Daniela

"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...

## Daniela

### Age

13 (Season 1)
14 (Season 3-onwards)

### Nickname(s)

Dani (by many)
Dumbiela (by her bullies and enemies)
Dumbquist (by Evie)
Buntail (by her bullies)
Freak (by her enemies and herself)
Monster (by Amira and herself)
Demon (by Rex and herself)
Wicked Witch/Wicked Witch of the West (by Mya)
Dani Dumbquist (by Mya)
Hellraiser Child (by Mya)

### Family

Rex (mother)
Raphael (father)
Winter (girlfriend; formerly)

### Sexuality

Bisexual

"*I am. It wasn't something I was proud of at first, but Winter and her new girlfriend, Amira, changed my mind. They forgave me, became my two new friends. You see, Rexy, I've learned a lot. I've learned to have respect for everyone, I've learned that my past can't harm me, and I've learned that I'm not scarred. Sometimes, when you reflect on your past, you only see the bad and dangerous person you are, and you feel so confused and lost. But most of the time, you see a new person, a beautiful new one, who wants to make things right and overcome new challenges with a changed heart. That is the most important thing to me now.*"
—Daniela to Rexy, *A New Start*

**Daniela "Dani" Burton Vunquist** is one of the five main characters in *The Adventures of Evie and Mya*. Originally an antagonist in Season 1, she later reforms in *Two-Sided*. She is the daughter of Rex and Raphael and Winter's former girlfriend, identifying as bisexual.

## Appearance

Daniela is tall and has a strong, broad body. She has pale white skin, bulky, muscular arms, and sleek, soft dark black hair that is mostly tied back into a bun, though she ocassionally wears it down. She has orangish-amber eyes.

Originally, Daniela wore a light blue sweater with black leggings and boots for much of the series up until the *Two-Sided* chapter *Behind the Bars*, where she wore a white t-shirt while in prison. Currently, Daniela retains her black leggings and boots, but now wears a short-sleeve gray shirt with a Washington State University emblem on it.

## History

### Season 1

#### *Meeting Winter*

"*Last I checked, you weren't friends with Miss Sunshine and Smartypants. Last I checked, I had* unfinished business *with you. Did the lonesome little* Snowblind *choose to gain* friends *just to* protect herself *from* me*?*"
—Daniela interrogating Winter

Daniela stomps up to Evie, Mya, and Winter as they enter the school building, antagonizing the three of them. She starts with Evie, enraging her by smack-talking her heritage, and then moving on to Mya, known as her personal doormat. When she moves to Winter, Daniela becomes increasingly more violent and obsessed with her, which alarms Evie and Mya. Winter can do nothing to evade her, and while Mya tries to warn Principal Rex, Daniela catches her running for the door and threatens to bludgeon here. Evie, refusing to let such a thing happen, summons Rex, who viciously apprehends her daughter and drags her, kicking and screaming, into the office.

#### *Daze Runners*

"*You don't understand! I* had *to do it!" [...] "You* replaced me *with those two and* never *told me! You took what was* my position*, something that I* worked to earn for years*, away from me! Put me down* below *with the low-lifes and let* those idiots *shine! How could you* **DO THAT TO ME***?!*"
—Daniela revealing her motivations for locking Evie and Mya in the closet to Rex

Daniela, noticing Evie and Mya performing Office Aide duties in her place, believes her position has been wrongfully snatched from her and vows to do anything to gain it back. She soon confronts them after their tasks in the gym and slams them up against the wall, attacking Mya in particular for speaking out against her. However, Evie swiftly escapes and shoves Daniela into student, and they go tumbling to the floor. Daniela grows more embarrassed once she accidentally tells the male student that Rex is her mother, promising to Evie and Mya that they'll be toast. Later, she interrupts Evie and Mya's tasks again and this time targets Evie, catching her and preparing to bash her skull into the floor. Mya, horrified and angered, retaliates by spitting at her cheek, which inadvertantly helps Evie to wiggle free.

The two walk away, and humiliated for a second and final time by the male student from earlier, Daniela hatches a more extreme plan to remove Evie and Mya from the picture. Under the guise of a new leaf, she convinces Rex to hand her the school's key so she can "unlock" the doors to the library as a redemption task. Evie and Mya get a task of retrieving something from a supply closet, and wasting no time, Daniela locks them in and believes she has reclaimed her Office Aide position. Heading back to the office, Daniela lies that all has gone well and passes the time with her mother, who at first suspects no foul play but grows suspicious over Evie and Mya's continued absence. The end of the day slowly nears, and just when Daniela thinks she is victorious, an irritated Evie and Mya show up and immediately accuse her of locking her into the closet. Daniela vehemently denies doing such a thing, and her mother backs her, furiously stripping Evie and Mya of her positions. Despite the odds, neither of the girls give up, and Evie orders Rex to check to see if she's missing a key.

When she doesn't obey, Mya reveals the missing key; she blocks the door while Evie pins Daniela and demands she fess up about where the key is. Panicking, and seeing her only chance to flee, Daniela bolts, but is caught outside by the male student, Henry. Henry promptly trips her and pulls the library key from her pocket in front of Rex, revealing that she had been operating an elaborate scheme the entire time - and that Evie and Mya weren't lying. Rex berates her, and although Daniela tries to protest that she wanted her position back, as well as claiming that her mother doesn't care for her, Rex hauls her out of school just as the bell rings.

#### *Stalker*

"*Once, long ago, you* took away *someone's life, Winterlyn. Destroyed it. Because* you *stole what was hers, caused her to* fall*. Luckily, that made her* realize *that revenge was* magic*.* Sweet*.* Euphoric*. Whatever you do, wherever you go,* I'll *find you. And by then,* **I'll kill you FOR ALL THE PAIN YOU GAVE ME***!*"
—Daniela threatening Winter

Daniela is mentioned a few times by Evie and Mya, notably by them when they persuade Winter that Aiden isn't her, which helps her come out to him. Later, Winter accidentally bumps into Daniela outside of school and tries to shrug her off, but she pulls her back and pins her against the fence, declaring that they have unfinished business. Winter refutes her claim, but her enemy retorts that she is underestimating her and has plans to expose all of her fraud and lies to the school. She throws Winter in the snow, doubling down on her threats and revealing that she intends to kill her. Mortified, Winter screams and runs off, with Daniela warning that they're only just getting started.

#### *Ex-Girlfriend*

"*However... we aren't* finished *here, Winter.* **Sleep** *with* **one eye** *open tonight - I might as well tear the other out, watch it as it withers and dies in my hands..." [...] "Keep those* senses *of yours* heightened*.* Check *your surroundings over and over again.* Try *thinking twice, though it'll be of no* use *to you. I'll be back* **again***. And the next time we meet, you'll be a **rotting corpse** at my **feet**!*"
—Daniela's ominous parting threat to Winter

Winter, paranoid about Daniela, falls into a nightmare at her cabin which reveals that she is her ex-girlfriend. The next day, her paranoia remains, and Daniela takes advantage of it by humiliating her in English class. She doesn't leave her mind for the rest of the day, and she lies to Evie and Mya that she's fine, promising to keep the fact that Daniela is her ex a secret from them at all costs. Her stress continues to bleed into her dreams, and she bears witness to a nightmare where Daniela slaughters her own mother and then her. Upon waking up, Winter somberly stares at a photo of her and Daniela in better times. The next day, she tries walking with Evie to ease her fears, but keeps hallucinating that Daniela is there with her and even gets chained by her in a nightmare, where she is tormented against her will. Evie and Mya, waking her, demand what's going on, but Winter runs off, not wanting them to find out the truth.

However, she ends up conceding with encouragement and eventually shows the two the photo of her and Daniela together, revealing their old relationship. While Evie and Mya are in disbelief, they do not reject her and instead cherish her for the person she chose to be instead of who Daniela chose to be. Winter, relaxed, also tells them about who Daniela used to be like, and is guaranteed protection from her friends. That night, she is thinking about her relationships with Evie and Mya when she hears Daniela "innocently" calling out for her and hides. She ambushes her, and quickly indicating her incentives, Daniela goes back-and-forth with an aggressive Winter. She soon gives up, seeing that Winter is too defiant to handle, but she warns her that she is going to die eventually - and she'll stop at nothing to achieve that. Chilled, Winter sleeps with her pocket knife by her head.

#### *Dancing in the Dark*

Evie recalls her and Mya's acceptance of Daniela and Winter's relationship and how they have been protecting Winter from them. Later, upon noticing her friend's hesitation over Cracklog Manor, Mya assures Evie that if they can handle Winter and Daniela, they can handle a manor.

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

Winter, giving Mya advice on her feelings for Evie, recalls some aspects and finer details from her past relationship with Daniela. Later, Mya notes that Daniela was quiet at school, a rarity coming from her. When she admits her fear that Evie will reject her for being bisexual to Benji, he says that she'd much rather call Daniela ridiculous instead. At dinner, Evie mentions that her grades are intimidating Daniela, to which Mya points out that she didn't care about their rivalry. Evie then admits that she does like to tease Daniela sometimes.

#### *She's Plotting Something*

"*Maybe we* could *have been friends.* Partners in crime*. A* dynamic *duo. But then you took my heart and* **ripped it to pieces***. You threw me out and discarded me like I was* trash*. You **abandoned me** and then became **my mother's darling**. You **STOLE MY MOTHER FROM ME, YOU INSOLENT TRAITOR**! I will **NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS SCOURGE**!*"
—Daniela furiously belittling Winter

Daniela runs through the Piney Woods, breaks into Winter's cabin, and kidnaps her. Evie and Mya notice Daniela's absence at school and work to solve the mystery of her and Winter's disappearance, eventually deducing that Daniela is the one responsible for Winter's kidnapping. Their fears are verified when they physically see her approach the cabin itself, and the next day, they consult Rex, who gives them information about Winter and points them to where Daniela could be keeping her. They find her gagged and bound in a hideout, but Daniela knocks them out and ties them up before they can do anything. She soon 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. She also reveals that she baited Evie and Mya deliberately. 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. Daniela quickly subdues Mya, and despite facing a harder fight with Evie, also puts her out of commission. She hungrily encroaches on Winter's turf, and refusing to listen to her ex-girlfriend's efforts to dissuade her from murder, she angrily pulls a steak knife 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. She also middle fingers Daniela and declares that she is not her bully anymore. Daniela, shocked, admires her bravery but tosses her aside, still paging for Winter's murder. This time, Rex intervenes and pins her to a post, violently admonishing her for everything and dragging her off. Daniela swears revenge for the day's events.

#### *The Party*

"*Here you are again. You're like Evie and Mya. You* **ALWAYS** *underestimate the* **power** *I have. I had an elaborate kidnapping plot. I trapped Evie and Mya and nearly* got away with it*. I've sneaked out of the house and* stalked *Winter. You're too **clueless** and **careless** to try bothering to stop me. So make your choice. I go to the party, you live to tell the tale. I don't go to the party, and you'll be thrown into **jail** for* fabricating information *and harboring* someone's secrets *from the **whole school**.*"
—Daniela giving an ultimatum to Rex

Daniela is unenthusiastic as she sits in the gym for a pep rally, appearing to be disgusted at the thought of the the party. However, she is secretly plotting to utilize it as a means of harming Winter and gaining revenge. The next day, Daniela is confined to a desk doing paperwork and is outraged that she hasn't received an invitation to the party despite meeting the appropriate criteria. While the girls celebrate, the enthusiasm is short-lived. Shortly after the day ends, Daniela confronts Rex in the office and demands she let her into the party, but her mother refuses, reminding her that she is staying where she isn't a threat to anyone around her. Their fight turns violent and frought with resentment, with neither budging on their positions. Things change when Daniela hisses that Rex doesn't care for her, as evidenced by her recent actions and relationship with Winter, and picking up the school's phone, she gives her a crushing ultimatum: if she lets her into the party, no one will be harmed, but if she isn't, she will tell the entire school that Rex is a fraud and violated the law to shield Winter.

Rex pleads that she can't, but Daniela pushes harder, her finger dangerously close to the intercom. Finally, her mother surrenders and agrees to let her go to the party for Winter's sake. Terrified of this outcome, Evie and Mya warn Winter of what transpired, but she becomes furious at the thought of Rex feeding her to the wolves and runs off. She doesn't change her mind days later and heads into the party, where unfortunately, Daniela is lying in wait for her. She talks to her under the illusion that she is just another partygoer, but then ambushes Winter, causing her to scream and effectively end the party. Evie, Mya, and their friends jointly realize that they were too late to stop Daniela.

#### *Winter Storm Arising*

"*Run away." [...] "***Run away** *from* **this school** *and* **Pineshadow** *altogether.* **NEVER** *show your face here* again*. You are* **NOT welcome here***. Your secrets are* **out***. If you stay, you will* disgrace *yourself further. You have been* **cemented** *as* **Snowblind***, will be known as* **Snowblind***, and will* **die** *as* Snowblind*, a* traitor *and* lying viper *who perished a* victim *of her* deception *and* greed*!*"
—Daniela ordering Winter to run away from Pineshadow and never come back

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. Evie goads Daniela into fighting her, and the two trade blows, giving Mya enough leeway to sneak out and find Winter, where she tells her that she must go back and stop her ex. With gentle but stern encouragement, Winter realizes she is right and returns, stopping Daniela in the nick of time from killing Evie.

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. Later, it is noted that Daniela is facing a lengthy prison sentence and that Rex, as well as the girls, have all testified against her. Rex has also resigned at school principal, partially attributed to Daniela's actions on the night of the party.

### Season 2

#### *The New Principal*

During a visit to Pinelake Park, Evie recalls that Principal Rex was not in control of her daughter, Daniela, who was destructive and tried killing her, Mya, and Winter. Her plans didn't work, and she is noted to be gone for good, locked away in juvenile prison. When the new school principal, Shetani, bans same-sex relationships, Winter indirectly mentions Daniela while recalling that her previous relationship ended in disaster. Later, after Amira joins Evie, Mya, and Winter at Pinelake Park, she is caught up on the news, and she recalls that she was on the good side of life after breaking away from Daniela.

#### *Stacking the Rules*

Daniela is briefly mentioned by Winter, noting that she dyed her hair because of what her ex-girlfriend did to her.

#### *Shocking Secret*

When Winter's heart aches for Amira, she notes that her friend has been treated worse by Shetani than Daniela had treated her. She goes on to tell Mya that Shetani is worse than her ex-girlfriend.

#### *Unbroken Love*

Upon hearing that Winter is missing, Evie fears that Shetani or even Daniela took her, but she chastises herself for being silly.

#### *Rushing Roulette*

When Evie is thinking of possible suspects involved in Mya's disappearance, she names Daniela, but dismisses her knowing she is in juvenile prison.

#### *The Attack*

Winter gulps nervously, not wanting to put herself and Amira in danger to Shetani, who treats her niece worse than Daniela treated her.

#### *Devil's Dungeon*

When Winter confronts Shetani, she feels the sheer anger and hate she felt the day she defeated Daniela.

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

Winter tells her backstory to Amira, who is sorry she had to deal with homophobia and the tyranny of Daniela. Later, Winter indirectly mentions Daniela while confronting Shetani, saying that she felt taken advantage of because she was in a relationship with a "backstabbing freak."

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

After Amira "dies," Winter thinks about how she has lost yet another girlfriend following Daniela, who became vicious and hellbent on murder. Later, Winter gives her sweater to Amira as a present, saying that while Daniela gifted it to her for her birthday, she wanted her girlfriend to have it for her collection.

### Season 3

#### *Memories of the Past*

Daniela does not formally appear. However, Winter recalls how Daniela had sought to ruin her life, but Mya helped her realize that she wasn't a burden. With new strength, Winter defeated Daniela, and she was arrested, placed in a juvenile prison. Months later, Amira and Winter discovered Daniela in the grass at Pinelake Park, and much to Winter's shock, her ex-girlfriend had changed - she was seeking clarity and someone who loved her. Amira gave her a second chance, and so did Winter, who found no need to hold onto the past. As they walk home, Winter asks Mya what she wants to do, and she wishes to watch television. Winter then urges her not to spoil *Good Girls Gone Bad* for Daniela, and Mya notes that she has been working on bonding with her following their reconciliation. Later, Winter reassures Mya that she has a badass squad, which includes Daniela.

#### *Welcome to Hollowleaf Mansion*

"*I'm with you all the way. I haven't been a friend of Mya's for very long. Once, I took her kindness as weakness and broke her down inside. I was cruel, and she has yet to forgive me for what I've done... Which is understandable. I want to prove that I'm a good person to her, and show that I've made up for the horrible, vile mistakes I've made in the past.*"
—Daniela on bullying Mya in the past

Evie summons Winter, Amira, and Daniela in Amira's bedroom, and Daniela is noted to be rather confused. When Evie rants about her suspicions regarding Harlow and Ivanna, Daniela asks who they are, baffled. Winter facepalms, having accidentally forgotten to tell her about the Parkers, and she catches up. She says that Mya has grandparents, this is a secret, and that Evie is apparently Sherlock, much to Evie's annoyance. She mentions Harlow's smirk and emphasis on loose ends and back in business, but Daniela points out that he could have been feeling mischievous, recalling her own experience as a villain. Ultimately, after Amira requests to abstain on picking a side and waiting for more information, Daniela agrees with her, giving a quick apology to Evie. The latter sits between the two on the bed, thanking the girls for their input. Suddenly, Winter gets a text from her parents about Mya being missing, and she rushes off. Worried, Evie, Amira, and Daniela think Harlow and Ivanna have taken her. At Hollowleaf Mansion, Winter realizes that everything Evie told the girls was true, seeing the way Mya is behaving. Mya babbles about Harlow and Ivanna, thinking Daniela will be jealous once she learns how The Haven got adopted out, but Winter snaps at her to shut up.

Winter softens, telling Mya that she doesn't want to end up in a bad place like she did, and Mya recalls Daniela forcing her sister to come out too early. Once Winter gets back, she informs the other girls of her findings, and Daniela tosses a softball in the air. Eventually, she stops throwing it and speaks last out of all the girls, her amber eyes containing mixed feelings. She admits that she previously said Harlow and Ivanna weren't villains, and to be honest, they still aren't to her. However, their effect on Mya is nothing like the effect a celebrity has on her, and this sick obsession will lead to something they, as a group, are not prepared for. Amira questions what she's getting at, and Daniela steps forward, feeling stares pierce her. She pledges her support, noting how she hasn't been a friend of Mya's for very long and recalling how she once took her kindness as weakness, being cruel to her. While she has yet to forgive her, she wants to prove to Mya and Pineshadow that she's a good person and has changed completely, until her dying breath. Evie places her hand on her shoulder, making her blush, and she praises her for commitment to changing.

#### *Rising Tensions*

"*You have a* sick obsession*, Mya. And this sick obsession is going to* kill *you. I see my old self in you, the way you act. You live in the sky, believing everything you hear when it's all a* lie*. I know this all too well - this happened to me. You're going to do exactly what I did, and you'll be* alone *- as a heartless villain-*"
—Daniela's warning to Mya

When Evie complains about Harlow smirking to Mya, she compares it to Winter or Daniela harmlessly smirking. After Winter learns that Mya has been drugged, she texts Evie and assigns her to get Amira and to meet her and Daniela at Pinelake Park. She runs to Daniela's house, fearing she or Rex are not home and almost turning away when Rex opens the door, greeting her. She asks for Daniela, and Rex summons her. Daniela questions what's going on, and Winter reveals that she has news - something isn't right with Harlow and Ivanna. This baffles Rex, and her daughter promises to explain later, to which she nods in agreement. Daniela repeats herself, and she is shocked to learn that Mya has been drugged. Winter tells her that they need to head to the park, and the two dash there, joining Amira and Evie. Winter then informs the other two about what happened, pressing close to her friend for comfort. She agrees that Harlow and Ivanna are having a bad effect on Mya, noting that one of a villain's common moves is to knock their prey out, elbowing Winter pointedly. She says that she doesn't care who drugged Mya, but one of them wanted her out, which is scary enough. Evie declares that they must confront her as one group, and the girls all concur with her. The next day, the girls hide under the slide at the park, and Daniela shudders upon seeing storm clouds in the sky. After Mya confronts Evie and Amira, Daniela stops her from walking away, and she tells her that they're here to get her away from Harlow and Ivanna. Anger fills Mya, but she is not shocked by her behavior, and she expresses her apathy towards what she is trying to say.

Despite her stare and irritation, Daniela is not fazed and prevents her from going anywhere. Mya tries to back up, but she is pulled back by the shirt collar, and while she momentarily fears she has malicious attempt, she dismisses this. Daniela curses that she's being naive and stupid missing all the red flags with the Parkers, and because of their influence, she believes everything is okay. Cutting her off, she adds that she's letting darkness control her actions, and soon, it will consume her, warning her about what happened to her. Mya instantly recalls how Daniela used to relentlessly bully her and tarnish the Heartley name, and she begins to believe she is choosing to be cruel over redeeming herself. Refusing to forgive her, she screams that she will never be like her, stunning Daniela, and she lets Mya go. Mya vows to never be in Daniela's shadow, calling her crazy for suggesting she'll turn evil. She glares at Evie, and Daniela presses her shoulderblade up to her. Once Winter sides with the other girls over Mya, Mya realizes that nobody sides with her, and they continue to confront her. Daniela speaks last, having hung back to think about what to say. She describes Harlow and Ivanna's effect on Mya as sickening, and shoving her anxiety down her throat, she walks forward. She locks Mya in an unwavering amber gaze, warning her that her sick obsession is going to kill her.

She further warns that she'll do what she did and fall down a dark path, and suddenly, Mya lets out a ear-splitting screech, pinning her to the ground. She groans in pain, struggling to regain her bearings. Suddenly, Harlow and Ivanna arrive, questioning what's going on, and Mya leaps off of Daniela. Ivanna asks who the latter and Amira even are, and Daniela tries to pretend she doesn't exist. Soon, Harlow lays his eyes on her, and he moves up against her body, making her blush. He calls her a promising young woman, making her blush more, and Mya mutters that her name is Daniela. Observing her, Harlow questions what happened that made Mya leap onto her, and Daniela struggles to answer. She longs to go home and avoid the embarrassment she is feeling, begging for Mya to pull Harlow away, but she only looks at her with apathy. Harlow almost touches his face to Daniela's, and she is unable to run as he urges her to relax, deeming himself special. He rubs her under the chin, causing her blood pressure to spike, and he moves to her mouth. Daniela finally manages to shove his hand away, warning him to back off and not touch her without her permission. Despite her threat, her eyes well with tears, and her friends stay close to her. After Harlow and Ivanna drive off with Mya, Daniela fears that if they don't get Mya away from the Parkers, they'll be in a war they can't go back from.

#### *The Dinner Party*

"*You're wrong, Harlow." [...] "You think you can go on to violate me just so you can take advantage of my fears. You think you can mess me up. But you've underestimated me. I'm not weak. Everything that has happened to me will only* **MAKE ME STRONGER***!*"
—Daniela refusing to let Harlow assault her

Mya misses Daniela's soft-hearted nature despite being nowhere close to forgiving her. Later, Rex calls Daniela to her, opening a letter that reveals that she is invited over to Hollowleaf Mansion for dinner. Daniela is quick to refuse, not wanting to eat around Harlow, and Rex asks why. She remembers that she chose not to tell her mother about Harlow advancing on her out of fear she wouldn't believe her, and Daniela changes her mind, questioning if she has anything fancy to dress with, swallowing down her fears. Rex tells her that her old high school blazer would be the perfect fit on her, and blushing, Daniela says say no more. The next night, Daniela slicks her buntail down, making sure it is tight; she notes that she is now wearing her mother's royal blue blazer. She asks Rex if she looks pretty, and she agrees, calling her perfect and telling her that it's time to join the other girls. Upon arriving at Hollowleaf Mansion, she walks with Evie and shares a glance with her. Mya notices that she is wearing the blazer, stunning her, and Daniela expresses her excitement over having it. Harlow greets the girls, stating that they are preparing dinner right now and locking gazes with Daniela, causing her to look away with unease. She takes the farthest seat on the left side of the table, which faces Amira. Harlow peers out from the kitchen, wishing for a helper and setting hungry eyes on Daniela. He invites her to help, calling her darling and making her cringe. Knowing he won't let her say no, she follows him into the kitchen slowly and relaxing. She questions how she can help, and Harlow instructs her to get basil from the fridge, looking at her oddly.

Turning around, she opens the fridge and finds the basil on top of Ivanna's leftover salad, but suddenly, something rubs against her backside. She whirls around, but nobody is behind her, and despite momentarily believing Harlow touched her, Daniela shrugs it off and hands Ivanna the basil. Seeing that she is preparing a pizza, she inquires if that is for the girls, but Ivanna responds that it's for Mya only. This angers Daniela, as Harlow and Ivanna are treating the other girls as inferior and spoiling Mya, and she questions what is for them instead. Harlow guides her to the other food items cooked, which disgusts Daniela, as she expected more. She asks if they even asked the girls what they wanted to eat, and Harlow tells her to simmer down smoothly, backing her into the fridge. Alarmed, she silently pleads with Ivanna to rip him away, and she chastises Harlow for not letting Daniela breathe. He nods apologetically, and with the two of them busy, Daniela manages to escape back to the dining room. She reports that Mya is getting spoiled with pizza while they get poorer foods, upsetting the other girls. Harlow and Ivanna return with the food, and Harlow serves her angel hair with red pepper. Daniela digs in, finding the noodles good, and her nose tingles from the pepper. Gradually, however, her nose itches and itches more until she freezes, sneezing what it is her mouth into Amira's face. Embarrassed, she apologizes, but Amira laughs it off. Eventually, Daniela finishes her angel hair and pushes her bowl forward, sensing someone looking at her. She turns to Harlow, but finds him fixiated on nothing, and she glances down at her boots. Suddenly, she sees Harlow's hand snaking toward her thigh, and Daniela swats it away, shooting him a glare full of venom and distrust; she moves to the edge of her chair.

Ivanna picks up their dishes, heading to the kitchen and returning moments later with chocolate cake, cutting up slices for the girls. Like the others, Daniela is not interested in her cake and passes it to Harlow. Evie apologizes, stating that they should get going and motioning for her friends to follow her to the door. However, Harlow refuses to let them leave and locks the door shut. Amira whispers to Daniela that this is the most insecure she's felt since Shetani, and she admits in turn that Harlow terrifies her, as she doesn't like it when adult men pay attention to her. When Mya forces Evie to dance with her, Daniela pleads with her to call it off, but Mya doesn't care. By the end, none of the girls clap, feeling just as awkward as Evie is. After Evie hits Mya and runs off in tears, Daniela excuses herself by asking where the bathroom is, wanting to wash her face. Harlow guides her upstairs, and once she heads up, he follows her. Daniela has no luck finding the bathroom and is about to try another door, but out of nowhere, someone places a hand over her mouth. She tries to fight back, but is thrown into the actual bathroom - and much to her horror - she finds out that Harlow is her captor. She weakly orders him to back up, but Harlow ignores her, stating that he can't leave someone as beautiful and charming as her. Daniela begs again, her point clear, but he still doesn't listen. Instead, he splays her arms out against the wall, causing tears to well in her eyes. He taunts Daniela for being foolish enough to come here, knowing how he feels about her. Harlow adds that due to her, he's had cravings, and wants to do something he knows he shouldn't do. Daniela cries that he doesn't know her well, but Harlow points out that she fears adult men.

He creepily urges her to give in, but Daniela tells him not to, reminding him that he wants will land him in jail. For a final time, she pleads with him to not violate her consent, but he refuses, remarking that consent doesn't exist in his world. He lurches forward, attempting to kiss her neck, but Daniela swerves away in time. Harlow comments that he'll do this another way if she won't play fair, and with one hand, he presses her face against the wall so she cannot scream out. Then, he sneaks his other hand under her shirt, crawling up her waist. At once, Daniela falls into a flashback to a dream she had one year prior. She wakes up in a void, alone, until she hears a voice say that she isn't. A shadowy figure stands in front of her, offering her his company, which she eagerly accepts due to her nightmares. The man murmurs that she is at peace despite being so troubled, and mystified, Daniela asks how he knows this. He reveals that he's been watching her for a while, mentioning that she's too perfect to pass up. Suddenly, he places his hand over her mouth and slides his hand up her shirt, and terrified, Daniela realizes that she is having a nightmare. She breaks free of the man's hold and runs, breathing sharply. Soon, she smashes into an invisible wall, leaving her with nowhere left to hide. The man tries to soothe her into staying, and she retorts that she's not his plaything. He doesn't heed her, stating that he can do what he wants, and Daniela pins herself against the wall. The shadowy man uses his slimy hands to pin Daniela to the invisible wall; then, breathing directly into the face, he delivers a powerful blow to her midsection. Daniela screams, collapsing to the ground in sheer agony, and she demands why he did this.

The shadow responds that she was too enticing, fading away completely and leaving Daniela to cry in a pool of blood. Snapping out of her flashback, Daniela refuses to let herself by broken by Harlow, and she tells him that he's wrong - he's underestimated her and can't break her - and what has already happened will make her stronger. With a roar, she knocks Harlow to the ground, and when he tries to grab her bow, Daniela violently scratches his left eye. With Harlow distracted and in pain, Daniela runs out of the bathroom, desperately looking for someone. She overhears Amira and Winter in a bedroom and slams the door open, startling both. Worried, Winter asks if she's okay, but Daniela stammers that she's not, the attack already re-appearing in her head. Her breathing intensifies and her sights blur, and Winter guides her to the bed, helping her sit down. Amira tries to ask about what happened, but Daniela only squeaks, and Winter assigns her to get Evie. Evie appears seconds later, speeding to her friend's side and questioning if she's alright, causing her to shake her head no. Evie assures her that they aren't going to hurt her, then encourages her to breathe alongside her, allowing Daniela to calm down. Evie then admits that she's not the only one to have had panic attacks (referring to herself), and relieved, Daniela thanks her. She glances around nervously at her friends, and her confidence builds up again. Taking a breath, she begins to explain that she was going to the bathroom when a mysterious person attacked her, shocking the girls, and Evie inquires as to who was behind the attack. Daniela reveals that it was Harlow, shakily adding that he was pure evil and wanted to do something he shouldn't, pinning her hands against the wall and not caring about her consent.

Amira encourages her to take it easy, and Daniela notes that Harlow tried to kiss her on her neck, but he missed her. She finally chokes out that he touched her inappropriately, wishing to go home and burying her face in her hands. Evie warmly calls her name, praising her for having the strength to come forward about this, as sexual assault is never easy to reveal. Daniela smiles, thanking them all for supporting her, and she is hugged by them. Amira exclaims that they have to tell Mya what happened, and while Daniela doubts she'll believe it, she still wishes to try anyway. Amira instructs Winter to stay with her friend, as she knows her best, and she and Evie head off to find Mya. Winter asks Daniela if she wants to lay down, which she does instantly, expressing how glad she is that she is here. Winter smiles, murmuring that tonight's reminded her of something - her old promise to Daniela. She falls into a flashback of the time when she dated Daniela; the two are hiding from a group of boys under the playground castle. Daniela asks if they'll see them, nervous, which Winter is quick to deny. A pair of feet appear from around the corner, making her gasp, and Winter again reassures her that nobody will harm her. She growls, and gets up to get something to eat, but Daniela yanks her back. She pleads with her not to leave her, fearing the boys will notice her - thinking they will bully her for wearing glasses. Winter hugs her girlfriend, noting that her doctor had told her to wear glasses to enhance weak spots in her vision, which she believes to just be poor classroom lighting. She leaves to get her food, but while talking with her father, a scream sounds at the playground. Mortified, Winter runs back to find Daniela surrounded by five boys; she has been thrown into the woodchips and has a cut finger.

Two boys taunt her for wearing her glasses, calling her a "nerdy birdy" and suggesting she goes to an advanced school, and humiliated, Daniela begs for them to stop. Another boy kicks her on the side of the face, making her glasses go flying - and another boy destroys them with his boot. Noticing Winter, Daniela turns to her and silently asks her why she allowed this to happen. Enraged, she screams at the boys to step away from Daniela, threatening to make them suffer should they hurt her again. This, combined with her snapping a twig completely in half, causes the boys to run away in fear. Winter hugs Daniela, apologizing for leaving her behind and putting her in danger, and she wipes the tears from her eyes, asking about the glasses. Winter doesn't care about the glasses, telling her that she's beautiful without them, and that to her, she is everything. She hugs her again, affectionately resting her chin on her shoulder, holding herself accountable for her being bullied. Locking eyes with Daniela, Winter vows to never leave her side again and to never let anyone hurt her. For the next few minutes, the two hide under the castle once more. In present day, Daniela recalls the promise, and Winter mumurs that she can't forget that promise now that they're closer than ever again. She adds that she won't leave her side, and that as her friend, she means much more to her now. She cradles Daniela's hands, and Daniela lays on her chest, which she finds adorable. Meanwhile, Evie and Amira realize per a report from Mya that Daniela scratched out Harlow's eye in order to escape him. They confess that he tried sexually assaulting her, but Mya doesn't believe it.

Evie spits that Daniela scratched his eye because he was assaulting her, noting that he has been praying on her since the day at the park and his dangerous lust around her. Mya dismisses it, believing Daniela attacked him on purpose and wanting to prove it, but Amira prevents her from going anywhere. Evie reveals that Harlow tried to kiss her and touch her waistline, and Winter and Daniela both appear, confirming that it's true; Daniela apologizes for hurting Harlow, but states that she had no choice. Just then, Ivanna runs down the stairs with Harlow, demanding that Daniela owe her an explanation for scarring Harlow, and he accuses her of scarring him. This causes Daniela to shrink, and Mya turns on her, snapping that she almost cost him sight in that eye. She pleads that she didn't want to hurt him, but she had to, which only makes Mya more irate, and she growls that she's the most deceptive liar she's ever met. Winter tears her sister away from her, affirming that she's telling the truth, but Mya doesn't listen to her. She draws a line on the ground, ordering those who stand with Harlow to join her and those who support Daniela. After some deliberation, all the girls side with Daniela, and they dash out the door when Harlow tells them to get lost. After they leave, Mya is still shocked they chose Daniela over him. Later, Daniela follows Rex inside her house, nervously taking each step, and Rex asks if she's okay, noting that she's been dead silent since the car ride. Daniela sniffs again, more tears in her eyes, and she knows that she must tell Rex about Harlow advancing on her.

She murmurs that something happened at the mansion, struggling to breathe, and Rex hugs her tightly. She wails that everything's not okay, and Rex takes her to the sofa, questioning if she feels comfortable telling her what happened, which she confirms. Daniela stammers that she went upstairs to wash her face, but Harlow put a hand over her mouth and threw her into the bathroom, wanting to do something he knew was wrong. She shakes, and Rex softly urges her to go on. Daniela mentions that Harlow pinned her hands against the wall, but stops, fearing her mother will not believe what she has to say next. Rex reassures her that she can tell her anything she wants to, and gulping, she reveals that Harlow attempted to kiss her on her neck - but wanted more. Breaking down, Daniela cries into her mother's blouse, and she pulls her closer to her. Rex whispers that she's alright, tucking her blazer down near her waistline. Without warning, Daniela flinches back in shock, and Rex worriedly questions if she hurt her. She stammers no, admitting that she's been hiding the truth because she fearss she won't believe her, but Rex encourages her to go on, completely listening to her. At last, Daniela confesses that Harlow sexually assaulted her, and Rex feels her cheek, impressed. She commends Daniela for her strength in being honest to her, saying that she's proud. She puts her head into her lap, and just a few minutes later, Daniela is asleep. Rex leaves her to sleep on the sofa, bringing her one of her plushies. She then heads into the kitchen, informing Pineshadow police of Daniela's assault. Meanwhile, Winter informs her parents of Harlow almost violating Daniela and how Mya refused to believe it, horrifying them.

#### *The Divide Between Us*

"*Mya broke your heart tonight... She had* no right *to be that vile to you. But the* real *her is buried, deep within all that darkness. We'll get her back, Evie. Together.*"
—Daniela to Evie

Mya notes that she doesn't have to worry about conflicts with her family and friends. When the police arrive, Mya realizes that the girls' parents called them on Harlow, and she vows vengeance against Daniela for scarring Harlow. Some time afterward, she recalls that the girls have been a thorn in her side. Later, Evie meets with the girls at Pinelake Park, and Daniela reveals that Mya has blocked her, along with Amira. She agrees to join the girls in speaking with Mya, but wants to remain hidden so she isn't attacked, and Amira promises Daniela that nothing like the dinner party will happen. Relieved, she thanks her and the others. That night, Daniela shakes nervously, questioning if Mya is here yet. Winter responds in the negative, telling her to relax, which she does. When Mya sees the girls, she immediately points her finger accusingly at Daniela, causing her to flinch back. Mya shoves Evie aside, and desiring vengeance, she growls that Daniela doesn't belong here and has Harlow's blood on her hands. She pleads that she didn't mean to hurt him and wouldn't if he hadn't tried to force himself onto her, wanting to be left alone. Mya refuses to listen to her, claiming that she scarred him on purpose and is keen on hurting others despite her "redemption." Daniela winces, knowing they are far from on good terms now. Not wanting a rift, she begs that Harlow was lying to her and that she almost got violated. Mya snaps violently, screaming that she's so self-centered and directly calling her a two-faced monster. Shaking, Daniela spirals into a flashback. In the flashback, she is aroused from her prison cell for the final washroom trip before bedtime. She notes that she doesn't want to be stuck here, but nonetheless, she follows a trail of white-shirt prisoners to the washroom, feeling isolated.

She heads to an open sink and begins to wash her face. As she fixes her buntail, the inner demon in her head taunts her for her current appearance, and Daniela mutters for it to go away. When it refuses, she growls that she's not listening, grabbing the attention of some of her fellow prisoners. The demon spits at her that she's a coward, demanding that she look in the mirror and see the person she has become. It describes her unkept appearance, and frustrated, Daniela pleads to be left alone. The demon inquires how she thinks Winter feels about her, and terrified recalling the memory of the school party, Daniela blurts out that she'd think she is a monster. It agrees with her, mentioning that next time she looks at herself, she should see who she has been made out to be. This finally makes Daniela look in the mirror - and she is beyond mortified to see that she bears the appearance of a monster - a red dress with a crown on her head. She struggles to process this, and the demon tells her that she's made herself a monster. It adds that because she lusted for the pain and suffering of others, in addition to hurting many people, she has blood on her hands. Daniela glances down, and becomes sick upon seeing that her hands are drenched and dripping in blood from everyone that she has inflicted misery on. She names the people she has hurt the most, and the demon berates her for being foolish, remarking that she deserves to rot in hell. Glancing at her hands at the monster in the mirror, Daniela lets out an ear-curdling scream, then runs out of the washroom, barreling into a prison guard. Daniela refuses to turn back, not knowing where she is going and slipping into another panic attack. Suddenly, she slams into a dead end, causing her to black out. When she wakes up, Daniela finds that it is another day in prison, and she cries into her pillow.

Winter and Amira snap her out of the flashback, reassuring her that she's okay, and she backs away from the scene. Winter becomes irate with Mya and bashes her for calling Daniela a monster, commenting that she's cruel and ambitious. Following Mya's betrayal, Evie's friends surround her as she sobs. Later, Daniela walks Evie home, guiding her forward, and she drops her off at her doorstep. Despite being on the way home, Daniela feels wrong, and realizes that she can't bring herself to leave Evie. At once, she turns back and knocks on the door of the Ly residence, telling Evie's father that she came to see her friend, as she suspected something was wrong. Opal points her to the bedroom, and there, she finds Evie sprawled out and lifeless on her bed. Daniela tries to get her attention, but she mutters for her to go away. Daniela reveals that she came back for her, snarling that Mya had no right to be that vile to her, but they can get the real her back together. Evie believes it's hopeless and that they've lost Mya for good, but Daniela pulls her up, assuring her that Mya doesn't know what she's saying; they need her help to fix this, as she is her girlfriend. Evie points out that she was abandoned, but Daniela retorts that she can't give in. She rubs her cheek, urging her to breathe and slow down, and Evie wails for Mya. Daniela can do nothing more to comfort her but rock her back and forth, and eventually, she falls asleep. Gently setting her down on her pillow, Daniela leaves her room and tells her parents that she's asleep, yet heartbroken and doesn't know if she'll recover. Evie's father then thanks her for her help, and blushing, she returns home. During the *Chasing Ghosts* scene, Evie realizes that Mya hates her, one of the reasons being for defending Daniela over Harlow.

#### *Rise to Power*

"*I don't care what you have to say!" [...] "Yes, I know the dangers of being around Harlow. That man has lust and tricks up his sleeve, but I've realized something about this - no matter the* cost*, I can't bring myself to abandon those I care about. Out of all the girls, I'm the strongest. I'm brave to the point where I'm reckless, and that lands me into trouble. Yet, if we're going into danger, then what's the point of curling up being safe when perhaps an entire town needs me now?*"
—Daniela to Rex

Daniela sits with Winter at Pinelake Park, and she turns to face her, noticing that her eyes are tinged with worry and longing. Daniela notes that while she was quick to recover from the shock of Mya's betrayal, Winter needed help from her and Amira to be pulled out of her outbursts and more into normalicy. However, Winter has an unchangable amount of animosity directed at her parents which she personally relates to, calling it one of the worst feelings to have. Winter comments that they haven't seen Evie in two weeks, and Daniela nods, recalling the last time she saw Evie - depressed and almost lifeless on her bed, grieving as if Mya was dead. Solemnly, she takes Winter's hand in her own, hoping to comfort her, but their moment is interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Both glance to their left to find Amira approaching them, Evie by her side. Relieved that she is okay, Daniela hugs her, exclaiming that they were so worried as the rest of the girls join in. Evie apologizes for her absence, promising to be the girls' leader and vowing to get Mya back together, which excites them; Daniela chimes in that she has the strength someone should fear, flexing her arm muscle briefly. As Evie paces, she draws lines in the dirt with her boot in the shape of a Y, giving her the idea for a plan, and she announces a two-sided diversion: while she and Winter speak to Mya directly, Amira and Daniela will sneak into Hollowleaf Mansion and find any information to incriminate Harlow and Ivanna.

Amira is instantly dead set on the plan, but her mood falls when she sees Daniela getting up shakily, fear in her eyes. She prompts her on what's wrong, and Daniela stammers that she can't go back to Hollowleaf Mansion. Walking up to Evie, she adds that Harlow is just going to assault her again if she goes back, casting her eyes away sullenly, and Evie puts a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. She consoles her by apologizing, silently chastising herself for her poor judgment, and she allows Daniela to back out should she choose. Chosing to pass on the mission, Daniela thanks her and wishes Amira luck doing her task alone, to which she promises to be strong for her. The next morning, Daniela yawns on her sofa, having just finished up her breakfast, and Rex agrees that she made the right decision for not getting herself back around Harlow again. Daniela remarks that she did, but inside, she begins to worry about Amira - her mission is insanely risky, and she would likely get tortured if she got captured by the Parkers. Gasping, she realizes that Amira can't get captured due to the situations that would ensue from it, and overwhelmed with regret, Daniela reverses course and firmly says that she must go to Hollowleaf Mansion. Rex, appalled and horrified, snaps that she's crazy for such a thought and isn't going back for her safety, questioning why she even wants to be around Harlow again.

Daniela declares that she's going back, not wanting Amira risking her life by herself. Rex attempts to say something, but her daughter cuts her off, stating that she is well aware of the danger being around Harlow, but no matter the cost and the risk, she can't abandon those she cares about - she's brave to the point where she is reckless. Daniela then asks about the point of curling up safe when Pineshadow needs her, further dumbfounding Rex, who recalls her daughter nearly being traumatized at the hands of the person she desperately wants to kill. Instead of loinging for the safety net of home, Daniela is willing to throw herself in harm's way for Amira and her best friends. Nervously, she questions if she wants to really go through with this, as she's really worried about her and doesn't want her to be hurt again, making Daniela soften. Allowing her mother to pull herself into a hug, she confirms her intentions to go back to Hollowleaf Mansion, and Rex takes her hands, admitting that she doesn't like this; however, she has changed so much and won't stop her from what she truly wants to achieve. Relieved, and with her eyes glimmering, she remarks that Rex is the best, leaning up against her shoulder. She also expresses her desire to work hard and prove to Pineshadow that she isn't a villain anymore, all with time and courage, causing Rex to nearly cry as she reflects on Daniela's growth. Happily, she wishes her luck. Five hours later, Daniela surprises the girls at the Fleckenshire household.

Evie is stunned and is about to point out that she didn't want to be in contact with Harlow, which Daniela confirms, and while she says that he still disgusts her, she can't abandon her friends right now - they need her. Awestruck, Amira admires her, murmuring that she came back, and Daniela asks if she's ready to "kick ass." To her excitement, she agrees, and Evie internally notes that she's adorable without realizing it. Once the girls arrive at Hollowleaf Mansion and get dropped off, Amira walks alongside Daniela, taking her hand and promising to keep her safe from the Parkers. On a motion from Winter, the two duck behind a fold in the brickwork. When Mya expresses her disinterest in Winter, the latter believes she doesn't care about helping her stand up to Daniela in the past. Once Mya agrees to talk to her sister and Evie, Winter guides Amira and Daniela upstairs before following Mya, avoiding suspicion. Later, Amira and Daniela approach the top left corridor upstairs, the right corridor haven proven to be of no success. Amira comments that if they can't find anything, they go back downstairs to wait for the other girls, and Daniela nods, allowing the two to break apart and search. The two don't find anything of interest, but Daniela catches sight of the bathroom, causing her to pause in shock as the assault from the dinner party replays in her head.

Someone places a palm on her cheek, and Daniela nearly screams in sheer horror, but she instead finds Amira, gazing at her with sympathy. She reassures her that it's alright and that Harlow is not there to assault her again as long as she is here, relieving her. With a small glance at each other, the two break apart and continue searching; Daniela holds in coughs from dust and mothballs and joins Amira by a door which they haven't checked yet. She tries the door, only to find it is locked, raising her suspicions. She tells Amira that something must be behind that door that they need to find out, and she agrees, but points out that it's locked and that she can't see anything through the small window. Holding in her frustration, Daniela leans back on a table, and her fingers come in contact with a metal surface. Startled, she jumps back, and Amira inquires as to what's going on. She picks the metal object, a paper clip, up and Daniela mutters that they're still out of ideas, but to her surprise, Amira remarks that they aren't, unfurling the paper clip into a thin line. Declaring that they've got their enter ticket, she fiddles with the door lock and cracks it. Astonished by her skill, Daniela remembers handling her gym lock in school, and Amira reveals that Evie taught her how to pick locks. Regaining her composure, Daniela ruffles Amira's hair, calling her a "sly little fox" and encouraging themselves to get inside the secret room before Ivanna finds them out.

Inside the room, it is pitch-black, which causes Daniela's heart to race until Amira turns on the light. As they explore, she notices the front board in the room and shrieks, drawing Amira's attention to her, and she points to the board - which has a ghastly message written in unsmudged ink - and the girls' mouths fall open in disbelief. Meanwhile, in the game room, Winter snaps at Mya that she supported her when she first revealed that Daniela was her ex-girlfriend. Back in the secret room, Amira and Daniela grip hands so tightly that their fingers turn pale. Daniela, naming out part of the message on the board, is so shaken that she is almost reduced to tears, but Amira soothes her by placing her hand on her shoulder. Now more relaxed, she re-examines the board's message, deciphering that someone must have betrayed Harlow and Ivanna, leading to them wanting revenge - by destroying Pineshadow. Dumbfounded, Amira utters the last part in shock, and Daniela mentions that they came back for "her," and all of a suddenm her mouth goes bone dry. Amira inquires if she's alright, and her friend stammers that the "her" in the message is Mya, and Amira looks at her as if she is crazy. Daniela adds that it makes too much sense, as Harlow and Ivanna have sought after Mya and promised to return for her someday. Amira then exclaims that the Parkers have known their granddaughter since before she met them, and Daniela questions the identity of the person Harlow and Ivanna are targeting for revenge.

This leaves Amira baffled, but it doesn't deter her, and she instructs Daniela to look around the room carefully and to screw with anything that looks out of place. The two break apart and search; Daniela feels the walls with her hand, feeling no board out of place, and she then approaches the left table. Curious, she looks at the papers scattered about, but none yield results. Frustrated, she curses and slams her hand against the wall, instantly regretting her action and causing her to start panicking. Amira whams into her and pulls her under the table, where they pin themselves against the wall and don't breathe for a few moments. Once the coast is clear, Amira notices Daniela's rushed breathing and her shakiness, trying to soothe her, but she stammers that she's claustrophobic and can't calm down. Daniela's head spins with vertigo as she sees herself back in her prison cell, going insane every single day, but this thought is dispelled by Amira. She pulls her into a hug, gazing at her sweetly, and Daniela buries her face in her shoulder. Amira whispers that she's okay, promising that they'll solve this mystery together and taking up her hand, making Daniela blush. In turn, she replies that she's so grateful for her right now, slightly flustering Amira. With their ordeal over, the two continue scavenging for evidence. Daniela feels along the wall more roughly and finally strikes gold upon finding a loose board, peeling it away and uncovering a piece of paper. Unfurling it, she and Amira read its message, which warns of the Parkers being robbed of "something powerful."

Daniela admits that she doesn't know what it means, but suspects that this person made a mistake messing with Harlow and Ivanna, and Amira tells her to keep it in her pocket. Nodding, she hides the paper and feels along the wall again, but finds nothing more. Amira, on the other hand, almost tips over the vase on the other table, which she catches just in time, and she notices a paper lying at the front of her ankle boots. She and Daniela investigate it, but are dismayed when it only contains a pattern of lines and dots, and Daniela in particular questions why it would be here when it has no use. Amira mutters that they've looked everywhere, and her friend shares her sentiment, saying that they tried. Resigned, Amira peers out the door to make sure Ivanna isn't around, and while she does so, Daniela studies the wall and observes the striping pattern. Suddenly, she realizes that the pattern is not repeated on the wall in front of her and presses the boards, causing them to splinter at the top and bottom. Daniela calls out to Amira, declaring that the mystery isn't over yet, pulling the wood panel away and uncovering something shocking - an old safe. Amira attempts to unlock it, but is unsuccessful, and upon seeing the marks etched onto the top of the safe, she remarks that this keeps getting even more bizarre. Daniela shares her thoughts, baffled by the line-dot-line pattern and comparing it to a second code. Suddenly, her heart rate gallops as she realizes that the "second code" is actually morse code. Stunned, Amira says that it's a clever way for Harlow and Ivanna to hide their secrets, asking how Daniela knew, to which she sheepishly responds that she learned in history. Analyzing the morse code, she turns the safe knob to 9-2-9, cracking it open - and the two discover a diary.

Daniela takes it into her hands, and together, she and Amira read it, learning of Harlow and Ivanna's greedy nature and their desires for power and revenge against unknown people, in addition to destroying the "embers of this fire." Amira and Daniela turn to the next page, eager to find the incriminating evidence they need, only to see that the pages have been scratched out by Harlow. Dejected, Daniela whispers that they were that close, and livid, Amira curses and stamps her foot on the ground. The vase on the other table falls to the ground and smashes into pieces, and panicking, Daniela grabs her and throws themselves under the other table, pinning themselves up all the way against the wall as Ivanna comes in. After she leaves, Amira fearfully states that they have to get out of here, and Daniela nods in agreement. She heads over to the door, snagging a satchel and stowing away the diary inside of it. She walks back toward Amira, but without warning, her ankle twists the opposite way, and Daniela howls in pain. The door slams open, revealing Ivanna, who angrily demands what they are doing. Amira retorts that they've found the truth about her and will prove how dangerous she is to Pineshadow, Daniela by her side defiantly, but she becomes mortified when Ivanna kicks Amira into the wall. Daniela immediately rushes to her side, and Ivanna continues her attack on Amira, grabbing her by the shirt collar and slamming her up against the wall. Having been shoved in the corner by the commotion, Daniela watches in terror as her friend fights for her life, and refusing to let her die, she kicks Ivanna on the forehead. She then grabs Amira and pulls her back up, and with venom in her voice, she warns Ivanna to give up, as the truth about her will come out and will land her in prison.

However, Ivanna sees through her and growls that she went insane in juvenile prison, believing that no one should listen to the curse that she is. Daniela is stunned by the ableism, the remarks deeply hurting her, and with the distraction, Ivanna takes the opportunity to punch her on the cheek. This sends Daniela into the wall, and she clutches her head, groaning in pain. Amira moves up against her side, holding her hands, and Ivanna mocks her defiance. The Parker kneels in front of them, stating that Amira, the confident one, is battered and bruised - and Daniela is the unpure lunatic spreading lies. Amira, infuriated by the remark directed at her best friend, jumps on Ivanna, commanding her to take that back. She hisses that she has no right to dehumanize Daniela; she is one of them now, but Ivanna throws her off and then plays into her trauma, pretending to be Shetani and jarring Amira greatly. Daniela blocks out her screaming, but just before Ivanna can punch Amira on her cheek, she deflects the blow with her own instead. With the strength of a lion, Daniela snaps that if Ivanna messes with Amira, her history, or anyone she loves, she'll mess with her and hunt her down until she dies. Ivanna, having had enough of this, gives the girls an ultimatum: they can go downstairs and live free, or they can defy her and be disposed of. Daniela concedes, and pleased, the Parker drags her and Amira downstairs. She reveals their presence to the game room, and in an effort to lighten the mood, Daniela jokes that they brought pizza.

However, this does nothing to ease the tension, and Harlow makes his way up to her, snapping that she's insane and clawed out his eye. Daniela braces for the worst, trying to hold herself together, and he warmly states that she shouldn't have come back here, a wide smile on his face. She threatens to blind him in his other eye, but this doesn't deter Harlow, as he continues his advance and pushes her against the wall, terrifying her. He whispers to Daniela that no one has to find out, yanking her into his chest for a horrifying hug, and while she squirms, she can't escape his grip. Seeing the inevitable about to happen, Amira yells at him to leave her alone, but she is restrained by Ivanna. Winter furiously comes to her girlfriend's rescue, slitting Ivanna's throat just enough to set her free, and they notice how visibly petrified Daniela is by Harlow. Amira spits at him to swallow his sin, driving him away with a kick to his pelvis, and relieved, Daniela throws herself onto her friend. During Mya's quarrel with Evie, Daniela tries to reason with her by mentioning her and Amira's proof that Harlow and Ivanna are criminals, but Mya dismisses her, growling that she has the mindset of a criminal herself. Mya then laughs, relishing in Evie's suffering, which Daniela compares to her own sadism that she once had. After the girls are exiled, they return to the Fleckenshire place, where Dahlia learns of what happened. She praises Daniela, saying that she's an amazing friend to Amira and believing Rex will have so much pride in her. When Amira and Winter kiss, Daniela catches the moment, but Evie does not.

#### *Two Lives, Many Horrors*

"*Just like [Amira], I was pretty close to taking it all from myself too." [...] "Every day I spent in prison, the more I wanted to just do it - I never wanted to live in pain again. Suicide was the easy way out. But when I got diagnosed as a bipolar... I had enough clarity to know that I couldn't die. Not when there were amends to be made.*"
—Daniela opening up about feeling suicidal in the past

As Evie and Amira encourage the Heartleys to rise up, Daniela watches them with interest. Nita, unable to stand the pressure anymore, blurts out that they can't do anything, and Daniela questions them, interrogating them quietly. Nita and Patrick then promise to tell the girls everything they know about Harlow and Ivanna, and when Nita reveals that they funded the funeral for her parents, Daniela mutters that she never imagined the Parkers actually having a heart. Soon, Nita mentions that one day, Harlow and Ivanna demanded for money they couldn't be given, and terrified, Amira grips Daniela's shoulderblade as the Heartleys explain how they got attacked and burned the one photo to protect Mya at all costs. Amira relates, having been shrouded in secrets herself, and Evie and Daniela nod in agreement.

The latter asks if they ever considered just being honest with Mya, thinking about how she could accept it and move on, and Nita uneasily confesses that they did. Winter, furious by her parents' revelations, seemingly is about to pull her knife out on her parents, worrying Daniela, who gasps. Winter hisses that her parents are backstabbers, just like Daniela was, although she pleads that she isn't being rational and that she wasn't like the Heartleys at all. After Nita shares how Mya saved her from killing herself, Daniela opens up about how prison nearly pushed her to suicide. However, when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she didn't want herself to die, but wanted to be a better person instead. Once Winter eases and apologizes to her parents for misjudging them, Daniela supports her quietly and even exclaims "Parallels!" when she finds similarity with her own past, and Evie pats her on the back.

#### *Disappearance*

"*No, mom." [...] "When I say I do things, I* will *do them. If I put myself in front of a firing line for those I* love*, so be it, my* friends *being alive **matters to me**. I have a* responsibility *to myself, and that's to not only prove to Pineshadow that I'm* worthy *of redemption, but to show Mya the light and restore her to what she* used *to be.*"
—Daniela to Rex on being selfless

Upon learning that Winter's parents have disappeared, Daniela rushes to her place and asks what happened, causing Winter to explain her discovery that morning. Evie, suspicious, deduces that Harlow and Ivanna are the reason the Heartleys vanished, and worried, Daniela says that if they don't do something to stop them and rescue Mya, they'll all be doomed. Winter panics, but Amira reassures her that nobody is going to die, and Daniela puts a hand on her shoulder, promising to kill the Parkers slowly and painfully if they murder someone she loves. Evie then declares that they have to search the house for evidence, in addition to sending a message to Mya about her parents, but Amira points out that Mya will exile them again - and afterward, the Parkers might kill them. Just as she rethinks, Daniela then offers to speak with Mya by herself, shocking the girls. Winter pleads that she can't sacrifice herself like this, especially with Harlow and Mya around, but she retorts that she doesn't care, as she can see Mya eye-to-eye the way she is. Evie realizes that she is referring to the person she once was, the ruthless villain and school bully who'd traumatize every kid and torment Mya; Daniela loved to drag Mya and her family name through the mud until someone intervened. It is no wonder to Evie why she wants to do this mission alone - she'd do anything in her power to correct Mya even if it means chancing face. Daniela admits that she knows the girls won't like it, but Mya is the spitting image of the old her, which makes her believe that she can reach out to her.

Winter asks if she's sure she wants to do this alone, which she confirms, assuring that there's a warrior in her and someone she can rely on. Evie, pulling Daniela into a hug, wishes her luck and tells her to "put a target" in her girlfriend, and hugging her back, she agrees to. After returning home, Daniela greets Rex, who questions if Nita and Patrick have been found. Sighing, she responds that they haven't, but Evie and Amira are searching for clues while someone goes to Hollowleaf Mansion to inform Mya of what's going on. Rex thinks that Winter offered to go, but gulping, Daniela reveals that she volunteered. Horrified, her mother states that she has to stop being so reckless and putting herself in trouble; she and Amira got attacked by Ivanna and she doesn't need to be that selfless again. Daniela shakes her head, affirming that she'll do what she wants to protect her friends, as their survival matters to her. She's responsible to proving to Pineshadow that she's worthy of redemption, in addition to showing Mya the light. Rex slowly calms, her mind racing over Daniela's bravery and willingness to take risks and the possible thought of her dying. However, her name rings the name of a fighter and hero, and choosing to not fight Daniela, Rex finally agrees to take her to Hollowleaf Mansion. Daniela then adds that she has another tactic to get Mya to cooperate with her, intimidation, which Rex finds uncharacteristic and cruel. Shaking her head again, Daniela clarifies that she wants to intimidate Mya with her style, asking her mother if she remembers her rock phase.

Rex does, recalling when Daniela was eleven and would listen to heavy music and change her appearance into a more rock style. Despite alarming her mother and everyone else around her, the phase became dead after two months. Daniela wishes to be a full-blown rockstar since Mya hasn't seen that side of her yet, and once she sees how different she looks, she can speak to her completely. Rex, intrigued with her daughter's plan, takes ideas from Daniela on what she wants. Thirty minutes later, Daniela looks at her new outfit in the mirror, now wearing a black leather jacket, slightly ripped leather pants, a choker on her right arm, and spiked, studded black ankle boots. Clawing the air with her newly-painted black nails, she asks Rex how she looks, and she comments that she is stunning. Daniela remarks that she's intimidating, desiring for Mya to fear her - if she can reach out to her now, there can be peace and no war. Rex, sweeping her into an embrace, says that they should get going, and Daniela knows that she has the best mother ever. Fifteen minutes later, Rex drops Daniela off at Hollowleaf Mansion, and she promises to rock Mya's world. As she makes her way up to the mansion, she recalls the night of the dinner party and Harlow touching her, though she shakes the memory away and knocks on the doors. Mya opens them, and furious by Daniela's appearance, is about to say that she has no right before seeing the outfit and blushing. Satisfied, Daniela puffs out her chest and questions if she's surprised to see her visiting.

Noticing that Mya is still frazzled, she affirms that she's only here to talk. Mya regains her queen persona and tells her to quit lying, suspecting that the girls are hiding out, but fed up with her behavior, Daniela drags her out and proves to her that none of the girls are hiding. Keeping up her intimidation, Daniela drags Mya back inside, growling that she's not going to listen to or her play her games - all she wants is to talk, squaring her shoulders pointedly. Mya retreats to speak with Harlow and Ivanna, and after they nod at Daniela, the latter follows Mya to a room downstairs. Meanwhile, in the Heartley house, Evie truly sees how Mya and Daniela are akin to each other. Back at Hollowleaf Mansion, Daniela follows Mya uneasily through the halls, noting that Mya made her "feel welcome" by letting her relax for a while on the sofa. They reach a room which Mya curtly orders her to enter, and stepping inside, Daniela finds it to be empty and gutted. Mya glances at her warily, causing her to remind her that she only wants to talk, nothing malicious is happening. Suspicious, Mya mutters that the girls do that every time they step foot in the mansion, and Daniela shakes her head, stating that she came here to address her personally - she sees her for who she is. At once, Mya whirls around and demands what has brought her here, to which Daniela replies that the new her is the old person she was - a sadist who wanted people to suffer for her own benefit.

Mya retorts that she was never chosen and she herself has different things to achieve, but Daniela snaps at her to look at herself for the cruel and murderous person she now is - hatred isn't the answer, but it isn't too late to change her fate. She warns her that she can't decide her path, declaring that her future is glorious and triumphant and flicking her cape back arrogantly. Daniela, frustrated, hisses that she isn't joking around with her, as she once warned her of who she was going to become only to be disowned. She should be living with regret, but instead, she enjoys her new history. Silencing her, Daniela adds that she knows she and the Parkers caused that horrendous attack on Old Town Pineshadow, knowing it's too late to fix the damage done. Mya screams that it doesn't matter and pulls her close by the jacket collar, snarling that they prospered. She doesn't give a damn about her and the girls, especially when she tried to tear her down - she deserves none of her forgiveness. She circles Daniela like a rabid wolf, though the latter remains defiant and builds herself back up. She urges Mya to make things right again, but she scoffs, saying that she only came here to mutilate her and turning away. Refusing to be fazed and defeated, Daniela decides to do the only thing that will make Mya listen - and she grabs her arm, revealing that her parents have disappeared. Stunned, and in disbelief, Mya's anger diminishes to fear as Daniela explains the evidence found, proving that her parents are indeed missing.

Mya shrieks that she didn't want this to happen, yanking on Daniela's arm, admitting that while she said horrible things about Nita and Patrick, she never truly wanted them to disappear, terrified and cape sagging behind her. Daniela, relieved, repeats that it's not too late to turn things around for the better - she'll always be loyal to the humorous, courageous person she's known Mya to be. Mya, uncomfortable and wiping away the tears from her eyes, realizes her mistakes and holds Daniela's hand, agreeing to change. Deciding to have some fun before they return home, she asks if she likes her rockstar outfit, and Mya says that she looks rad in it, finding her attractive. Teasing her for being smitten, Daniela states that they can go home now, with Mya promising to be out from behind her. As she leaves, she runs into Harlow and Ivanna, whom she politely asks to move out of the way, and they oblige. Daniela walks past them, happy that her mission was a success, but suddenly, Harlow and Ivanna grab her arms and drag her back into the doorway. Daniela, panicking, thrashes around, but can't escape their grip. She howls at a motionless Mya to do something, but Harlow lustfully simpers that they meet again and that she wanted to play with fate again, making Daniela threaten to harm him. Focusing on Mya again, she alarmingly realizes that she never wanted to make peace, but sought to betray her in the worst way possible. Daniela begs to be let go, but Mya snickers, pacing in front of her as she points out that she always came back for more - an addiction. As she was a "major negative circumstance" in their plans, she told Harlow and Ivanna that she knew her true motive all along.

Daniela tries to point out that she was blushing, but to her shock, Mya dismisses that and reveals that she was faking it, having never fell for the ruse in the first place. Daniela, receiving flashbacks to prison and refusing to be detained again, knocks Ivanna free and makes a mad dash for the doors, opening them and placing one foot on the grass. However, her escape is short-lived, as she is pulled back in and into the cold, coddling presence of Harlow. He traces her neck with his fingers, pleasuring himself, and he tells her to not fight the feeling. This causes Daniela's shoulders to unintentionally fall, and with her guard down, Harlow praises her for her submission. He drags her back to the doorway of the empty room, where he sneaks his fingers up to her chin, and Daniela knows the heat isn't rising in her favor. Mya orders the Parkers to take her away, and at once, they drag her off; her heels tear into the floorboards, and while she shrieks Mya's name, her pleas fall on deaf ears. Eventually, her voice dies away, and she is locked in a room. Ivanna mutters that they'll keep her hostage, as she might prove useful, and Mya replies that she has to be kept down. Harlow indicates that she will deviously, and Mya, still confused by what she said, wonders if Daniela was lying about her parents. The Parkers realize that Daniela is aware of their intentions, and Harlow whispers that he should show her how to cooperate. When he orders Mya to sleep, she is furious, noting that surveying Daniela is her top priority as of now.

#### *Ultimatum*

"*You're that heartless, Mya? Really? You want to make me miserable for feelings you can't even* control*?*"
—Daniela to Mya after she almost attacks her in rage

Mya attempts to recall what happened the previous day, her memory clouded except for her recall of Daniela being captured and held prisoner - along with her getting mad at Harlow for telling her to sleep when she wanted to watch Daniela. After heading to the living room, Harlow gives a speech, saying that every puzzle piece is in place except one - one of the girls' intelligence poses a threat to her plans. Immediately, Mya rules out Amira and considers Daniela the likely girl, but is horrified when her grandfather names Evie instead. Meanwhile, Evie, Winter, and Amira worry for Daniela, who has been missing for a day since she went to Hollowleaf Mansion. Winter is about to suggest that Harlow has her, but Amira refuses to believe it, stating that they must hope faith spared her from any harm. Evie is more doubtful, choosing to not dwell on Daniela's fate. Suddenly, Rex barges into the house and reveals that Daniela is missing, terrifying the girls. Evie admits that the Parkers must have her as a prisoner; they wouldn't let her escape, especially if she tried to steal Mya away from them. Rex breaks down, stammering that they're going to mess her daughter up, and understanding her distress, Opal soothes her and says that she's worried about Daniela as well. Nodding uneasily at her, Rex sits next to Amira, who tells her that she's one of Daniela's best friends and would willingly go back to Hollowleaf if it meant saving her. Shocked, Rex questions if she really would, and she agrees - with Winter declaring that she'll join her as well. Suddenly, Harlow slams her door open and orders her to check on Daniela, and nodding, Mya walks to a door labeled with a fourteen on it and opens it.

Inside, she sees Daniela chained to a chair, straining to escape, and when she sees Mya, she growls. Mya hisses at her to remain quiet and sits on a nearby bed, undoing the clasp on her cape and allowing it to fall onto the mattress. Daniela eyes her suspiciously, and she mutters that she's not going to do anything to her, only needing to check on her status. Immediately, she surveys Daniela's body, and she hisses; before Mya can bite back, the prisoner reveals that Harlow has been sexually abusing her. He wants to kiss her and make sure she is unpure, and only she knows when Mya gets sent in here to see what dirty work her grandfather has done on her. Mya dismisses her claim as ridiculous, but refusing to play her game, Daniela snaps at her to stop being a dumbass - she's in so much denial that she's just as horrible for letting her get abused like this - Harlow keeps fondling her face and leaving marks on her neck. Mya growls that she's bluffing, deeming her a liar who only wants to cover her own tracks, and losing it, Daniela screams at her to see the marks for herself. Briefly clutching her ears, Mya begrudgingly agrees to look and kneels down, expecting to have been right. However, she realizes that Daniela was right all along, as there are markings and bruises on her face and neck, causing her head to spin with vertigo. An even darker realization sets in - Harlow was the one who spent all his time in the prison room - effectively proving that he has been sexually abusing Daniela. Gagging, Mya clambers back over to the bed, and Daniela tells her that she knows she's right now about Harlow lusting for her; he won't stop until her innocence is destroyed.

Mya apologizes, claiming that Harlow's advances aren't her problem and that her check-in is done, preparing to head out of the room, but she is stopped by Daniela. She demands what she wants, and immediately, she drops a bombshell on Mya - she overheard Harlow's ultimatum that he gave to her this morning. Gasping, Mya clutches her heart, her head overwhelmed by the memory of the chilling order. With anger in her voice, she retorts that Daniela's the detriment to their plans, and regardless, Evie will die. Despite her certainty, Daniela drops another bombshell on her - she's aware that she still loves Evie and doesn't want to kill her. Astonished, she asks how she knew, and she admits that she's studied Mya's behavior each time that she has set foot in this room. When Mya sits on the bed, Evie comes to her mind; she denies that she isn't in love when the reality is the cold opposite - she still wants to be Evie's girlfriend. Each time she pictures her or anything else relating to her, she becomes distant - and her reluctance to attack her only proved Daniela's suspicions. Mya backs all the way to the door, her heart thumping, everything she had tried to keep away from Daniela all unfurled by the very person who used to despise her. Despite knowing that she is being truthful, it only pains her to think about what she said, torn between loving Evie or killing her to uphold Harlow and Ivanna's honor. Mya breaks down, and unable to fight away Daniela's words and her personal longing for Evie, she snaps. Crying in rage, she runs at Daniela in full force, preparing to collide with her and bust her chin open. However, seeing what she is about to do, she stops, and no one speaks for a moment.

Daniela then kills the silence and asks if Mya wants to make her miserable for feelings that she can't even control. Irritated, she cuffs her ears and tells her to not waste her time, stalking out the door, only to be interrupted by Daniela again when she urges her to pick her battles wisely. Mya slams the door, not being able to take any more and struggling to pick a side. That night, Mya refuses to think about her confrontation with Daniela and sleeps. The next day, Winter and Amira head off on their mission to save Daniela from Harlow and Ivanna, sneaking into Hollowleaf Mansion and searching the bottom left of the first floor for her. They don't locate her, and Winter then suggests going upstairs. Amira recalls the room she and Daniela snuck into, which nearly led to disaster due to a few mistakes - Ivanna had played into Amira's trauma, but was stopped when Daniela intervened to save her friend. Upstairs, none of the rooms hold Daniela and only memories of what happened to her at the mansion. They reach the final door, and Winter tries the knob, causing a gasp from inside. Shocked, she peers down and is in disbelief to find Daniela chained to a chair, wearing a much different outfit than before. She warns her and Amira to get out; Hollowleaf Mansion is dangerous and she has suffered for returning here, but her friend doesn't listen to her and kicks the door down. When Ivanna finds Amira, Daniela screams. During her confrontation with Ivanna, Winter eventually comes to realize that Daniela will never be free (among other things) if she kills her, so she concedes. Later, Rex admits to Evie that Daniela has taught her a lot about motherhood.

#### *Warbringer*

"*My past self is an entity that I made sure to destroy. Before I learned to love others, I had to learn to love myself.* Accept *myself. You were one of the girls to teach me how to grow into my new skin and take a chance at my* new *life, Mya. You're every single color of the rainbow to me, and with those colors, you can defeat the evil that wishes to burn Pineshadow down in their hands.*"
—Daniela encouraging Mya to stand up and fight

In the wine cellar, Evie prays that she and Mya get saved, stop Harlow and Ivanna, and make them suffer for all eternity. She wishes for her prayer to be answered, and almost on cue, someone chips away at the door. Startled, Evie demands who's there, and the door comes crashing down, a tall figure walking forward through a dust cloud. Evie screams just as the figure rams into her body and pins her on the ground, placing a hand on her mouth and urging her to quiet down. Squirming in her captor's grip, Evie wills herself to fight, but when the dust parts, she becomes shocked at the sight of Daniela. Daniela warns her to keep her voice low and pulls her between two shelves, and noticing her wild, new appearance, she mentions that she looks different. Flustered, she says that there's no need to question it and will tell her hopefully later, and apologizing, Evie asks if she's alright - she never returned from her trip. Sighing and taking her hand, Daniela reveals that she almost convinced Mya to change sides, but she betrayed her last minute, having lied to her about wanting to defect all along. Since then, Harlow and Ivanna have held her prisoner and wouldn't let her leave her prison room until she escaped. Evie inquires about the whereabouts of Winter and Amira, and wincing, Daniela mentions that they're prisoners, but she doesn't know where; 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, and switching the topic, Daniela asks how she got trapped in the wine cellar. Her eyes go wide, recalling the sickening events she saw in Hollowleaf Forest, and Daniela takes up her hands, encouraging her to stay strong. Evie, nodding gratefully, explains that Mya sent her a genuine letter expressing her intentions for them to meet in Hollowleaf Forest. Once they met up, they walked in the forest and admired the starlight, with Evie believing that Mya had reformed for good. This quickly was disproven, as Mya pinned her and pulled a dagger on her, revealing her intentions to murder her. Harlow and Ivanna were there, having masterminded the whole meeting, and Mya nearly killed her. Frantic, Daniela questions what she has just heard and how Evie is still alive, and reluctantly, she admits that she told Mya she'd always love her even if she died at her hands. Daniela, in disbelief, asks how she loves her after everything, and proud, Evie confesses that she never saw evil in Mya - in these times, she was taught to have confidence. Deep in her heart, she knew the real Mya would return; and when she peeled the layers back, she found her again. Daniela finishes for her, and Evie nods, lip shaking as she continues. She states that just when they had reunited, Harlow figuratively and literally backstabbed Mya with his dagger, weakening her, and the last thing she knew, Mya was taken back to the mansion while she was thrown in the wine cellar. Once they met up, they walked in the forest and admired the starlight, with Evie believing that Mya had reformed for good. This quickly was disproven, as Mya pinned her and pulled a dagger on her, revealing her intentions to murder her. Harlow and Ivanna were there, having masterminded the whole meeting, and Mya nearly killed her.

Frantic, Daniela questions what she has just heard and how Evie is still alive, and reluctantly, she admits that she told Mya she'd always love her even if she died at her hands. Daniela, in disbelief, asks how she loves her after everything, and proud, Evie confesses that she never saw evil in Mya - in these times, she was taught to have confidence. Deep in her heart, she knew the real Mya would return; and when she peeled the layers back, she found her again. Daniela finishes for her, and Evie nods, lip shaking as she continues. She states that just when they had reunited, Harlow figuratively and literally backstabbed Mya with his dagger, weakening her, and the last thing she knew, Mya was taken back to the mansion while she was thrown in the wine cellar. Her blood going cold, she demands what he did, and quieting her, Daniela reveals to her exactly how she escaped. In a flashback to ten minutes prior, Daniela remains in her prison room, spending another day as a hostage held against her will by Harlow, who has been consistently sexually abusing her. Worst of all, she can't do anything to change her fate, unable to break free from her chains no matter how hard she tries. Dread keeps a hold on Daniela as she thinks about how no escape is certain, especially with Amira and Winter's capture. Just then, Harlow opens the door, startling her, and he greets her politely. Remarking that it's too dark, he opens the door to let in more light. Daniela's heart lifts upon seeing the outside light, but it sinks again as she realizes that Harlow is only going to play with her again.

He saunters over to her, sinking down next to her and calling her a crown jewel. Beginning his session, he combs his fingers through Daniela's hair, ignoring her growl of disgust and heels dragging on the ground. She doesn't scold him for his predatory behavior, knowing that he'll never listen and won't stop until he steals her innocence. Shuddering at the thought of that, Daniela slides her boot heels and bites her tongue. Pleased with her obedience, Harlow places a hand on her shoulder, promising that she'll enjoy his company company. The tang of Icebreakers mints fills the air, nearly making Daniela cough; she makes herself turn away from Harlow and toward her only taste at freedom - the taste she can't even get all thanks to Harlow restraining her against her will so that he can abuse her. Hanging her head, Daniela gives in, noting that there is nothing she can do to break free. She recalls her first meeting with Harlow at Pinelake Park where he stuck a finger near her mouth without her consent, claiming that she was a "special friend." Suddenly, Daniela develops a wicked and scandalous idea, and deciding to "return" Harlow's favor, she brings back her good girl gone bad side. She innocently calls out to him, saying that she's thought about what he told her, and curious, Harlow gives his full attention to her. Daniela admits that she was wrong to judge him as harshly as she did - he's just seeking some company that Ivanna can't give - a very special friend. Entertained, he urges her to continue, and she states that law is pointless. You can defy it and bend it to your will, and for one thing, romance isn't wrong.

She no longer believes that their relationship could be so problematic, and because she is so used about breaking the rules, she doesn't care what punishment she'll get for this. Smiling, Harlow finally sees that Daniela wants more, admiring her as she reveals that she once lived on the criminal, violent side of life. All of it was what she lived for, but now, she's gone soft - and she wants to build herself back up again, Harlow by her side. Brimming with pride, Daniela locks her amber eyes on him and promises to give him exactly what he wants, adding fuel to the fire - and licking her lip seductively. Harlow barely resists his urge to drool, desiring nothing but Daniela's purity, his lust spiraling out of control. Entranced, he notes that she is like a untouched Christmas present, kneeling down by her and tracing the skin with his fingernail. Daniela sighs peacefully, and in a seductive tone, Harlow asks if she wants this. She accepts happily, opening her eyes to find Harlow's finger still under her chin, Harlow himself trying to decide where to place his fingers on her next. She teases him for being shy, encouraging him to show his true colors and to let them do something they shouldn't do. Daniela feels the pressure of tricking Harlow rising, knowing the consequences if she messes up, yet the Parker remains deeply spellbound. She commands him to release her from the chair so he can get more room to work with, and without even considering that he is letting his hostage loose, Harlow obliges. He pulls the chains away and invites her over to him, and Daniela quickly obeys, allowing him to put his hands on her waistline, salivating over the prospect of someone like her.

He compliments her rockstar fit, deeming it impressive and attractive. Daniela internally screams - Harlow's one true weakness is falling victim to seduction - but it is her only way out even if it's ostentatious and disgusting. She replies that she hopes it's what he likes, for she brought her offerings, and Harlow licks his lips, ready to dig in. He advances on her, kissing her forehead and gradually moving down her face, believing everything around them is passionate. Before he can leave a mark on her neck, Daniela puts a hand on his jacket collar, affirming that they're going to play by her rules. Blushing and choosing to submit, he complies to Daniela's order to lay down on the bed. She jumps up next to him, scratching his exposed chest back and forth. Harlow sighs peacefully, enjoying every second of the game they're playing, unaware that Daniela has fooled him. She notes that it's one thing for him to be a criminal and another thing for choosing to target her, but being seduced by a young girl is certainly something. Growing confident, she scratches his chin and prepares to surprise him, delighting him, though she encourages him to keep his eyes shut. Daniela knows that she has to time her next move right; one mistake, and she'll be restrained again and possibly killed. Quietly, she grabs Mya's cape and creeps around to the other side of the bed, facing Harlow, who is likely dreaming of treasures he'll never receive. She seductively whispers that he won't feel a thing, and giggling, Harlow thinks he'll go to heaven. In one motion, Daniela throws the cape on his face, plunging him into darkness, much to his confusion. Daniela then punches him square on the jaw, causing him to collapse in pain.

Daniela silently cheers for herself, and leaving Harlow to howl in pain, she rushes out of her prison room and towards the sound of scrabbling noises downstairs. In the present, Evie shakes her, astonished and asking if it's really true that she seduced Harlow. Blushing, she silences her, understanding her level of shock. She murmurs that it was the only way she could have escaped Harlow, and she's aware that it was gross, but she's here now and has rescued her. Evie admits that she never expected her to seduce someone, but she's one of the most badass girls she's ever gotten to meet, even having courage she wishes to have sometimes. Daniela acknowledges her words somberly, but says that they need to focus on rescuing the girls. The two run out of the wine cellar and into the dining room, where they pin their backs against each other and grip hands. Daniela orders Evie to find Mya while she finds Winter and Amira, noting that they might not come out alive, and she agrees, adding that this is their only way to escape. Daniela affirms that they're in it as one, and wishing luck, the girls break away and begin their search, going in opposite directions. Daniela 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. Upon her return, Amira breathes that she has Mya, and Winter states that she's back, though Mya doesn't reply to her sister and instead blinks. 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. Glancing over, Mya sees what her girlfriend has done and murmurs about her parents, surprising Amira. Evie insists that they won't run away knowing their daughter is alright, but before the girls can leave the mansion, Ivanna hisses that they're not going anywhere and blocks the doors with Harlow by her side. Harlow growls that they won't see daylight, preparing to eliminate the five girls, but Daniela retorts that not if they can't help it, urging the girls to run. She creates a distraction by throwing a vase at Harlow, which allows her and the girls to make a break for it. While the girls manage to escape to Hollowleaf Forest, Mya gets stranded and captured by Harlow and Ivanna. Furious, Daniela warns them to back away.

As he torments Mya, Harlow points out that she failed one of her best friends - Daniela - and Mya realizes that she was truly right about her grandfather sexually abusing her, leaving her dejected. Winter grows more distressed seeing her sister suffer, so Daniela takes to her side in an effort to soothe her. When it is revealed that the Parkers killed Elloise and Luca Heartley, Amira and Daniela react with much shock. After Harlow orders Mya to run away, Daniela insists that he's lying, but this does nothing to stop Mya from retreating. Enraged, and vowing to tear Harlow and Ivanna down for what they've done, she leads the girls into battle and takes on Harlow with Daniela. He raises Evie into the air, seeking to bash her skull in, but Daniela instead kicks him in his exposed stomach - directly in the pelvis. Screaming in pain, Harlow drops Evie, who tells him to think fast and leaps back into the air, landing on his backside. He tries to remove her, but is unable to, and Evie wraps her arms around his neck. Swiftly, she pulls back in a similar tactic she once used on Shetani, and Harlow rears like a horse in an effort to throw her off. Finally, he manages to unlatch her, digging his nails into her skin. Whirling around, Harlow prepares to attack Daniela next, but she is ready for him, retorting that she has food for thought and referring to him as rubbish. She swings an enclosed fist at his jaw, which causes teeth and blood to fly. Harlow regains himself and targets Evie, but she jumps clear of him. Then, she turns to Daniela and orders her to find Mya, but shocked, she pleads that she can't leave her here to fight Harlow alone. However, Evie is adamant and urges her to just go, headbutting Harlow's chest and kicking him in the stomach, nearly sending him into a tall bush.

Knowing that Evie means business, Daniela runs away from the battlefield and into Hollowleaf Forest, the last thing she sees being Amira fighting Ivanna by herself, Winter unconscious next to her - everyone's lives depend on her now. Tearing the foliage away, she shouts, hoping that Mya can hear her, but she doesn't get a response. She tries again, her worries for her friend diminishing her claustrophobia, but she gets no results. However, Daniela then notices blood on a nearby thorn, and realizing that Mya has gone this way, especially with her injured condition, she follows a trail of blood droplets on the ground. She reaches a small clearing, and in the middle, Mya lays in the dirt, eyes closed and lifeless. Blood stains her backside, a cut on her arm stained with more blood. Daniela, refusing to believe that she is dead, checks her heartbeat, discovering that her chest is cold. Heartbroken, Daniela almost collapses, her hope fading away. Then, out of nowhere, Mya's fingers twitch and her legs move, indicating that she is alive. Relieved, and knowing that they can still win the war, Daniela shakes Mya awake, bewildering her, and she reassures her that she's okay. Groaning, and in disbelief, she demands what she's doing and why she followed her, and Daniela responds that she's rescuing her. However, Mya snaps at her that she doesn't want to be saved, thinking that no one wants a criminal like her around and wanting to die instead, shocking Daniela. She retorts that she doesn't care, as the girls are fighting for their lives and need her the most right now, to which Mya mutters at her to forget it - she destroyed lives, tore her family into shreds, and became a queen hellbent on thriving off suffering. She isn't any hero, having let everyone drown instead of saving lives.

Curling into a ball and with tears falling from her eyes, Mya tells Daniela that she was never the monster - but she was. Daniela gasps as her friend sobs, defeated, and she recalls the very moment Mya called her a monster outside of her house, using her past against her. Her prison trauma had been triggered, the same trauma that left her questioning her entire life. The word "monster," however, now means something else to her - she is more than her mistakes. Determined to make Mya see the light, she grabs her wrist, catching her off guard. Daniela states that even if she has her issues, the girls need her right now, more importantly Evie, who is fighting Harlow on her own. Astounded, Mya asks if Evie wanted Daniela to find her, and confirming this, she informs her that Evie is fighting alone, along with Amira, as Winter is unconscious and unable to help her. They aren't going to win it, not unless they have Mya. Seeing that she is focusing on her, Daniela heads to the edge of the clearing, encouraging her that they have no time left to lose. She begins to run back to the main clearing, but stops, realizing that Mya isn't behind her - but staring at her sadly on her knees. She inquires as to why she is sitting there, and Mya expresses her desire to avoid fighting in the battle, claiming that she's weak and will just get killed by Harlow and Ivanna if she goes back, dying as a freak; even though her friend insists that she won't, she remains certain. Suddenly, Daniela slides up to her and slaps her on the face, causing her to gasp as she locks gazes with her friend. Blooming with rebellion, Daniela urges Mya to listen to her, stating that she's not weak and never has been. Deep down, she has courage, something which she should have cherished long ago.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, she adds that she made a terrible mistake opting to bully her; she should have never been in her business making her miserable for the things that she enjoyed. Even when Daniela was pure evil, she knew she was brave deflecting that steak knife, showing just how much she saw Winter as her sister and wanted her to be safe. She should have never tore her to pieces or messed with her reputation - in fact, Mya never deserved the opportunity to even meet Daniela, as she only cared about making everyone suffer. Moving her hand up to Mya's cheek, Daniela continues, saying that she destroyed who she was in the past, and before she learned to love others, she had to learn to accept herself. Mya was one of the girls to help her feel comfortable in her own skin; she's every color of the rainbow, and with the colors, she can defeat the villains seeking to make Pineshadow crumble into ashes. Gripping Mya's hands, Daniela encourages her to face the brunt of her actions, fight until she bleeds everything, follow the light, and keep fighting through the pain. Every blow she receives will be worth it - she'll save those she loves and people will come to like her again - as long as she takes the agony like a valkyrie and fights with the heart of a warrior. Daniela pulls away from her, warmly smiling, imagining lights all around the area shining just for them. She concludes her speech, telling Mya that they have their scars and what they've done will define them, but she can find that they are both more than their mistakes. For the first time since fleeing, Mya blossoms with a new feeling her friend has nurtured inside of her, the pain vanishing. Confidence rebuilds within her, along with tenacity and her self-consciousness. Staggering to her feet and eyes blazing with fire, Mya thanks Daniela for helping her see that she shouldn't be a coward, wishing to kick two "well-deserving asses."

Daniela leads the way back to the main clearing, but Mya hangs back for a final time, wanting to address one last hurdle. Calling Daniela back, she finally forgives her for everything, making her heart melt with her new understanding. The two then share their first hug. Daniela exclaims that the battle is waiting for them, and without another word, the two return to the battlefield. Mya is revolted by what she sees at the bottom of the hill - a battered and bloodied Amira fighting Ivanna, who in turn is bloodied and has tattered clothing, next to an unmoving Winter. Mya whispers that Amira isn't going to last for long, wondering what they should do, but her question is never answered. Seconds later, a scream rings out across the clearing - one Mya knows all too well - and to her horror, Mya turns to discover Evie cornered against a tree by Harlow, cheek smeared with blood, chin bruised, and a sleeve torn. Refusing to let Harlow murder her girlfriend, Mya formulates a plan to take the bullet first and urges Daniela to trust her on this one, which she agrees to. After Mya tricks Harlow into thinking that she wants to be killed in exchange for Evie's survival, he stares at her in confusion, which allows Daniela to slam into him from behind and send him into the ground. Daniela and Mya pin their backs to each other, and the latter assigns her to help Amira fight Ivanna while she duels Harlow one-on-one. Winking, Daniela obliges and joins the side of her friend. She asks if she's ready to do this, and agreeing, Amira declares that it's time to roll out. She slides under Ivanna's legs, distracting her. Confused, she tries to search for Amira, only for Daniela to punch her hard enough that she breaks a bone in her cheek.

Spitting out teeth and blood, Ivanna flings herself at Daniela, pinning her arms behind her back and licking the blood off her lips. Amira snaps that if she messes with her best friend, she'll burn her down, leaping up and grabbing a strand of Ivanna's hair - then ripping it off cleanly. She drops it to the ground, jeering that she's welcome, and enraged, Ivanna grabs her cheek and violently slams her into the dirt. Amira loses her bearings, and delighted, she then kicks her on the side of her face, making her yelp in pain. Daniela restrains her, but upon hearing Harlow in danger, Ivanna throws her off and leaves her to tend to Amira. The latter clings onto her arm, exhausted and worried. When the Parkers strand Mya in the open, Daniela reacts in disbelief, her hope fading. Determined to boost Mya's strength, she exclaims that she can kill the darkness and that she is more than her mistakes. Retreating into her thoughts, Mya thinks about the aftermath of the battle - losing Pineshadow's respect, her ruined reputation, and being rejected by her parents, which makes her want to give in under the pressure. However, a single spark remains in her heart, one that grows into a roaring fire, and she declares that she isn't a queen, rogue, or criminal - but will go down with Harlow and Ivanna dead. She ascends back to her feet, shocking Ivanna, and casting green eyes on them, she snaps that this battle isn't over, not as long as they're alive. Until her dying breath, she'll make sure that doesn't remain the case, vowing to make them reap what they have sewn. Harlow and Ivanna lunge at her, but she leaps the highest she has ever leapt into the air, and the Parkers smash into each other.

She then calls Daniela to her side, stating that they must finish this, and Daniela in turn offers to switch places. Mya agrees, taking on Ivanna while Daniela takes on Harlow. She smilies wickedly as Harlow grabs her waistline, about to deliver a sexual assault threat, but Daniela snaps at him not to think about it. She scratches his cheek and jumps on him, striking his face in a blissful agony. To Harlow, it is torture, but for Daniela, it is her revenge for what he did to her. Bones break in his jaw and blood forms in his mouth; Daniela screams that this is what he gets for abusing her, turning Mya evil, and having them nearly murdered, feeling so good being bad for a day. Harlow spits that he can't believe she seduced him, squeezing her neck and vowing to remove the air from her body. However, Daniela retorts that he can keep squeezing her, finding his move "sexy" - she enjoys pain. Before Harlow can confirm that she is a masochist, she punches him on the lips and continues to punch away. For a tense minute, she and Mya duel both Parkers, and by the end, Harlow and Ivanna are both knocked out. Mya tells her to check on Winter and Amira, and saluting her briefly, she runs off to examine her friends. When Harlow traps Evie and Mya and prepares to kill them, Daniela pleads for Mya to fight him, her hope about to fade again. After Mya accidentally kills Harlow, she goes to check on the other girls. Amira questions if she really just killed her grandfather, making her worry that she's going to jail, but Daniela disagrees, noting that he was going to kill them and that she killed him in self-defense, proud of her friend. Suddenly, Ivanna confronts the girls and points a gun at Mya, threatening to kill her and the rest of them for causing Harlow's death.

Empowered by the girls, Mya doesn't back down and challenges Ivanna, asking her to bring it. With a war cry, Ivanna expects her to die, but instead, someone in black leather slams her gun into the sky - and it falls down into the hands of Daniela. Dumbfounded, she asks how, and Daniela says that she's a dumbass, pointing out that she isn't thinking clearly and wondering how killing Mya will benefit her. She retorts that she killed her husband, but Daniela replies that payback is sweet until it's not anymore - Harlow will never come back even if she murders her granddaughter. She jokes that she's watched too much *Young Frankenstein*, and infuriated, Ivanna states that she hasn't. Daniela teases her for acting like a child who didn't get a lollipop at the candy store, noting that she was far more professional than she was. On a scale of one to ten, Ivanna's a six - tried to kill them all, already committed a murder, and is exactly like Bonnie - but she never had the determination and craft of a master villain. She asks if anyone's seen her for who she really is, further humiliating Ivanna, who hisses that she'll murder her. This doesn't stop Daniela from ranting on, and she points the gun at her neck, revealing that she was a villain like her once. She turned evil after letting herself believed her ex-girlfriend caused her downfall, making her lust for pain and the destruction of her enemies. At one point, she almost killed her friends. Unlike Ivanna, however, she fought for her redemption, gave up her old ways, and is now the person she wants to be.

Pointing the gun at Ivanna's chin, she tells her that people similar to her will never change. She's bent on murder; Harlow deserved to die for what he did to her and Mya in his broken house. She can also kill her right now if she wants to, which she is certain she will do. Ivanna, a manic, aggressive scowl on her face, spits that she's a child and is in no way as powerful as she is. Daniela walks up to her with the gun, growling at her to try her - taking a step closer and calling her a bitch, much to the shock of the girls. Ivanna snaps that she's a monstrous demon child, trying to grab her, but Daniela evades her and backs up. Too desperate to avenge Harlow and destroy the girls, Ivanna continues her mad charge, but Daniela stops her by swinging the gun at her face. She stumbles backward, her head erupting with blazing pain. Before she can see it, her boot heel lodges in a tree root, causing Ivanna to fall head-first onto a rock. Her neck immediately snaps, killing her, her head limply lolling to the side. Daniela throws the gun into the forest, a proud gleam into her eyes. Mya proclaims that the battle is over and that they've won, and quietly, her friend whispers that they've done it - they proved themselves capable of redemption. Mya lays eyes on Daniela, her hero and savior, and she 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. Embarrassed, Daniela embraces her newfound heroism. Mya whispers that she's her savior, touching her nose to hers, and her friend feels at home with the gesture. After Evie and Mya cuddle together, the two glance up and discover that the other girls are looking at them, and 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. One week later, Mya wakes up in a new place, air drifting down on her from a ceiling fan. Shocked and confused, she looks around, and a familiar voice greets her. Mya, noticing Daniela smiling at her, asks if this is where she lives, which she confirms; Mya explores the room and observes that her friend is back in her regular clothing. Not being able to reply, she tries to remember what happened after the battle with Harlow and Ivanna, not knowing how long she has been in the Burton Vunquist house or how much time has passed. Her mind floods with questions, such as some about Evie and her parents, but she is then surprised by Rex, who sits down next to her on the sofa. She reveals that it's been one week following the battle, and since then, Mya has stayed with them.

Recalling the fight, Mya blurts out that Daniela killed Ivanna, and sheepish, Daniela says that she's aware of that. Rex doesn't complain, proud of her daughter for taking out a criminal, and the two share a wink. Sighing, Rex tells Mya that she took her and the other girls to the emergency room and paid all of their medical bills - Mya had to get two blood transfusions for the severity of her wounds, and Rex wonders how she fought if she lost that much blood. Aghast, she realizes that she never fully thought of how bad her injuries were, too bent on making sure the Parkers were dead that she hadn't felt anything. Pointing at Daniela, she names her as the reason she wasn't a coward and chose to fight, and Rex smiles, delighted by the news. Continuing her status update, she 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. Excited, Mya asks to see Evie, but Rex urges her not to, as she is sleeping. Her understanding allows her to go on, and Rex states that it only felt right to keep the girls with her and Daniela, believing she's everyone's mother these days. Mya agrees that she is, reaching down to tuck her shirt in, but to her shock, she discovers that her shirt has changed to a light blue, squishy fabric. She frantically questions what happened to her old shirt, and Rex admits it unfortunately got ruined, cut off by doctors so they could examine her. Daniela urges her mother to avoid any more details, and apologizing, she says that while this shirt (which used to be Daniela's) won't be as famous as Mya's old shirt, it still looks cute on her. Looking at the shirt, Mya finds that it is a beautiful shade of sky-blue and has a rainbow on it.

Recalling Daniela mentioning that she was every color of the rainbow, she happily accepts the shirt, pondering how she can thank them enough. Patting her head, Rex reassures her that she won't ever have to repay anything, kissing her on the forehead in a gesture of affection, the young girl swelling in delight. Daniela asks if she'd like to see her bedroom, and agreeing excitedly, Mya allows herself to be dragged upstairs by her friend. Upon reaching a white door, Daniela inquires if she is ready, and nodding, Mya watches as the door opens, revealing what she considers to be paradise. Daniela's room contains fifteen glass butterflies hanging from the ceiling, which create rainbow spots around the area, and Mya is so stunned that she can only say "whoa." Daniela explains that they represent hope to her - fifteen butterflies hang to represent the fifteen days she almost committed suicide while in prison. She murmurs that they're special, scanning the room again and noticing a reading nook containing various novels, which feels cozy to Mya. To her right is Daniela's dresser and closet, and she also observes that her walls are light blue, clouds painted on the top that she wants to touch and picture frames all over the place. She notes that Daniela practically lives in the sky she can easily push, and she breathes that it's the best room she's ever seen. Giggling, Daniela encourages her to see the bed, and curious, Mya is shocked to discover that it has a phoenix etched into a frame, in addition to having various cute plushies. She exclaims that it's awesome, and Daniela reveals that she carved the phoenix in with her mother, wanting her bed to represent her redemption. Smiling again, Mya reflects on how far she has come before jumping onto the bed, Daniela joining her.

Daniela then hooks a plush tabby cat, named Sammie, into her arms and introduces him to Mya, who immediately begins to squish him happily. For a few minutes, the two exchange plushies. Afterward, Daniela cradles Mya's hands affectionately, revealing that her room hasn't always looked like the way it is; when she dated Winter, it was dull and simplistic. Mya asked what it looked like when she turned evil, and Daniela admits that her walls were dark blue, her rockstar stuff was everywhere, and her pillows were a freaky shade of red. Shuddering, she comments that it sounds frightening. Daniela notes that Rex redid everything when she went to prison, and she couldn't be more thankful - as now, she can share her bedroom with someone just like Mya. Touched, she curls up closer and confesses that she's her idol, much to Daniela's surprise, and she points out that she idolizes Evie. Mya says that she does, but now she idolizes her too, moving even more close to her. Suddenly, 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. Delighted, she scrambles off the bed and throws herself into her arms, kissing her on the lips. She notices that Evie's right leg is in a cast, but she is clearly healing. She asks if they were proposing a group name, calling her My-My, and Mya, embarrassed, tells her not to copy Benji. She confirms that she suggested the name of the Golden Gays, questioning if she loves it, and Evie agrees. After teasing each other and laughing, they approach the other girls. Evie admits that it's been an honor to serve them as their leader ever since she met Mya at the park - which turned into meeting Winter, rescuing Amira, and reconnecting with Daniela. They have bravery and should be proud of it no matter what. Walking up to Mya, Evie declares that she's the most humorous, causing her to stick out her tongue in approval. Winter is commended as the bravest, to which she replies that she'll fall off a cliff for anyone. Amira is given the title of the swiftest, and she responds that no one can touch this. Lastly, Evie declares that Daniela is a warrior and the strongest, and accepting her role, she commends her as their leader and most intelligent in turn. Chuckling, Evie jumps on the bed with the rest of the Goldens, the best young group in Pineshadow's history.

The next morning, the girls eat breakfast in the living room when Mya's parents suddenly arrive, shocking them. When Mya brings up the murder case of Elloise and Luca Heartley, Amira and Daniela both realize that the scribbled diary pages contained Harlow's confession that he and Ivanna killed them - he just didn't want the evidence to be known, hence why he scratched it out. Daniela comments that it's amateur detective work, patting Amira on her back, and she replies "no shrimp, Sherlock," hugging her. Rex comments that she loves happy endings, and Daniela urges her to not let sappy movies get to her. That afternoon, the Goldens bid Daniela, now their "lord and savior," farewell. As she speaks with her grandmother, Amira describes her friendship with Daniela. Meanwhile, the latter settles with her mother on the sofa, and Rex praises her for being the perfect daughter - she thought there was no hope for her, but she showed her second nature and saved Mya, proving to Pineshadow that she was worthy of her redemption. Blushing, Daniela thanks her, and Rex adds that she'll love her more once she reads this - a letter addressed to her from Mayor Elbert Moneet. The mayor expresses how proud of he is of her story and how far she's come, even promising to enact a law in her honor, Daniela's Law, that will strictly impose sanctions on any man or woman like Harlow. He encourages her to keep shining, adding that she has a bright, promising future. Crying in happiness, Daniela hugs her mother, squealing that Pineshadow adores her. Rex then reveals that she has fan mail, much to her excitement, and she bounces up and down.

### *Winter's Tales*

#### *Dawn Will Bring Us Death*

Winter teases her interactions with Daniela at the end of the chapter.

#### *Soulmates*

"*Winter, I* like you*. You're the flame, and I'm the silly moth falling into your light. I can't deny I'm* into you*. I can't deny that I* like you *the way I do. My heart is* screaming *for you. It's* begging *for you.*"
—Daniela admitting to Winter that she's into her romantically

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*

"*I... I d-didn't know it was g-going to* escalate*!*"
—Daniela protesting to Winter that she didn't know she'd get attacked by her father

Winter and Daniela have settled into their relationship and negotiated their preferred interests, returning to school for the fifth grade year. 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. When Winter's life is placed into turmoil by her father's financial crisis, 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; he mentions Daniela, but she defends her. 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.

After Winter is assaulted and has her wrist slit open, Daniela has still done nothing 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.

#### *Only in a Waking Dream*

Though she doesn't physically appear in the chapter, Daniela is mentioned many times by Winter when she recounts her memories with her and her betrayal that led to her running away. She also continually hears Daniela's voice in her head, spurring traumatic outbursts, and sees her in her nightmares, making sleeping stressful. Rex also briefly mentions that Daniela is worried about Winter, though the latter instantly shuts down her argument out of hatred.

#### *Talking of the Axes*

"*You **poignant naive shill of a snake**! You've lost the* **right** *to love me the minute you decided to **abandon me**. You're dumb enough to believe* **running away** *will kiss your troubles bye-bye. It* won't*. You may have outrun me for nearly all of the school year, but you* won't *now. Go on, Winter. Play cloak and dagger like you* always *do. I'll* **outsmart** *you. And that is a **promise**.*"
—Daniela promising her revenge to Winter

Winter briefly thinks about the loss of Daniela in her life. Later, Winter accidentally bumps into a different-looking, muscular Daniela and becomes horrified, even more so when Daniela showcases a more resentful and threatening tone towards her. She forces Winter to obey her, revealing that she's been searching for her and mocking her for saying that death would do them part. Refusing to be cheated, she slams Winter into a tree, distancing herself from her affectionate nickname and making it clear to her that she likes tormenting her. Daniela taunts her, accusing her of ruining her life; Winter tries to ask why she's stooped so low, but Daniela instead scorns her for her insolence and toxicity. She vows to get revenge on her no matter how hard she tries to avoid reality, and Winter attempts to remind her of who she used to be. However, Daniela harshly dismisses the old her as a weakling, asserting that her ex-girlfriend has nothing while she has everything. Winter orders her to get lost, and she agrees to leave, but not before threatening that this isn't over and that she is her enemy. In the days following, Winter suffers severe hallucinations, nightmares, and paranoia over Daniela's threats, hearing and seeing her where she isn't and panicking when they actually get in more confrontations.

Eventually, Winter has had enough and informs Rex of her daughter's actions. She is horrified and furious, promising that she will stop Daniela and reflecting on what their relationship used to be like before the breakup, which accidentally makes Winter fear that she is the lynchpin behind the breakup happening. Rex absolves the blame from her and places it on Daniela, assuring her that the breakup was never her fault in the first place. Later, after the so-called "Talking of the Axes," where she fights imaginary shadows brought on by her ex, Winter feels a resurgence in her confidence and uses this to successfully deflect and outshine Daniela, much to the latter's ire. As the end of the year nears, Daniela remains a continued thorn in Winter's side, though by now, she has enough willpower to drive her back every time.

#### *The Foxes and the Hounds*

Although Daniela does not appear in this chapter, Winter mentions her a few times when she escapes school and recalls her history with her. Later, she fights vultures she imagines were sent by Daniela, and thinks about her as she heads to school for the seventh grade year, choosing to face her and whatever PMS has to bring.

#### *Snowblind*

"*You will* **NEVER** *run away from this* **forever***. One day, this is all going to* backfire *on you. Your fake reality, your busted ideals. You will be hated by* everyone *in Pineshadow. You will be synonymous with* **cowardice***. Until then,* I'm *taking matters into* my own hands*. You haven't* nearly suffered enough *for what you've done. I have loose ends to close with you, and I'm going to close them* soon*. Your days are on a **fine line**, **Winterlyn Falin McCormick**. I* **want** *my revenge. And there is **nothing** you will **ever do** that will persuade me **OTHERWISE**!*"
—Daniela threatening Winter and warning her that running away from everything will backfire on her

Daniela remains a notable nuisance in the seventh grade year, driving her mother up a wall, attacking other students, and keeping up her verbal assaults on Winter, though Winter is able to brush them off. However, things change when Winter starts to be bullied with the name of Snowblind; although Winter fears what she will do if she finds out everything, Daniela originally does not suspect that her ex is the victim and believes Lars and his clique are just trying to one-up her. Upon seeing them target Winter in cold blood, she realizes the extent of what's going on and relishes in it, tormenting Winter with the name and once again threatening that she will get her revenge on her for ruining her relationship. Daniela warns her that if she keeps running from her past, it will backfire on her, and while she hasn't won yet, she will eventually. Terrified, Winter flees, broken and back to square one. Like Lars and the clique, Daniela continually taunts Winter with the Snowblind name afterward, though Winter finds a method to her madness in facing her memories. Despite the memories leaving behind traces of who Daniela once was, she confronts them and cries happily, accepting the good and bad. Later, she names Daniela as a suspect of a potential stalker in the woods, but dismisses the idea.

#### *Dance of a Thousand Eyes*

"*Then you* greatly underestimate me*. Mark my words,* Snowblind*. I* am *going to hunt you down* one day*. I'll find out* everything *I need to know about you, and when I do, the* whole school *will know that you are* **a shameful fraud***. You've ran from the* law *and* deceived all of us*. And I'll* **PROVE IT***!*"
—Daniela threatening to expose Winter's secrets to the school

Winter thinks about Daniela as one of the stalker suspects (which is eventually confirmed) and remembers what she and Lars both started. Later, Winter retells her story to Evie and Mya, but does not name Daniela for her own personal safety. Upon walking into school with her new friends on Monday, they encounter Daniela, who viciously assaults and attacks all three and hones in on Winter in particular. This terrifies and humiliates her, but she is released when Daniela notices Mya trying to slip away. Eventually, with Evie's help, Rex finds Daniela and apprehends her, allowing Winter to escape. She thinks back on the confrontation as the days pass and later chooses to switch her periods to be with her friends, although she becomes stuck with Daniela in English, and she takes pride in harassing her. When confronting Aiden, she distinguishes him from Daniela, and a day afterward, she bumps into Daniela on her way home. The two fight, and Daniela, violently attacking her, promises to expose her to the school and kill her outright.

Winter believes she is bluffing by threatening murder, but when Daniela doubles down, she flees in horror. Her trauma overtakes her in the cabin, and she falls into a nightmare of Daniela on the night of her coming out. Once again, she leaves her to die, but additionally laughs at her and reveals her true form. Winter becomes paranoid about her secrets, especially taking care of hiding from Evie and Mya, though Daniela's added torture and more gruesome nightmares involving her break Winter's spirit. Soon, she tries to take a walk with Evie and Mya, but hallucinates that Daniela is threatening her. Once she is lucid, she tries to run away, but eventually caves and tells Evie and Mya the truth through her memories. They do not reject her for having feelings for Daniela in the past, which allows her to relax and talk about who her ex used to be. That night, her peace under the stars is interrupted by Daniela, and they get into a confrontation which ends in Winter besting her. Daniela concedes, but not before promising that her ex will die someday, which concerns her. However, Winter grows comfortable, as Daniela soon retracts the severity of her threats and harasses her less. Days later, Winter reflects on how Daniela used to be her first love.

#### *Return of Snowlight*

"*What's the matter, sweet Winterlyn? The stained dishrag giving you an* infectious *taste on your tongue? All too pleasing for* me*... you know? I gotta give you some* credit*, you pathetic walking-stick excuse of a* Neanderthal*. You were the* perfect *little* fodder*, letting me hogtie you and gag you so I wouldn't hear your* incessant whining *for the next day or two...*"
—Daniela to Winter on her kidnapping

Daniela kidnaps Winter in the middle of the night and drags her to a hideout near to the school grounds. She torments her when she wakes up and only minimally provides her care of any sort for the next day, spending most of her time torturing her and waiting for Evie and Mya to be lured to the hideout. Once they appear, she knocks them out and ties them up, revealing her plans for revenge on the three - Winter's disappearance and kidnapping were all bait for them, and they, along with Winter, are all going to die at her hands. She gives them little time to say goodbyes, but by the time she returns, all three have escaped their confinement. She attacks Evie and Mya, easily defeating both, and going straight to Winter, she berates her before drawing a steak knife and preparing to deal the killing blow. However, in the nick of time, Mya blocks it with her shoulder, and Winter watches with astonishment as she demolishes Daniela effortlessly. Her efforts amount to nothing, as Daniela shoves her aside and prepares to kill Winter for a second time. Just before she can, Rex arrives and drags her away, and subsequently, she is severely punished with paperwork and taken out of all of her classes, which makes Winter believe she is in the clear at last - especially with the party around the corner. Her moment of glory doesn't last, however, as Daniela blackmails Rex into letting her into the upcoming school party; despite Evie and Mya's warnings about potential doom, Winter ignores them and attends the party anyway.

This proves to be her downfall, as a chat with a partygoer ends with her being ambushed by Daniela instead. She wastes no time in spilling all of Winter's secrets, from her private relationship with Rex to her living without parents and forging lies about herself to get by. This comes to a head when she scorns Winter as Snowblind, and losing control, Winter tries to attack her with her knife. Daniela counters by kicking her back, inadvertantly gaining her knife, and treasuring the moment, she admonishes Winter for her failures one last time. She prepares to give the killing stab to her neck, but thanks to Evie and Mya screaming her name, Winter deflects it with her shoulder. While disappointed that her enemy has not died, Daniela orders her to run away and never return, which she does almost immediately. Winter, upon collapsing outside, believes that she'll never have the power to combat Daniela, but with help from Mya, she realizes that she can defeat her, remembering who she is. She and Mya head back to the cafeteria, finding that Daniela is about to murder Evie in cold blood. Winter confronts her, naming out her crimes and recognizing her faults from dodging her past, alarming Daniela, who becomes terrified of her newfound power. Snapping, Winter charges and counters her ex blow-for-blow, culmulating in her being kicked into a railing, where she is berated and fervently disowned by Winter. Daniela desperately tries to avenge herself, only to be placed in cuffs by police and hauled off. The school then celebrates her defeat, and Winter reflects on her fate later on: a trial and inevitable prison time.

### *Two-Sided*

#### *The Broken Pieces*

"*You don't realize what's about to hit you, Pineshadow. My name isn't Dani anymore. I have no girlfriend. I'm not a bisexual coward who's going to let some sexuality burden her. I don't suffer panic attacks. I don't even love. And if you hurt me, your life will NEVER be anything but normal again.*"
—Daniela turning evil

Daniela opens the chapter by asking the reader to imagine if they were good, turned evil, but then became lost and asked themselves what they did to get here. She then describes how her life was originally normal, having Rex, her loving mother, raise her alone with no father. Daniela says that she was very fun-loving, sweet, and chatty, and often went to Pinelake Park, her stomping grounds. There, she meets Winter, who is wearing her signature outfit along with her defining sandy-brown pixie cut. She and Daniela become friends, doing nearly everything together, and they soon fall in love. While Winter identifies as a lesbian, Daniela identifies as bisexual, interested in both genders. However, it soon becomes apparent that Winter doesn't have the ability to come out to her father, which frustrates her girlfriend, not wanting her to keep her sexuality a secret forever. She devises a plan, and one night, abruptly forces her to come out to her father. Winter glares at her, disgust in her eyes, and reluctantly comes out.

Much to Daniela's horror, her plan backfires, and it ends up scarring Winter permanently. Her father, who is homophobic, brutally attacks her, and Daniela is too frozen in fear to do anything. Minutes later, a bloodied Winter stumbles to her, asking why she did this, and her girlfriend fumbles around for a response. Panicked, she accidentally admits that she didn't know it was going to escalate in contempt, breaking Winter, as she now believes Daniela said that on purpose. Hate burning in her eyes, she breaks up with her, grabbing her things and running away. In fear, Daniela backs up into the wall, with Winter's crazed father now approaching her. She begs for mercy, but is hit hard on the face, threatened that something terrible will happen to her if she comes back. Traumatized by his words, Daniela runs back to her home, sobbing as she runs in the night. Rex asks what happened, and everything invades her mind again, not being able to respond. When Rex touches Daniela on the shoulder, she snaps at her to leave her alone, running into her room and slamming the door with such force that the house seemingly rattles.

Sitting on her bed and sobbing, Daniela picks up a photograph with her and Winter happily smiling in it. She throws it violently to the corner of the room, wrapping herself in a blanket and crying into her pillow. Rex comes in, picking her up and letting her cry into her, gently asking what happened again. Daniela wails that Winter broke up with her, beginning to describe what went down before eventually choking out everything altogether. Rex comforts her, telling her that although her actions weren't the best, she did what she thought was right, promising to do everything she can to help her. Despite this, Winter is never found, and her father is merely sentenced to six months of community service. This makes Daniela feel empty and hopeless, and the second semester of her sixth grade year only makes things worse. She is often bullied at lunch and in her gym class, and no matter what she does to stop them, the students who torment her always get away with it. She tries to talk to Coach Samoski regarding the attacks during gym class, but he passes it off as sports being violent and competitive, ordering her to get to the locker room.

Daniela then turns to her mother, who happens to be the school principal, for help, complaining about Coach Samoski's dismissal. Rex partially sides with him, but says that she'll see what she can do. She advises Daniela to learn how to ignore her bullies, which she reluctantly agrees to do, but she soon discovers that detention only made the bullies more rotten. One female student taunts her for her inability to put her hair up in a ponytail, and another mocks her for being jittery in computer class, deeply upsetting her. She finally snaps once a student calls her out for being lost in thought, demanding for him to shut up, startling everyone around her. The bully retorts that she is a crybaby, and Daniela storms off, the mental pressure making her feel sick inside. She begins to have severe anxiety attacks after school, and during one such attack, she collapses onto the ground. Her mother picks her up in her arms, soothing her, but it only gets worse from there. Daniela even passes out for two hours after having one attack, driving her to the point where she can't take it anymore.

Soon after, she looks in the mirror, seeing her battered self looking back at her. It begins to move toward her, becoming angry, furiously demanding why she isn't confident enough to stand up for herself. The reflection calls her a softie and even suggests she should die, making Daniela snap and bash her head into the mirror, cracking it. She falls to the ground, passing out from the pain, blood dripping down the side of her forehead. Rex hears the commotion and rushes her to the doctor, finding her motionless on the bathroom floor. Daniela doesn't remember anything about being in the hospital, but does know that she was on medication for one week. Following that day, Daniela begins to suffer disturbing nightmares, having dreams about being shot, being fondled by some stranger, or dying a graphic death. However, one thought crosses her mind, and a voice tells her that she let herself be bullied because of Winter (who is not even in her life anymore) breaking up with her. Daniela listens to the voice, who calls her naive because of one simple breakup, urging her to make a stand for herself. Almost like a villain, she smiles, and the voice praises her for slowly moving away from her old image. Forgetting most of her old memories, Daniela rebrands herself as an apathetic, cold person who wants to hurt others, ready to prove how far she can go.

#### *Good Girl Gone Bad*

"*By now, I was loathed by everyone, even my own mother. I would* never *be stopped from being a stone-cold bully at heart longing for pain, either from me, or by anyone who was terrified by my devious looks. Seeing the fear on people's faces when I was around quenched my ever-growing desires for pleasure.*"
—Daniela's growing darkness

The day following her enigma, Daniela works to shed any weakness she has, viewing herself as superior to everyone. She heads to school in contempt, and the bully girl from earlier jeers her for her "buntail." Daniela rounds on her, slamming her head into the lockers and threatening that her life will be miserable, making her run away in fear. She begins to enjoy the feel of beating up people, especially her bullies, wanting more each and every day. Three students later approach her, but Daniela hits all on the face, scaring them deeply and giving her a dose of pleasure from all the sadism. However, one thing still holds her back, and that is her bisexuality. Daniela feels uncomfortable by this fact, considering herself burdened, and she begins to struggle with internalized homophobia. Eventually, she convinces herself that she was never bisexual and dated any girl, and puts on a perfectly straight ego. She soon confronts a girl who asks her a question, violently warning her to never call her Dani and to stay away from her, unless she wants her face to be bruised.

Terrified, the girl runs away, satisfying Daniela, but Rex's hand drags her into her office. She angrily orders her to sit down, and Daniela asks how she can help. Rex tells her to stop bullying, contrasting how she acts with her old self, and she then threatens to send her to another school. Daniela merely scoffs at the idea, ordering her mother to stay out of her business, to which Rex demands for her to take that remark back. Instead, she retorts that she is a slacker to the entire office, who is startled, and Rex spits for her to leave. Daniela obliges, but turns around and gives the middle finger, enjoying all the negative attention she is getting with her rebellious antics. Her name soon becomes the worst to hear in the entire school, and she describes herself as being an uncontrollable and infamous wild child. One week later, Mrs. Limon gives Daniela a seat away from the class, considering her a disgrace and threatening expulsion. Instead, Daniela places her boots on her desk, calling her a disgrace to her previous husband - revealing that Mrs. Limon has been through a divorce. This shocks the entire class, and one student even plays the horn from the movie *Inception*.

Hurt by her remark, Mrs. Limon warns her about expulsion, dragging her out of her seat. Daniela retorts that she should try her, referring to her as "Lemon" and once again giving the middle finger, making it clear that she wants her way and will get it. Giving up on fighting, Mrs. Limon takes her back into the classroom, and Daniela notes that she is loving her behavior, comparing herself to a punk rocker. She notes that there is some pain in her heart that some girl inflicted on her, not believing it is Rex, but someone else entirely. Daniela feels happy being so sadistic, taking pride in being the biggest trash-talker and the most feared in Pineshadow. Daniela's sadism soon turns into another trait that makes her drool, masochism, meaning that she now takes pleasure in her own pain. This relevation stemmed from an accident in which Rex accidentally hit her on the nose, leaving a bruise. Daniela, beginning to enjoy pain, went to the bathroom to look at her bruise. She then touched it, giving herself pain and pleasure at the same time. She soon develops an addiction to masochism, giving her more kicks than before and a very intense feeling which she describes as good.

Daniela rubs against something sharp behind Rex's back, yearning for any form of pain she can get and making her groan happily, easing the feelings in her heart. She hits her head against the posts of her bed, finds more pointy things to rub against, and even bites into herself just like a vampire. Furthermore, she even describes her own blood as tasting so delicious, and that she's happy putting on a freakshow. However, Rex soon catches her in the act, though believes she is only itching and instructs her to use some lotion. Disregarding her mother, Daniela pins her back against the door and goes back to biting her skin, feeling the immense pleasure of her own pain. She digs her sharp nails into bruises, rakes her gums so they bleed, and scratches hard when itching to feed her desires, not considering help whatsoever, and noting that she is very dark for someone of her age. Daniela continiously bullies on others, soon picking on the soft and sensitive Mya Heartley, not liking how bright she is.

One day, Daniela publicly calls Mya a disaster in the hallway, and annoyed, she tells her to go away. Daniela then grabs her shirt collar, explaining her wish for some fun, slamming Mya against a brick pillar. Horrified, she inquires as to what she wants, and Daniela replies that she wants her fear so she can get a kick, almost like some coffee. Moments later, however, a hand hits her on the back of her neck, and Mya scrambles away. Turning around, Daniela finds Evie, Mya's strong and intelligent best friend, who warns her to stop harrassing Mya in addition to pointing out that she doesn't want to mess with her. Daniela doesn't listen, but Evie cuts her off mid-sentence, mentioning that Rex is watching her. Everyone in the hall laughs at her as Rex drags her daughter into her office, reprimanding her for bullying Mya. Daniela doesn't bother to listen, making Mya her daily target and giving the middle finger to those who try to control her. By now, everyone hates her, and she is noted to be a bully longing for the pleasures of pain, either from herself or from others. Daniela then says that she loves herself for having a heart full of disturbing fantasies.

#### *I Kick It*

"*Pain was scorching my heart like fire. It was suffocating, choking, and pressuring. Panicking, I ran into my room, shutting the door and bashing my head against a nightstand. The dizzying pain gave me the pleasure that I needed.*"
—Daniela trying to combat her pain

Daniela, now thirteen and in seventh grade, continues her wrath against the wishes of Rex. The latter scolds her for her behavior, but she simply shoves her out of her way, heading to her room. December soon arrives, and Daniela hates the month, having a burning hate for Christmas and everything jolly about it. After leaving school one day, she runs into Evie and Mya, and fills with pride as she taunts them. That turns to pain moments later, for Mya spits hot chocolate in her eye, causing it to throb. She decides then and there to ruin everyone's holiday, sneaking out at night without Rex knowing, and hearing a young girl raging in an alleyway. Taking advantage of her position, Daniela manipulates the girl (who is named Amira) into being her accomplice, and together, they trash houses throughout the night. In one house, Daniela gets a brief kick after scratching her arm on a table.

On the last house, however, Amira backs down, having realized that she has been manipulated into doing evil. Refusing to let her walk away in peace, Daniela nearly knocks her out, bites her, and leaves her to die in the snow. She runs off to Hollow Tree Court, camping out there for the night, thinking her mission is a success. The next morning, Daniela is startled to find that Evie, Mya, and Amira are confronting her, and Amira scolds her for what she has done. Ignoring them, Daniela tries to escape, but she runs into Evie and Mya's parents. As a punishment for all the Christmas mayhem, she is forced to sing for the elderly at the Pineshadow Outdoor Mall, which deeply humiliates her. She angrily demands why Rex allowed this to happen, and her mother retorts that it was coming for her. Daniela snaps, yanks a glass shard from her pocket, and points it at her mother, asking if she cares for her feelings or not. Rex insists she does worriedly, and Daniela praises her for being submissive, walking to her room and scratching herself in order to have her own pain combat her emotions.

Daniela soon makes Evie and Mya into her prime bullying targets, openly bickering on who to pick on, and continuing to harass Mya. Rex orders her to stop bullying her, telling her to file her paperwork as a punishment, though she doesn't care about it. After that day, Daniela finds her targets helping Rex, and her desires to get kicks out of people spirals out of control, seeing her need to hurt them. She tries to disrupt them, but her first attempt backfires when Evie mentions that she's Rex's daughter in front of a male student - who she finds cute - and this makes her die inside. The student, who introduces himself as Henry, follows her, and Daniela violently threatens him to leave her alone. Later, she confronts Evie and Mya again, but Mya stomps on her foot. Daniela bounces around in pain, finding Henry watching her with fascination, and she considers it time for Evie and Mya to pay for their actions.

On the guise that she is unlocking the library doors, Daniela uses her mother's keys to lock Evie and Mya in a closet, and she thinks she is a savage for what she has done. Daniela gets away with it, but her moment is ruined when Henry grabs the keys, revealing to Rex that Daniela lied to her. Furious, she drags her out of the school building, remarking that she's lucky Henry stopped her from murder. She retorts that she doesn't care, and when Rex tries responding, Daniela warns her to be quiet or she will be kicked in the stomach. Feeling pain in her heart, she runs into her room and smashes her head into her nightstand, taking pleasure with her own pain, and she soon begins to become berserk.

#### *It's Murder*

"*As I cried inside of my flaming hot mind, I bit my tongue hard. It acted like some medicine to me. Blood washed against my teeth as I approached the Pineshadow Correctional Center for Juveniles, having lost the fight I* desperately *needed to win.*"
—Daniela trying to cope with going to jail

Daniela sits on a bench, lost in her dark thoughts, when a girl closely affiliated with Evie and Mya passes by her. Something tells her that she knows the girl, identified by a striking pixie cut that makes her nearly blush, though she doesn't. Looking into her ice-blue eyes, Daniela suddenly realizes that she's looking at Winter, regaining her composure and scaring her off, and beginning to develop a plan to end who she thinks inflicted pain on her heart. Deciding to pay her a visit, she follows Winter in the direction of the Piney Woods after school, but is forced to stop when Rex phone calls her, asking her to come home and do her chores before going to relax outside. Daniela expresses her apathy toward that and abruptly hangs up on her mother, going back to following her ex-girlfriend enter a cabin in the woods. Shortly later, Daniela sneaks out while Rex is asleep, heading into the Piney Woods, and acts concerned for Winter, calling out to her. She doesn't appear, but when Daniela examines a bush, she leaps out at her and holds her at knifepoint. Daniela taunts Winter for hurting her, bickering back and forth, and eventually leaving on command. However, she turns back for a chilling parting message, warning Winter to always look out for her and threatening that she'll be toast someday.

Daniela's mind floods with numerous messages, notably sadism and pride, and she desires to remove the pain from her heart before it becomes unbearable. She develops a new plan - lure Winter to her hangout near the school, make her weak, and use her as bait for Evie and Mya. With Rex busy writing documents, Daniela is once again able to sneak out of her house and to the cabin without suspicion, creeping inside. Despite her stealth, she accidentally wakes Winter, who is ready to fight with her pocket knife. Winter strikes at her arm with the knife seconds later, but Daniela does not care, instead enjoying the pleasure that comes from the blow. She then completely knocks Winter out, drags her to her cabana, and ties her up against a pole while also making sure she can't speak with a dishrag around her mouth. Daniela taunts her, mentioning that the real fun will begin once Evie and Mya are here. Shortly after, Daniela catches Evie and Mya attempting to rescue Winter and hits them hard on the backs of their heads, and she enjoys having them passed out. With them now bound alongside Winter, Daniela grabs a steak knife, ready to end her pain with blood on her hands, but she returns to the cabana to find everyone trying to escape.

Furious, she slams the door shut and immediately targets Winter, berating her, though her sense of relief does not last. Mya distracts Daniela by blowing a raspberry in her face, looking determined compared to weak. Despite her efforts, she and Evie are quickly dealt with, and Daniela prepares to give Winter the killing blow. Without warning, Mya lunges forward and intercepts it with her shoulder, startling her, and making her see how deeply she has bonded with Winter. Daniela considers her irrelevant and tries again, but Rex arrives on the scene - and it is revealed that Evie called her. Now humiliated, and with her pain becoming way worse, Daniela cuts herself on the arm with the knife as her mother drags her out. Upon arriving home, Rex scolds Daniela for trying to murder Winter, calling her a demon and trying to encourage her to let the past go. Daniela only scoffs at that, refusing to believe that she'll actually be punished, and Rex retorts that her once-wonderful daughter is ruining her reputation, making everyone in Pineshadow hate her. Daniela doesn't care, liking all the negative attention, and her mother punishes her by ordering her to do her chores. She doesn't wish to, heading off to her room, but Rex stops her. She demands for her to stay here and apologize, which makes the sharp feeling in her heart grow, but Rex ignores her pleas. Suddenly, Daniela realizes that the steak knife is still in her hands, and a dangerous idea forms in her mind.

Choosing to go with it, she slices her wrist with the knife, creating a red streak of blood. Rex is horrified by her actions and screams, and she finally lets her daughter go on the condition she doesn't go back on her word. Later, Daniela learns about a party that she is allowed to attend, and delighted, she prepares to have the limelight on her as she kills Winter. The night of the party, she dusts off her sweater, and a voice in her head promises that Winter will suffer, encouraging her to shine. Rex wishes Daniela well as she is sent into the cafeteria; while everything is bright, she only sees red. Spotting Winter on the bottom level, Daniela ambushes her, beginning to violently tear into her emotionally and physically. When Winter is thrown into the wall, her pocket knife lands on the ground, and Daniela snickers in delight. Now wielding her prized weapon, and taking in all the attention, she begins to target Winter's throat with the knife, feeling the terror that eases her pain. Daniela strikes her, but due to her being distracted by a noise, Winter moves so that her shoulder is impacted instead of her throat.

Remaining satisfied, Daniela laughs, pricking her finger with the knife, wanting to celebrate with the two kinds of pain she loves. Her moment of euphoria doesn't last, however, and Evie goads her into a fight. While she shares a mutual respect with her enemy, Daniela eventually beats her and prepares to stab her with the pocket knife. Out of nowhere, Winter suddenly bounces back and throws Daniela against the wall, now unstoppable with her friends beside her. Daniela tries to make a comeback of her own, but she is instead placed in handcuffs, under arrest for attempted murder. Wailing, she is dragged out, feeling Rex and Henry bore into her soul. With sadism having backfired, Daniela only eases the pain by biting her tongue, as it acts like medicine to her. She approaches the Pineshadow Correctional Center for Juveniles, going to prison for the fight she needed to win.

#### *Behind the Bars*

"*Some days, I doted on choosing to not take my medication, feeling so burdened. I almost didn't. But I wanted to be better. Thoughts of change were in my head. Maybe I could improve. So I took my medication every day. While it did make me feel better, a shadow still hung over me, its invisible shadowy arms wrapped around my throat. Depression was like a fever in my body. I didn't feel much happier, lacking the clarity I needed.*"
—Daniela feeling half-better

Daniela enters her prison cell in new attire, her blue sweater now discarded forever, and she begins to feel wrong. She faces a lack of stimulation and socilization and the odd feeling of being the youngest prisoner, and while she tries to cope with her own methods, she soon starts to regress. She begins to not care about her life, coming to the realization that no one really loves her, losing her mind entirely. The pain in her heart subsides, replaced with emptiness and depression, and Daniela becomes a shell of her former self. Some time later, she suffers her first panic attack in a long time, pleading for help, but the guards don't know what to do. She begs for their assistance, but when they tell her that she's waking up everyone, Daniela demands with white-hot fury if they ever care for people with panic attacks. Startled by her outburst, they run away, and guilt overwhelms her. She falls to the ground and cries, not being able to stand everything anymore. Her thoughts drift to Winter, and a thought suddenly hits her - Winter was never to blame for the breakup - the breakup was caused by Daniela.

Overwhelmed with guilt and burdened with the fact that she got here because of herself, Daniela becomes increasingly manic and violent. She paces around muttering nonsense, screams and scrapes at the walls, and suffers extensive paranoia. She tries asking the guards over and over to get help for her, but they refuse, calling her delusional and telling her to be quiet. This only makes her act volatile toward them, and she spits at them that what she's doing isn't normal for someone like her. They run, spooked, and Daniela is disappointed in herself, noting that being scary isn't going to get her clarity. Not being able to keep herself under control, Daniela's mind descends into darkness, and she once again thinks about Winter, beginning to understand how much her life has been influenced by her ex-girlfriend. Regret for her evil actions stabs at her heart, taking away the darkness that was there before, but this doesn't stop Daniela from experiencing long manic episodes and insomnia at night. The guards' tough and unsympathetic behavior only makes Daniela feel worse, and she continues to torment herself, freezing. She soon begins to hurl herself at the wall, not for masochism, but because she wants the pain to remind her that she's unwanted.

Wanting to die, Daniela notes that she is a monster who has driven everyone away, remaining an outcast in prison and sometimes being too depressed to eat or drink. During bouts of hyperactivity, she questions herself on who she is, and screams at the guards to leave her alone, as they only make her more pathetic and demented. She regularly begs for death because of all the pain overwhelming her, and a voice taunts her for being weak and having the inability to control her actions. In a callback to breaking the mirror, Daniela smashes her head into the bars of her cell, denting one and falling back, rubbing her head. Twitching, she buries her head into her arms. After a while, a therapist finally speaks with her in Ms. Clark. She questions Daniela, who is still depressed, but is somewhat happy that she got someone to confide in. She longs for a friend like Winter, Amira, or Mya, and her dark thoughts still rip into her, making her feel low and seeing that every person had a right to be scared of her.

Weeks later, a doctor walks into her cell, having been called up by Ms. Clark. He grabs Daniela's attention, and she takes a container from his hand, gasping in shock once she sees the label - it is medicine for bipolar disorder - revealing that she has it. The doctor urges her to take her medicine so she is less manic, telling her to not feel burdened, and the truth swims around in her mind. Daniela weeps softly on the ground, fearing that being mentally ill will only drive everyone away from her again, still feeling suicidal. However, she doesn't bring herself to commit suicide; the thought is too distant of a concept and her sanity holds her back from doing so. Wanting to be a better person, Daniela wills herself to take her medication, which eases her mood. Depression remains with her, and she knows that she needs more clarity.

#### *Aftermath*

"*I know what you're going to say - I'm a villain at heart, I don't deserve redemption or a second chance. But I'm different than the two of you - because I have* bipolar disorder*. I'm mentally ill, and sometimes, I don't have control over how I act. I don't have the life I want to have, and I feel burdened by my condition* and *by the inner demons - my past and the regret that's built up inside of me for what I did. No one really ever talked to me in prison, and my mother... Well... She seems to understand me more, but I don't think she can ever fully trust me." [...] "And it's hard because I just need to talk to someone, yet everyone I've talked to has rejected me! I just want someone who can appreciate me for being mentally ill and for being short-tempered! Someone who can see past me! I just want someone who loves me...*"
—Daniela to Amira and Winter

Some time after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Daniela is less manic, and has begun to become more engaged in her prison life, feeling better. Soon, she is informed that her sentence is nearly over, and she is eager to go out in the world again, yet nervous as well. Getting permission to call her mother, Daniela phones Rex, who doesn't seem happy that she's coming home. She tries to convince her that she's changed, but she refuses to listen, even outright telling her that she lost the right to be her daughter when she tried her hand at murder. Rex then hangs up on Daniela, and she begins to feel lost, lacking the other half of the clarity that she needs. During her last week, she remains quiet, and when her mother comes to pick her up, she walks out quietly. Daniela says that it's nice to see her again, but doesn't get a response, and the car ride back home is noticeably somber - with Daniela even crying silently. Back home, she falls asleep, and is startled to be woken up around sunset. Two weeks after, Daniela is noted to have a very irregular sleep pattern, and wanting to get away from home, she decides to head to Pinelake Park.

She informs Rex of her departure, but her mother doesn't want her to go, thinking she's going to "terrorize children." Panicking, and flaring up with anger, Daniela snaps that she's well aware she's unwanted and making her uneasy, but she just wants a chance to explain herself. Rex is taken aback by her honesty, allowing her to go on. She gives her the container holding her medicine, and she is shocked to discover that Daniela has bipolar disorder. The latter admits that she didn't tell her out of fear she would be completely rejected for being mentally ill, which makes Rex apologize for not doing enough to help her, calling herself a bad mother. Instead of turning her down, Daniela makes it clear to her that she needs her in her life, and the two make amends. Daniela then leaves to go to Pinelake Park, sitting down by a tree and attempting to draw. However, she is horrified to see that she has done a self-chararicture of herself being evil. Not wanting her past bothering her, she places the sketch back in her satchel, and lays down feeling depressed and unmotivated.

Suddenly, she picks up two voices, that of Amira and Winter, leaving her stunned. Creeping towards them through the tall grass, Daniela becomes jealous as she hears Winter and Amira joke about the latter being caught by the fashion police for wearing a mismatched outfit. Amira tells Winter that her grandmother really loves her, especially for being heroic stopping Shetani, and remembering their first midnight meeting dreamily. Daniela wishes for someone like her to confide in, and plucking a dandelion, she makes a wish - for someone to love her. Shutting her eyes, the inner demon who's always bothered her taunts her for not acting anything like her old self, and her pleas for it to leave her alone fall on deaf ears. She balls up on the ground, in pain because of her past memories appearing in her head all at once, sparked by one thought which she compares to gasoline, which in turn made the dangerous fire that consumed her. Not being able to keep everything in anymore, Daniela screams to be let go, and she realizes too late that she has drawn Amira and Winter's attention to herself. The two investigate the tall grass, making her panic, and they discover her moments later. Amira jumps back, while Winter yanks Daniela up and points her knife blade at her throat, demanding an explanation as to why she's here.

In fear, Daniela puts her hands up and cries, not wanting to fight. Winter and Amira ask for an explanation, and Daniela begs to be killed, not thinking her depression-filled life is worth it. Winter refuses to believe it, but when Daniela wails that she doesn't want to kill her, she and Amira begin to think that she isn't lying after all. Winter reluctantly helps her ex-girlfriend up, agreeing to let her talk, but threatens her life should she do something to harm them. Downtrodden, Daniela sits by the playground, knowing the two don't want her here, and saying that she knows she was a horrible person to them. She adds that she knows they're going to say that she doesn't deserve a second chance, but reveals that she is bipolar and sometimes doesn't have control over her emotions. She feels burdened by her condition, in addition to being an outcast, longing for someone to not reject her and actually appreciate her for who she is. Daniela then talks about how being bisexual embarrasses her, before transitioning to the breakup with Winter, expressing her guilt and apologizing heavily in tears.

Amira, sympathetic, gets an idea and asks Winter if she can do it, to which she agrees. Amira takes Daniela into the Piney Woods, getting her to look into a puddle in an open patch of sunlight, and asking what she sees when she looks into it. Daniela responds that she sees a manic freak who craves pain and doesn't enjoy her bisexuality, but Amira says that she sees a beautiful person, a wonderful teenage girl who is working to make things right with a huge, soft heart. She goes on to say that she relates to Daniela because of her family neglecting her for most of her life. Amira mentions Shetani, shocking Daniela (who knows her from the news), inquiring if she's really her aunt. Amira reveals the abuse and torment she faced from her now-deceased aunt, but what was happening stopped thanks to Winter saving her life, and Daniela realizes that the two aren't friends - they're girlfriends.

Recalling the fight with Shetani, Winter states that she's willing to give her a second chance, telling Daniela that no scars or demons can hurt her, and the world can change, not her. Happy with what she has said, she hugs Winter, and Daniela is relieved to hear that Shetani was way worse than her. Without warning, she loses control of herself and kisses Winter, who immediately shoves her back in shock. Embarrassed, she apologizes, not knowing what came over her, but Winter affirms that she isn't mad, as Mya accidentally kissed Evie once. Amira adds that they're now together, surprising Daniela, but it makes her feel more positive. She jumps up, excited, before then rolling on the ground laughing with her new friends. The depression that was once with her fades, and Daniela knows Winter is right now; there are no scars to the beautiful person that she is inside.

#### *A New Start*

"*I thought about how far I'd come since I'd changed for the better, and looking back on everything - I was really proud of myself. My mother was proud, and I'd made amends with the four I'd hurt the most. I had regained my life back and made it better than ever, making friends and being in a state of solitude, one which I embraced with open arms.*"
—Happy Daniela

In her diary, Daniela writes about how she is happy with who she currently is. Flashing back to the past, she makes breakfast and cleans the house for Rex, much to her surprise, as she has never been this dedicated. Thinking about Mya, Daniela admits that she likes animals, and Rex suggests that she works as a volunteer for The Haven, the local animal shelter in Pineshadow, encouraging her to not let herself be dragged down. She agrees, quickly registering as a volunteer and loving her position, feeling appreciated. Soon enough, a client comes in, and preparing herself, Daniela asks if she'd like to adopt a cat. In turn, the client introduces herself as Rexy Jones, chuckling at how small she is and revealing that she is here to please her little brother. Following Daniela to where the cats are, Rexy marvels at how many there are, mentioning that her brother wants a very patterned cat, a tortoiseshell. Daniela exclaims that one is right behind her - Mara - and the older teenager is smitten straight off the bat. Daniela tells Rexy to forward her adoption request to a senior worker, but the latter wishes to stay and learn more about her, admitting that she desires to have the willpower she has.

Daniela sits down, explaining to Rexy that she was a horrible person in the past, and she is shocked to learn that she almost got away with murder. She then mentions her failed relationship with Winter and the events that made her rotten, and only in the end did she learn why she acted so aggressively. Rexy correctly guesses that she has bipolar disorder, which Daniela confirms, mentioning that Winter and Amira helped her see that she isn't affected by her past anymore. In turn, Rexy brings up her rebellious past where she went by her own rules, but wanting to be better for her brother, she changed, making her family life better. After realizing that she has two people left make amends with, Daniela heads out to apologize to them, starting with Evie. Remembering where she lives, she walks to her house, knowing she'll get a frosty response. Nervously knocking on her door, Evie soon appears, glaring at Daniela with cold green eyes. She spits at her to leave, beginning to mention everything she did, but Daniela snaps that she gets it. Calming herself, she reasons that she understands why Evie doesn't trust her, urging her to see the other side of her story where she's not painted as a bully.

Evie remains skeptical, but Daniela then reveals that she has always respected her for what makes her special. Apologizing for trying to hurt her in the past, she lets her hair fall, shocking Evie, seeing that she really is being honest. She invites her into her living room, telling her to ignore all the plants, as her mother is obsessed with Vietnamese fauna. Evie then adds that she is tied down to her culture, revealing how she forced her into achieving high standards at a young age. She never wanted a premade path for herself, and only Mya and Winter understood how she felt. Daniela is sympathetic, recalling her own share of issues, and informs Evie that she has bipolar disorder. She explains that prison was a nightmare for her, remembering how badly she flared up, but her two friends helped her find the clarity she desperately needed. Evie is surprised, but Daniela points out that Amira and Winter took pity on her and guided her greatly, agreeing that she definitely went through hell. Suddenly, a sleek, black cat jumps up onto the sofa - Holly - and Evie encourages her to greet Daniela. At once, Holly takes a liking to her, purring heavily and resting on her stomach.

Daniela brings up her experience working with other cats, and Evie finally accepts that she's changed, apologizing for greeting her so frostily earlier. Later, Daniela heads in the direction of where Mya lives, worried about how she'll react with her presence, needing to remain calm. Before her father figures out it's her, Daniela quickly states that she needs to speak to Mya. Upon opening the door, Mya is livid her longtime bully is here, yelling at her to go away. She tries to reason, but the girl refuses to talk to her, warning her to beat it. She then adds that this has to be some plot where Daniela takes advantage of her, and she doesn't want anything to do with it. Frustrated, Daniela reasons that there was someone worse than her, urging her to see the two sides of her, not just one. Mya says that she doesn't trust her, but Winter interrupts, stating that she does. She agrees that while she has a right to be mad at Daniela, affirms that she has indeed changed and deserves a chance to share her story.

Finally relaxing, Mya lets her open up, and Daniela explains everything to her. She apologizes for bullying her, now seeing that she's such a beautiful person and a true warrior at heart, understanding if she won't be forgiven. Mya doesn't fully accept her apology, wanting to have time to mull things over, but considers it a start. The two girls see how much they are alike, laughing together, and Daniela begins to relate to Mya on a spiritual level. She inquires if she's happy being a gay person, to which she responds that being bisexual is part of what makes her whole, in addition to mentioning her strong relationship with Evie. Daniela admits that she sometimes doesn't enjoy being bisexual, thinking that her interest in both genders is embarrassing, but Mya reassures her that it's okay to be flustered sometimes. She adds that she gay panicked a lot in the past around Evie, but she's not being held back by anything, and urges her to be herself. Happy, Daniela thanks her, gifting her a hairclip with a heart-shaped sequin containing the colors of the bisexual flag. Winter rejoins them, and the adopted sisters recall everything that happened while Daniela was in juvenile prison. Finishing writing in her diary, Daniela signs off and flops down onto her bed, satisfied at how far she's come and agreeing that there are two sides to her.

### *Little Miss Perfect*

"*Give up already!" [...] "This is* my night*. My* glory*! You aren't stealing this from me!*"
—Daniela refusing to let Evie win

Evie is horrified to find Daniela bullying Mya and her crush, Benji. Daniela is noted to be the infamous school bully who terrizes everyone and refuses to listen to reason, and it is rumored that she even gives the middle finger. Recently, she has made Mya into her bullying target and has picked on her whenever possible, and despite everything, she will never change. Daniela taunts Mya for spending time with Benji, and she begs for her to leave, but she snarls too bad into her face. Daniela wonders if it'll be a shame if the two knew they were being "intimate" with each other, humiliating both Mya and Benji, and Mya pleads for her to leave again. Daniela retorts that she doesn't know what she's in for, violently striking her cheek and cackling as she falls to the playground step in pain. Evie prepares to attack while Benji crawls back, too scared to help his crush. Daniela bares her teeth in Mya's face, and the latter begs to be let go, promising anything, but accidentally using Daniela's short name of Dani. Furious, she spits at her to never call her Dani, relaxing her hold on her but not letting go. She brushes her auburn hair aside, commenting that her face is lovely to punch - proceeding to hit her on the cheek. Mya is dropped onto the playground step, this time too petrified to get up. By now, she has been heavily humiliated. Enjoying the misery she is inflicting, Daniela picks Mya back up and prepares to go at her jaw, laughing wickedly. Evie snaps, charging at Daniela and kicking her into the woodchips, then helping Mya back up. With menace in her amber eyes, Daniela snarls that Evie will made miserable for intervening, but despite her attempts to retaliate, Evie counters thanks to her experience in martial arts. She headbutts her in the chest, causing her to fall back. Evie grabs Daniela by her sweater collar, warning her that she better not bully Mya when she's around, or she's gonna leave with bruises and a broken arm.

Daniela tries to protest, but her rival cuts her off, adding that she can beat her up again right now should she go at her and Mya. Mya tells her to leave, and giving up, Daniela runs off in disgust, promising that she'll be back. Mya then apologizes to Evie for not driving her bully off on her own, questioning where she learned to fight her like that. Evie's worries before fighting Daniela soon vanish as she hangs out with Mya and Benji. Months later, Daniela laughs at a sleepy Evie in English class, ramming her table and describing her as "amusing." Mrs. Ikenna then scolds her, threatening to send her to Rex, though she still smirks at Evie. Later that day, Daniela follows Evie to history, questioning where the "insomni-maniac" is going, much to her frustration. She asks why she's following her, and Daniela responds that she's going to laugh at her being too tired to care for her grades. Evie tells her to quit wasting her free time and to pick on a boy from the football team instead, but she smirks, wanting to watch her grades "drown in the Atlantic." She inquires what her mother would think if she was failing, and livid, Evie snaps that her family life is none of her concern, but now that she chose to bully her, she'll regret it. Daniela snorts, saying she's just a culture vulture, and believing she's just a coward. She grabs Evie, preparing to become violent with her, but a voice screams that she "wants to see this backpack bounce" - startling Daniela - and she turns just as Mya hits her hard with her backpack. Daniela smashes face-first into a brick post, running off in pain, and Mya remarks that she'll hopefully hit the back door.

Later, Evie recalls that she and Mya had helped Winter and her insecurities regarding Daniela, who is revealed to have formerly dated Winter. Evie asks how she's been doing since the whole thing with Daniela, and Winter replies that she's alright, though is still worried her ex-girlfriend will do something to her. Evie promises that she and Mya will protect her from Daniela. While sitting with Evie, Mya remarks that Daniela didn't do anything today. Minutes later, Evie realizes that what Mya is hiding from her is the very thing that split Daniela and Winter. A few weeks pass, and Evie is at the party with Mya. She recalls their attempts to stop Winter from attending after it was revealed Daniela was going as well, knowing she would be prone to becoming violent. However, the attempts didn't work, and now, Daniela has ambushed Winter. She has been ripping into her for minutes, and her former girlfriend is paralyzed in fear, all while she savors every moment. Much to Evie and Mya's horror, Daniela has Winter's knife in her hands - and she is ready for murder. Daniela wishes Winter a sickening goodnight, swinging the knife blade down toward her throat. However, Winter deflects it with her shoulder, and she writhes on the ground in agony. Daniela laughs, declaring herself triumphant and telling Winter that she can bleed out in front of the crowd. She has no family left, and she got with somebody she used to know. The girls step in, and while Mya helps Winter, Evie confronts Daniela. She makes herself look as threatening as possible, but Daniela is not fazed, thinking that she is stronger because she has a knife. Evie retorts for her to prove she isn't a coward, and snapping, the bully tries to charge at her. Evie hits her on the face, causing her to fall back, and she then kicks her on both sides of her waist. She challenges her to give her all that she's got, and Daniela responds that she's always game. She rams Evie against a table, trying to suffocate her, and she falls limp.

Thinking she has won, Daniela prepares to slit her throat, but Evie uses all of her body weight to send her rival flying into a brick pillar. She growls that she's smarter than a border collie, but will tear her down nonetheless, punching her on the jaw and making her lose her bearings. Evie sees Daniela about to barrel into her, but she leaps up into the air, and she misses. Daniela spits at her to give up, not wanting her night of glory to be ruined, but Evie refuses. She springs at her, pinning her to the ground, but Daniela quickly kicks her off. Suddenly, Evie realizes that she'll win no matter what, and despite her attempt to fight back, Daniela pins her against another table. She tries to break free, but can't, and Daniela puts the blade of Winter's pocket knife to her throat. Daniela prepears to kill her, but Winter shocks her, stunning her. She lets Evie go, and she scrambles up alongside her and Mya. In a blur, Winter defeats Daniela, sending her flying back, and she is then arrested for attempted murder - she will now live out a life in juvenile prison. Evie's mother soon praises her for fighting against Daniela so valiantly. Later, Evie commends Mya, saying that if it weren't for her helping Winter, Daniela would have gone on a tyrade.

### Specials

#### *Daniela Wrecks Christmas*

"*I don't care if I get in trouble for this. I don't care if I'm hated or disciplined. You* deserve *to suffer. You* deserve *the pain for* ruining my reputation*!* My *holiday! Putting me in* hell*! I'm* **SICK** *of* **ALL** *of you thinking you're above me. But you've* lost *anyway. You're* done*. I owe you* **NOTHING***!*"
—Daniela snapping at Evie, Mya, and Amira

Daniela's vendetta against Winter is remembered by Mya, who soon tells Winter of the time Daniela attempted to ruin their Christmas. On the last day of the school year before Christmas, Daniela is sick of the holiday cheer, and hearing Mya's elf hat jingle, she angrily confronts her and Evie, threatening to shove Mya's hat up her rear end. While Mya's self-esteem takes a hit, Evie urges her to sing a carol to get Daniela into the merry spirit. Daniela becomes utterly flabbergasted as Mya sings a more spiteful version of *Jingle Bells* alongside Evie, allowing themselves to escape, and embarrassed, Daniela warns the two that they aren't going to succeed in fooling her twice. After school dismissal, Evie and Mya accidentally run into Daniela outside, and irritated, she scorns the two for making the Christmas season even more poisonous for her to deal with. Mockingly, she refuses to let them go home, and when Evie makes a break for it, she steals her Santa hat for herself. Evie grumbles in annoyance, and incensed, Mya spits the last of her hot chocolate in Daniela's eye, causing her to falter, and she and Evie slip away. Daniela, humiliated once again, hopes the two have the worst Christmas they've ever had. Back in the present day, Winter reacts with little surprise to her ex's hatred of Christmas and is in awe of how she was outfoxed. Mya then continues the story.

Later, on Christmas Eve, Daniela laments on her miserable state of affairs in her bedroom before heading downstairs, expecting presents and cookies. She finds no presents and accosts Rex, who is making Christmas cookies, and she reveals that due to her violent and entitled behavior, she will be receiving no presents - she is also barred from eating any of the cookies, which weren't even made for her in the first place. Daniela retorts that she goes by her own rules, eating one of the cookies, much to her mother's ire. They fight, and each repeatedly admonish each other for their own actions, and when Rex orders Daniela to apologize, she refuses. This makes her snap, and she commands her to get out where she can't see her. This punishment catches Daniela off-guard momentarily, but taking it, she throws on a coat and heads out. In the weather, she curses out Evie and Mya and her mother, and her final nerve breaking, she vows to ruin the Christmas of her enemies, similar to how the Grinch once stole Christmas long ago. Before she can make her way to Evie's place, she is startled by a noise on Burlsberry Lane and sees a young girl venting furiously about how her parents kicked her out. Daniela finds common ground with her and introduces herself, sympathizing with her circumstances (as well as crushing on her) and manipulating her into helping with her plans, first starting with destroying her parents' house as revenge for giving her the boot. She agrees, introducing herself as Amira. In the present, Winter is incredulous that Daniela scored herself an accomplice - she was always a lone wolf - and is even more astonished that she had some feelings for Amira.

Mya continues on with the story. Breaking into the Fleckenshire house, Daniela kicks off the night of mayhem by destroying a wreath, and she and Amira tear down, topple, and smash what they can. When all is said and done, barely anything can be salvaged. Daniela praises Amira for indulging in vengeance, persuading her to help her target Evie and Mya and grabbing her a coat before leading her to the Ly family residence, still falling in love with her and accepting it. She cracks the lock, and together, she and Amira completely ramsack the place, sneaking outside and conversing. However, their silhouettes are caught by Evie and Mya; Evie hits the window and chases them outside, but both slip over the top of the fence and escape. Evie and Mya, fearing of the lengths Daniela will go, get permission to chase her and her accomplice down. Meanwhile, Daniela and Amira feel victorious, but longing for more, Daniela tells Amira that they need to reward themselves with physical presents - which they can steal from the house they're next to - and she secretly hopes to ask Amira out with one. As Daniela scans the premises, Amira realizes that there's young children and warns her friend, who doesn't care in the least, and she realizes that Daniela led her on just to steal and tarnish the holidays for innocent people. She stops Daniela from breaking into the house and denounces her for lying and taking advantage of her situation; her fire is too much for Daniela, and she isn't able to stop the very embers she cultivated. Amira denounces her, and cutting all ties with her, she calls her a monster and walks off.

Infuriated, Daniela captures her, but Amira doesn't change her viewpoint. Suddenly, Daniela presses her into the snow, snapping that she's weak just like Evie and Mya are and leaving her to freeze, choosing to camp at Hollow Tree Court for the night. Back in the present, Winter is terrified by her ex's actions, now knowing that she's not her only abuse victim. Mya, giving her reassurance, presses on. Not long after, Evie and Mya find Amira, realize that Daniela ditched her, and take her to safety at Mya's place. There, they assure her that she is a victim of Daniela's and does not have the full blame for everything, as she was manipulated into believing false pretenses. In her interrogation, she tells the girls and Mya's parents of her every interaction with Daniela, which helps them make a plan to capture her in the daybreak. Around five in the morning, they find her hideout at Hollow Tree Court, and starting with Mya, they confront her. Daniela is only mildly irritated by Mya and shoves her aside, but is angered by Evie also being present, warning her to step aside. After a few verbal blows, she obliges, and Daniela is shell-shocked to find Amira. She tries to attack her, only to fail and for Amira to twist her own preachings of revenge against her. Having had enough, Daniela snaps that she still won and that she owes them nothing, walking right into Mya's parents, who give her an ultimatum: she surrenders now and gets to go home, but if not, she will have police called on her and will be going to prison. Reluctantly, she agrees to be taken home, where she receives intensive verbal punishment from Rex.

Later, as another part of her punishment, Daniela is forced to sing Christmas carols at the mall, and Evie, Mya, and Amira watch her happily, believing it's what she deserves. When Amira is confronted by her parents, Evie spits that they're being cruel to their daughter, someone who was a victim of Daniela's manipulation, and she shows Amira's mother, Mikayla, where Daniela is in the choir. Realizing that Evie's claims of Amira being gaslit are correct, she and Braxton back down and give Amira time to be with her friends. Mya concludes the story, and Winter is greatly amused by Daniela's punishment.

#### *Rise of a She-Devil*

Amira figures that if she can survive Daniela, she can survive the situation she has been placed into by Shetani.

#### *The Guardian of Angels*

"*You know, it still feels weird, fighting as a good guy. I always have fun when I'm in combat with you, Evie. Someday, I wish to be skilled as you.*"
—Daniela to Evie

Daniela sits around a fake campfire with her friends, dressed as Rihanna in *S&M* and Halsey in *Nightmare*. During Amira's story, Daniela asks if she's getting to the creepy part soon, looking forward to hearing cursed things. Once Amira finishes, she praises her and says that she nailed it. When Winter describes an attractive girl, Daniela whistles and makes kissing noises, and her ex-girlfriend teases her over finding a fictional character not. Embarrassed, Daniela's face turns red, and Mya adds that she's allowed to "simp over fictional characters." Still embarrassed, she quietly tells herself to smile through the pain. After Mya embarrasses Winter by bringing up Aiden, Daniela and Amira hold in their laughter. Winter soon concludes her story by saying that the boy warned his crush to always look out for him, earning her a gasp from Daniela; her amber eyes are lit with horror. Realizing that accidentally referenced some of her past, Winter apologizes for making her uncomfortable, though Daniela affirms that she isn't mad and finds her story thrilling.

Daniela then cuts off Mya, wanting to tell her horror story, and begins. In a kingdom long ago lived a king and queen, who kept the lands surrounding them in perfect harmony. Many years passed, and they stepped down, being replaced by their heirs (Liliana and Solas), though the kingdom was unaware of what was to come. Liliana and Solas were never happy together, and fought a lot to the point where Solas decided to end it - in murder. In the middle of a night in April, he crept into Liliana's bedroom and stabbed her in the neck - causing her to scream for what seemed like miles until her death. Kingdom officials pitied Solas, and while he was satisfied at first, he soon learned that Liliana was carrying his daughter when she died. Solas wept as he walked back to his room, now having to cope with the heavy burden that he was responsible for bringing himself great misery. The next morning, he was found dead in his room from a self-inflicted wound, having repaid his great misdeed in death. The kingdom never recovered, with everything dying out except for a fountain and two koi fish - earning the place the name of the "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom."

The other Goldens then praise Daniela. When Mya reveals that the three friends always disagreed on holidays in her story, Daniela asks her why. After the story turns more disturbing, she begins to shake and moves right up against Winter, gripping her shoulder nervously. A voice then whispers to them and Amira, inquiring if they're scared, and she exclaims that someone's here. A stranger donning a cloak jumps them, singing, and Daniela questions what's happening. She commands for the stranger to let her friend go, but she refuses and dashes into the Piney Woods with Mya. Amira and Daniela follow Winter into the woods, and after she is dragged away by the figure, pinned against a tree. She tells the two to run, and they do, working on finding Mya. They quickly locate her, and Winter joins them; they discover Mya tied against a tree. When the figure unexpectedly backs down after making Mya's insecurities flare up, Daniela points out that she hurt her best friend. The stranger runs away, and Amira and Daniela follow her while Winter stays behind with Mya. She slams into Amira, and furious, Daniela grabs her cloak and spins her around so she faces her. She threatens the cloaked stranger, asking for one reason not to rip her apart. The figure spits that she never wanted to hurt Mya, kicking at her stomach and fleeing.

However, Amira trips her up, making her hit a rock. She tries to scramble up, but Daniela wraps her arms around her chest, preventing her from going anywhere. She begs to be let go, but she refuses to do so, remarking that she caused enough trouble already. Winter and Mya run up to them, and Winter questions if Daniela has captured the "freak," to which she responds that she's not going anywhere until they get an explanation. Mya throws back her hood, revealing her identity - Evie. Daniela is stunned and lets go of her. After Evie and Mya kiss, Daniela remarks that love has never been more beautiful and terrifying. When Winter comments that she enjoys the wild side of life, her ex-girlfriend points out that that she lived in a cabin for a year. In turn, she brings up that Daniela drove her there in the first place, embarrassing her, and she jokes that she'll kill her. Walking up to Evie, Daniela states that it's still weird she is fighting as a good guy, but she had fun dueling her and hopes to be as skilled as her someday. Amira adds that she has a great dynamic with Daniela and enjoyed seeing that in action again. Shortly after Mya dubs Evie the "Guardian of Angels," Daniela gives her the crown she is wearing, saying that she has earned that honor, and hugs her along with the rest of her friends.

## Personality and Traits

Daniela was originally friendly, fun-loving, talkative, and eager to make new friends wherever she went. She appreciated being in the company of others, and enjoyed building a strong bond with those she loved, especially with Rex and Winter. She wasn't one to shy away from a truth, easily recognizing that she was bisexual and having no issue coming out to her family. Daniela was also very confident and determined, wanting the best for everyone, and going to high lengths to achieve that despite the potential risks. However, her emotional stability is hit hard following Winter's breakup with her and the assault by Winter's father. Daniela is permanently traumatized and left in tears, and she loses her confidence entirely, allowing bullies to easily crack into her delicate shell and torment her. Her efforts to stop them backfire completely, and thus, she feels worthless and thinks she can't do anything to save herself. Daniela begins to suffer disturbing nightmares, anxiety attacks, and visions, which make her snap violently, as shown when she breaks a mirror with her head after thinking that her reflection is taunting her. Soon enough, she breaks down mentally, and vows to hurt those who have wronged her, changing rapidly in personality.

Following her enigma, Daniela becomes overly smug, aggressive, apathetic, and callous. She violently attacks those who have wronged her, beginning to scare everyone away, and she doesn't care that she is damaging her reputation by what she is doing. This makes everyone begin to fear her or hate her entirely, and she notes that no one can control her, believing herself to be superior to any person. She develops an obsession with sadism, lusting to hurt others, as it gives her pleasure and repeated kicks. She also becomes increasingly rebellious, loud-mouthed, and toxic to the point where she even trash-talks school staff (including her own mother) and gives the middle finger to them, filling her with pride. Throughout *Two-Sided*, especially in *Good Girl Gone Bad*, she also comes pretty close to swearing and considers herself a punk rocker, which could suggest that she enjoys being a foul person. Daniela briefly struggles with internalized homophobia, thinking that her bisexuality is burdening her and only getting in the way of her desires and goals, but eventually clears her hurdle by stretching her ego and lying to herself that she is straight. This allows her to believe that she has fixed her problem. Besides her sadism, Daniela also becomes masochistic, now inflicting pain on herself for the dark pleasure she lusts for, and she becomes so addicted to doing so that it begins to appear as if masochism is like a drug to her.

Daniela turns even more shriveled and rotten as the days go by, refusing to listen to reason and becoming hellbent on hurting others for her own gain. She becomes increasingly manipulative, devious, and crafty, and can easily guilt-trip or manipulate others into helping her in order to get what she wants. In *Daniela Wrecks Christmas*, she easily gets Amira onto her side by using her bad family life, and she constantly uses guilt, violence, and fear to make her own mother submissive to her demands. With the pain in heart constantly bothering her, Daniela goes to extreme lengths to battle her internal issues. She unapologetically locks Evie and Mya in a closet in *Daze Runners*, continiously attacks Mya even though the latter has done nothing to her, and mostly disregards everything Rex tells her to do. Once Winter comes back into her life, Daniela goes over the edge, craving murder and blood on her hands, showing that she is ready to have her hands dirty without even thinking about the consequences. She will do anything to kill Winter, whether it be stabbing her, watching her bleed out, or tormenting her until she is too weak to go on. This is prominently depicted in *Winter Storm Arising* after she stabs Winter in the shoulder, thinking she has won her fight and feeling like she is in a state of euphoria. Ultimately, however, she is arrested for her attempt to murder her ex-girlfriend, leaving Daniela miserable and foul-tempered as she heads off to juvenile prison.

Upon her inprisonment, Daniela begins to feel wrong, changing rapidly in personality again. The prison atmosphere, combined with a lack of socialization and sleep, makes her depressed, unmotivated, and uncomfortable. She feels lonely and bored, and soon, the prison atmosphere causes her to go insane. When she realizes that Winter never caused her fall from grace, and that only she did, Daniela is overwhelmed with sorrow and regret, leading to her mind falling into a dark state of disturbia. She has extreme manic periods and mental regression, as shown throughout *Behind the Bars*, and she is constantly delusional and hyperactive. Trying to cope, Daniela claws and screams at the walls, inflicts pain on herself, and even ends up taking out her misery on her cell entirely. Facing scary inner demons, she is unable to control her white-hot emotions, and thus, she frequently lets things out without thinking clearly. She continiously yells at her prison guards when they don't understand her, runs around in her cell in an attempt to burn off her manic energy, or lays on the floor wailing and sobbing. All of this comes to a climax at the end of *Behind the Bars*, where Daniela gets some clarity in learning that she has bipolar disorder. Despite this, she remains depressed, comparing her somber mood to that of a fever and wishing for something more.

In her final days of prison and in the time following her release, Daniela is apprehensive. While she longs to enjoy her life in Pineshadow again, she is also nervous that she will be in contact with others again. After Rex disowns her, she feels lost and confused, not knowing where to find the clarity she seeks. She also becomes very sensitive, as she is easily upset by Rex's remarks toward her in *Aftermath*. However, she expresses newfound wisdom and honesty to her mother in admitting that she has issues, getting candid and opening up about being bipolar to her. She retains these traits talking to Amira and Winter later on, and while fazed by Winter's threat to kill her, remains strong and willingly explains everything to them, admitting that she wants a friend and is desperate for someone to completely understand her. This shows that Daniela wants to make amends with everyone she's hurt, even with the people who were impacted by her the most. During her time with Amira and Winter, Daniela learns to put her past and inner demons behind her, in addition to seeing that there are no scars to the now beautiful person that she is. This makes her depression fade completely, and with her discovering full clarity, Daniela becomes much happier than she was before and enjoys spending time with her new friends.

## Family

**Mother:**

Rex (Living)
**Father:**

Raphael (Status Unknown)
**Former Girlfriend:**

Winter (Living)
## Trivia

* Daniela is voiced by Eden Riegel.
* She dislikes parties and anything to do with gore.
* As revealed in *Two-Sided*, Daniela has bipolar disorder and is actively taking medication to alleviate the severity of her symptoms.
	+ She also has claustrophobia, which she reveals to Amira in *Rise to Power*, and small spaces can easily trigger her anxiety. This was caused by her smaller prison cell while at the corrections center.
	+ Av also says that Daniela has eisoptrophobia, the fear of mirrors, which stemmed from her horrific hallucination shown in the flashback from *The Divide Between Us*. She doesn't go in close proximity to mirrors, nor does she stare at her reflection in them for long, fearful of what she could see or her anxiety overwhelming her.
* She is based off Boscha from *The Owl House*, Violet Adams and Penelope "Penny" Winchester from *Scarlet and Ivy*, Jonah Beck from *Andi Mack*, Rue Bennett from *Euphoria*, and Sunset Shimmer from the *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic* franchise.
	+ Daniela is also very similar to Sunset:
		- Both are bisexual.
		- Both were at one point antagonists.
		- Both picked on a particular target. Daniela frequently bullied Mya, while Sunset went after Twilight for her crown.
		- Both can be very angry when upset or if they are losing a fight they need to win.
		- Both had a reformation and proved to others that they changed.
	+ Besides Sunset, Daniela is strikingly similar to American singer Halsey; notably, both are bipolar and bisexual. Av says that Daniela's similarities to Halsey were unintentional on her part and she had no idea the two had much in common until mid-2021, calling it a coincidence.
		- Daniela's behavior in *Two-Sided* was also influenced by the Halsey songs *Control* and *Gasoline*.
		- Furthermore, according to Av, the Halsey song *Nightmare* describes Daniela almost perfectly in nearly every lyric.
		- Av has stated that Daniela is part of the reason she enjoys listening to Halsey's music.
	+ Daniela is also reminiscent of Sarah Kerrigan from the *StarCraft* franchise:
		- Both were originally good characters that were eventually consumed by darkness, with Daniela's coming from the breakup with Winter and Sarah being taken over by the Zerg, thus becoming the Queen of Blades.
		- Both had a similar antagonistic nature, although Sarah was notably more ruthless under the control of the Zerg and would end up killing thousands of civilians across the galaxy.
		- Both used pawns to get what they want and would later end up betraying them (Daniela with Amira and Sarah with Fenix).
		- Both broke down and would come to realize the darkness inside of them.
		- Both returned back to those they loved and made amends.
		- Both became protagonists and would work to stop further evil, in addition to proving their worth to the world.
		- Notably, Daniela and Sarah are also both linked to the 2012 Maduk song *Ghost Assassin*, which features Veela. The lyrics to *Ghost Assassin*, which were written by Veela, are dedicated to Sarah's story and character development throughout the *StarCraft* franchise. In *Evie and Mya*, *Ghost Assassin* is a ship anthem for Daniela and Winter and is meant to serve as a reflection of their story from *The Broken Pieces* to *Aftermath*.
* Her last name is a mix of Corey Burton and Verne Lundquist's names.
* She never bullied Evie heavily due to her mutual respect of her.
* Daniela was masochistic and used to constantly inflict pain on herself to get pleasure.
	+ If she was upset or facing emotional pressure, Daniela would also deliberately give herself pain so she could feel better, as she considered it her own medicine.
	+ As of the end of *Two-Sided*, she no longer has this trait.
* She betrayed Winter because she didn't want their relationship to always be a secret.
* Her worst fears are being humiliated, losing a fight she must win, rejection for being mentally ill, adult men, and adult men violating her consent or explictly assaulting her.
* Daniela used to deal with internalized homophobia, feeling burdened by her bisexuality and going on to lie that she was straight in an attempt to make herself feel better. With Mya's help, she no longer feels this way and "is comfortable in her own skin," according to Av.
* If the series was more r-rated, Av says Daniela would be swearing left and right.
	+ This was confirmed in *Warbringer* when Daniela called Ivanna a bitch.
* Daniela likes rock and heavy metal music, and often listens to music that is edgy or suggestive, thinking that it makes her look cooler.
	+ This is likely inspired by the Rihanna songs *Rockstar 101* and *S&M*.
	+ Av believes that she'd like bands like Fall Out Boy, Set It Off, My Chemical Romance, or Linkin Park.
* She used to take offense as to when her short name, Dani, was used by her enemies.
* Winter and Daniela's ship name is **Winiela**.
* Her character dynamic is the most complicated to write.
	+ She is also tied with Winter as Av's favorite character in the series.
* Daniela's behavior in *Two-Sided*, especially in *Behind the Bars*, was never intended to glorify those with mental illness; Av says that while she does have bipolar disorder, she is just "very dark and violent" for someone who has it and acts differently because of her young age and the state of her mental health, which affects her ability to control herself sometimes.
* It is implied throughout the series that she is increasingly strong despite her age:
	+ In *Meeting Winter*, she borderline chokes Winter with one hand.
	+ In *Daze Runners*, Daniela throws Evie and Mya aside effortlessly in her efforts to escape the office.
	+ In *She's Plotting Something*, she is unbothered by Winter cutting her and drags her nearly half a mile to her gathering place near the school from the Piney Woods. In that same episode, she also knocks the wind out of Evie and Mya easily without struggle.
	+ In *Winter Storm Arising*, she raises Winter off the ground with one hand and suffocates her.
	+ In *The Broken Pieces*, Daniela breaks a mirror with her head without any long-term consequences.
	+ In *Behind the Bars*, during a severe manic episode, Daniela smashes her head hard into the metal bars of her prison cell. This causes one bar to dent. Despite the velocity and her running against something metal, she does not suffer a concussion and is only momentarily dazed.
	+ In *The Dinner Party*, Daniela scratches Harlow across his left eye so hard that she blinds him in it, leaves a facial scar, and tears the flesh around his eyelid. Days after, Harlow would become permamently blind in his left eye.
	+ In *Rise to Power*, she deflects a punch Ivanna directed at Amira without breaking a sweat and being in little pain.
	+ In *Disappearance*, she temporarily manages to fight the Parkers, two adults notably stronger than she is, and ward off Ivanna before being captured by Harlow.
	+ Daniela's strength is most demonstrated during the events of *Warbringer*, where she heavily disfigures/bludgeons both Parkers and breaks Ivanna's cheekbone with one punch. She also strikes Ivanna violently with a gun and sends her into a rock, which ultimately causes her death.
* Av says that a lot of music has inspired Daniela's character over the course of *Two-Sided*:
	+ *Control* and *Gasoline* by Halsey.
	+ *6/10* by Dodie.
	+ *Car Radio* by Twenty One Pilots.
	+ *Breakin' Dishes*, *Bitch Better Have My Money*, *Disturbia*, *Rockstar 101*, and *S&M* by Rihanna.
	+ *Sorry Not Sorry* by Demi Lovato.
	+ *Ber Zer Ker* by WATEVA.
	+ *Addict* from YouTube series *Hazbin Hotel*.
	+ *My Past is Not Today* by Sunset Shimmer from *My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks*.
	+ *Scars to Your Beautiful* by Alessia Cara.
* Season 3 marks the first and only season in which Daniela is a protagonist.
	+ Prior to this, Daniela's first appearance as a protagonist was in *The Guardian of Angels*.
* Her relationship with Harlow is inspired by the 2013 Arthur & Medic song *Broken House*. Veela, the featured artist on the song, notably wrote *Broken House* to be about sexual abuse and harassment.
* Daniela's relationship with Mya is inspired by the Tristam and Braken song *Frame of Mind*.
* It was because of Daniela that Av fell in love with and chose to read the 2019 Tehlor Kay Mejia novel *We Set the Dark on Fire*, along with its sequel book, *We Unleash the Merciless Storm*. This is because of the main character, Daniela "Dani" Vargas, sharing the exact same name, nickname, and almost exact initials as the Daniela in *Evie and Mya*.
	+ The two are also similar in personality, being headstrong and willing to throw themselves in any danger for the sake of saving those they love. In the books, Dani Vargas also has an illegal and forbidden relationship with Segunda Carmen Santos, which can be viewed as familiar to how Winter kept her relationship with Daniela under wraps in *Evie and Mya*.
	+ The books are now Av's favorite books of all time.
* Daniela is proud of herself for managing to seduce Harlow. However, seduction was a one-time thing and she has no interest in being willingly provocative again unless it is needed in dire straits.
* She and Rexy have each other's phone numbers and do hang out from time to time.
* Daniela having fans by the end of the series was a parallel as to how she is a fan-favorite character in *Evie and Mya*.
* She considers Amira to be her partner-in-crime, and Av thinks that they enjoy decoding puzzles or going out together.
* Due to the events of Season 1, Daniela would likely not go back to school in-person for eighth grade and would instead join Amira at her place for homeschooling/virtual school.
* Besides Evie, Daniela is extremely intelligent and was considered a prodigy for her innate talent.
* Daniela's spirit animals are the phoenix and butterfly. The phoenix heavily symbolizes her redemption and metaphorical rebirth into a better person and hero while the butterfly represents her growth, transformation, and new beginnings she achieved when she learned to love herself.
	+ She is also symbolized by arson, which Av says was unintentional upon encountering *Ashes*, but has grown to be a major part of her character since. A few of her theme songs also allude to fire or arson, such as *Breakin' Dishes*, *Gasoline*, and *The Arsonist*.
		- Because of her tie-ins to arson, Av sometimes calls her an "arson child."
* Out of all of the girls, Daniela is very snuggly. Av believes that the girls like having snuggles with her, in particular Amira and Mya. Although Evie would hesitate, she would eventually give in because of her soft side.
* Daniela maintains a friendly rivalry with Evie.
* One of Av's favorite moments of hers was when she let Evie sleep in her lap in *The Divide Between Us*, which she finds to be very tender and compassionate of her to do.
* Daniela is perfectly okay with being single and has no interest in dating anybody at the moment.
* Her favorite type of weapons are knives and switchblades, a trait she may have picked up on from Winter and how good in combat she is with a pocket knife.
* Daniela likes vampires and cosplaying as them. Av thinks she has a vampire hiss that she quietly practices when no one's looking.
* She has never had a first kiss with anybody, as Winter felt as if they were too young to share a proper kiss when they were dating.
* Daniela has always believed Amira was a better girlfriend to Winter than she ever was, which is part of the reason she is so close to Amira in the first place.
* She is the first and only character to ever say a proper swear word (the swears used in the series before *Warbringer* were more of light cursing).
* She and Winter sometimes think about what they used to have; Daniela is okay with discussing their relationship and is not uncomfortable remembering the past after Season 3.