira
* **Lauren Tom** as Opal
* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Nora Dunn** as Rex
* **Eden Riegel** as Daniela
* **Tricia Helfer** as warrior woman
* **Karen Fukuhara** as "Geisha of Blades"

## Songs

* Feint (feat. Veela) - *The Journey* (snippet)
* Mendum - *Elysium*
* Varien (feat. Miyoki) - *Kamisama* (snippet)
* Halsey - *Bells in Santa Fe*
* Au5 (feat. Danyka Nadeau) - *Closer* (snippet)
* Last Heroes - *Dimensions* (snippet)

## Trivia

* This is the last episode to be released in April 2022.
* It is revealed that:
	+ Mya is now aware that Ivanna has drugged her.
	+ Ivanna can play the piano, and has a lot of skill in doing so.
	+ Harlow, along with Ivanna, wants Mya to kill Evie, which will apparently complete their plans. If she backs out, the Parkers will kill Evie themselves.
	+ Mya wants Evie to meet her in Hollowleaf Forest. However, as Opal correctly suspected, this was bait to lure Evie into a trap.
	+ Daniela is still being held prisoner by the Parkers and is restrained to a chair in a spare bedroom by chains. She has been there for a complete day, and only Harlow and Mya have been tending to her.
		- Harlow is also sexually abusing her for his own benefit and won't stop until he actually gets the chance to violate her.
	+ Mya still has feelings for Evie and doesn't want to harm her, which Daniela calls her out for during the *Elysium* scene. Despite her split loyalties, she still resolves to kill her.
		- Furthermore, Mya also realizes Harlow has been abusing Daniela, though she heeds little mind to it.
	+ Amira watches *Minecraft* YouTuber Grapeapplesauce, in addition to having a fond like of *Minecraft* as a game.
	+ Harlow appears to like gardening.
	+ Mya genuinenly missed Evie.
* The song Ivanna plays on the piano in the cold opening is the ending of the 2011 Feint song *The Journey*.
	+ Originally, Ivanna played the ending of *Dreams* by Rogue. However, the song was removed on June 25th, 2022 after the discovery of controversial tweets by Rogue; Av deemed the tweets "unacceptable" and "not reflective of the series' image." It was promptly replaced by *The Journey*, which has piano keys in the extended version of the song's ending.
* For a second time, the Heather Sommer and Uplink song *Chance on Faith* is referenced, this time by Amira.
* "Con trai của một người mẹ" means "Son of a mother" in Vietnamese.
	+ This, along with Winter saying the phrase in English later in the episode, are more references to *Minecraft* YouTuber TYBZI's catchphrase.
* During Mya's argument with Daniela, the Mendum song *Elysium* plays in the background. The song is a major inspiration for the scene and is meant to serve as a reflection of Mya's torn loyalties and lingering affection toward Evie.
* According to Av, Daniela's outburst was slightly fueled by the fact that she hadn't taken her bipolar disorder medication for one day.
* The soft touch that Mya felt after placing her hand on the portrait was a hallucination - she had thought Evie had given her hand to her, hence why she broke down afterward.
	+ This is similar to the *Chasing Ghosts* scene in *The Divide Between Us*, where Evie hallucinated at Pinelake Park and believed she could see Mya when she was never there at all. When Evie realized this, she shattered, though in a more powerful way than Mya did after the *Elysium* scene.
	+ Notably, their breakdowns also occur during/after an EDEN song (EDEN has uncredited vocals on *Elysium*). Av says that this was unintentional.
* What Mya saw in her dream was Imperial Japan amidst the Boshin War in October 1868 - and the consequences of the battles fought. The two women were Nakano Takeko, a combatant in the war who led an ad hoc group of women soldiers, and her sister (also known as the "Geisha of Blades"), Nakano Yūko. Takeko was succumbing to a rifle shot to the chest, but refusing to have the enemy possess her body and decapitate her head as a war trophy, she asked Yūko to behead her, which she complied to. However, in *Evie and Mya*, while Yūko does the beheading alone, the real Boshin War had Yūko be assisted by Ueno Yoshisaburō, an Aizu soldier. The scene was simplified to be more symbolic.
	+ Notably, this scene is directly inspired by the Ben Moon song *Majesty*, which Veela (the vocalist of the song) wrote to be about the Boshin War and Nakano Takeko.
	+ Mya seeing the war and Takeko's sacrifice was meant to serve as a nudge to push her in the right direction. Despite this, the dream only splits her loyalties more.
	+ Also, during this scene, *Kamisama* by Varien plays in the background. With Miyoki (the featured vocalist on the song) singing one of the verses in Japanese, this marks the third time another language is spoken besides English, Vietnamese, and Spanish. This is ironic, as Miyoki is Spanish herself.
* The Halsey song *Bells in Santa Fe*, which previously appeared as a snippet in *The Dinner Party*, returns in full for Mya's reflection and decision to go through with her ultimatum. The song's intensity was meant to build up the moment Mya chose to kill Evie, leaving any trace of the "old" her behind.
	+ The verse with religious themes is cut due to being too suggestive and unfitting, along with the foul language in two of the lines.
* Mya's name of the "Queen of Daggers" is a play on "Queen of Blades," the self-proclaimed name of Sarah Kerrigan in her Primal Zerg form in the *StarCraft* video game franchise. Mya's behavior in the latter half of Season 3 is inspired by Kerrigan.
	+ Tricia Helfer, who is one of the voices of Kerrigan, actually appears in *Ultimatum* as the voice of the warrior woman (Nakano Takeko).
* When Evie sits by the window, the ending to the 2018 Au5 song *Closer* plays in the background.
	+ This scene was a callback to Evie staring at the sunset through the window during the *Vagrant* scene in *Rise to Power*.
* Amira being a fan of Grapeapplesauce was meant to parallel Av's own fondness of the YouTuber. On the scene, she says that Amira was watching one of his *Murder Mystery* videos - the series by Grape that she loves the most.
* In Daniela's warning to Winter, she alludes to the Arthur & Medic song *Broken House*.
* As Evie meets Mya in Hollowleaf Forest, the opening and buildup of the Last Heroes song *Dimensions* plays in the background. The song stops before the first drop when Mya ambushes Evie.