Rise to Power

***"How is everything I've heard... real?"***
This piece of *Evie and Mya* literature is outdated and is scheduled to be rewritten or tweaked in the future. Please note that some events currently depicted will be heavily altered or removed when said content is updated. Read at your own risk of discombobulating the series canon in your head!
And spare yourself from Av's old writing, please.
"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...

## Rise to Power

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Rise to Power*** is the sixth episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 3, and the twenty-sixth overall. It is also the mid-season premiere of Season 3.

## Synopsis

On a tedious mission to Hollowleaf Mansion, Evie and Winter discover that Mya has turned into a spoiled, selfish, and power-hungry queen. Meanwhile, Amira and Daniela hunt down information to incriminate Harlow and Ivanna, discovering the true greed that lies beneath deceitful wiles.

## Content Warning

*This episode contains blood, violence, mature language, sexual harassment, and ableism. Viewer discretion is advised.*

## Transcript

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

*It is a beautiful, sunny mid-morning in Pineshadow, Washington. Birds are abuzz, twattering about the streets, and squirrels share innocent chatter, nuts in hand. Pineshadow's citizens take a stroll in the nice weather, gossiping about what's stirring in the town.*

Yet, as the sun rays filtered through her window and tickled her backside, fourteen-year old Evie Ly could not bring herself to be as giddy as the townsfolk.

In fact, she was miserable. It had merely been two weeks since Mya had betrayed her and turned into a villain, one so bent on hurting her she struggled to stop denying it until she broke down under the mad torrent of pressure she was in. The person that loved her the most was gone forever, and the feeling was more bereft than anything.

The only comfort Evie found was in her cat, Holly, who had been squeezed tightly in her arms. Holly had clearly gotten tired of her hollow breathing and being treated like a plushie, as she gently nipped Evie's index finger and squirmed free. She leapt off the bed and dashed out of Evie's bedroom, dashing between the legs of Evie's worried parents, Opal and Anderson.

Anderson saw the cat dash between his legs, knowing full well where she had come from. Sighing, he walked the short distance to his daughter's room, finding her in the same state he'd find her in every day. Depressed, still, unmoving, barely leaving her room at all.

"Evie," he called out to her, hoping she'd pay some mind to him. However, she refused to stare at him, only staring at the wall ahead of her.

"Honey, you need to get out of bed."

"I don't want to," Evie retorted blankly, her dark green eyes glazed over, mired in a darkness the Ly parents had failed to penetrate for days now.

"Me and Opal have made pancakes for breakfast. We put some whip cream on them too." *Oh, please work,* Anderson thought. *Please, Evie. I know you can pull through this.*

"I'm not hungry, dad." Evie was serious, as just a split-second later, she turned away from her father, sniffing.

"Evie, please!" Anderson pleaded. "This isn't like you! Me and Opal have been worried sick about you for half a month. You've never wanted to leave your room, but I promise, if you're feeling down, you can talk to us. You don't have to wall yourself off, baby..."

Evie only paid heed to something in the distance, something only she could see, that made her grip her bedsheets as if they were going to disappear any moment.

Anderson sighed, wincing upon feeling the sting of more disappointment. Another day, another day of Evie showing no signs of improving. Gingerly, he walked out of her room, closing the door and meeting up with Opal in the hallway.

"Andy, how is she?" She asked.

"Not good. She doesn't want to talk to me, nor does she want to eat anything... We have to *do* something! If she doesn't get up out of bed, her health is going to nosedive... She has to get *something* in her system, but how can we fix her if she isn't motivated to do anything?"

Opal looked at him, tears in her dark green eyes, an identical shade to that of her daughter. Ever since learning of Mya's fall to darkness, she had been horrified, more so when Evie had ceased coming out of her room and gave up on eating and drinking most of the time.

*Mya's broken her girlfriend. That's the thing I least expected to see in my years of existence! And now we're lost... We almost have nothing left...*

"In this case, I'm afraid we're going to have to result to our last measure," she murmured. Anderson looked at her with copper eyes, and he turned immediately to his right.

There, in front of the Lys, was Amira Fleckenshire - Evie's closest best friend and lovable sister figure. She had a look of worry, and she dragged her black ankle boots on the ground, attempting to hide her visible concern.

"Amira." At the beckon, Amira stepped close to Opal.

"You're our last hope in getting through to Evie. Do your best for us, okay?"

Amira gave a curt nod, and headed past the Ly parents into her best friend's bedroom. Upon seeing Evie, her mouth fell open in shock.

She was sprawled out on her bed, her black hair dull and laying halfheartedly over her shoulders. She was facing the wall, almost as if she hadn't even heard Amira step in. She shuddered, letting out a small whimper that made Amira guess she was longing for Mya.

*This is how she's felt for two weeks.* The realization hit her like a stack of bricks, and Amira felt sick. She knew this feeling all too well - despair, eternal hopelessness, the world created by Shetani the moment she became her slave.

Shaking those thoughts away, Amira jumped onto the bed next to her best friend, who continued to face away from her, still as a stone but faintly breathing. Amira's skin was tingling with goosebumps, but nonetheless, she grew determined.

"Hi, Ev."

Silence. Stone-cold, still, silence. Amira took up her delicate, pale hand, finding it cold to the touch, and she shivered. She interlocked her light brown fingers with Evie's own, hoping to give her some warmth.

"Ev, it's me, Amira. Let's go down to eat breakfast, your parents made pancakes. And oh my god, they smell *delicious*!"

Evie still didn't turn to her, instead scrunching up into more of a ball and muttering, "I don't wish to," making Amira frown.

Okay, this wasn't working. *Time to dig a little deeper, Ira. Give her what you got!*

"Look, Evie. I know why you've been so depressed lately - Mya. She *damaged* you and left you to sob and clutch at the broken pieces of your heart... But she had the *audacity* to tear you down like that. The true Mya would have hugged you and kissed you and dragged you on every adventure possible. *This Mya* is heartless, just like my aunt... Yet, the real her is still in there. Together, we can get her back - nothing is in our way."

"Ami, Mya *hates me*. You'd think I'm even close to fine right now? My girlfriend *ditched* me and *left me in the dust*! If I don't have her... Then what's the point of my existence anyway?"

Amira gasped, her heartbeat quickening once those words entered her ears. Evie had been reliving each and every moment Mya had turned rogue on her, shouting at her that she didn't love her and vanishing into the night. Mya was the person that helped her cope with her mother's tiger parenting for years. Mya was the reason she stood up to her mother and turned her life around for the better.

Mya was the light in the girls, the most comedic and witty. Evie wasn't in the wrong at all for feeling left in the dark - they all were.

"Evie, that's not true, I promise you!" Amira replied back. "None of us can know what the future holds, but we still have time to change things. The Mya we know *has* to be still there. We can't give up, we have to *stand up* and *rise up*."

"*I've lost everything*!" Evie snapped, startling her best friend. "Mya was the reason I felt so free. She's the reason my mother doesn't tiger parent me. She's the reason why I learned I didn't have to be *normal* to live a life! All of that is gone! I'm useless... I have no light. Just let me go..."

Her voice cracked, and sniffing, Evie buried her face into her pillow, lightly crying. Amira's heart fell, and she looked away. Now, she knew the extent of how badly Evie was suffering.

*If Winter abandoned me like that, I'd be in her place... No, Evie. You've lost Mya.*

*But you've never lost me. And I'm going to show you that someone else in your life cares for you more than you realize.*

With that, Amira gently curled up next to Evie, pulling her up and away from her pillow. She rested her chin softly onto her shoulder, and she twitched, aware of her skin grazing her black-dotted shoulder sleeve. Something began to itch inside of Amira.

A bond.

In that moment, kindness overwhelmed Amira, and she pulled Evie closer to her. She kissed her firmly on the back of the neck, affection drifting off of her like the rays of a lighthouse.

"You do realize you're the reason I found confidence in myself, right?"

At her words, Evie finally turned around, staring Amira directly in her beautiful, thin brown eyes. Her dark green eyes were almost pitch-black, and her face was wet with tears. Despite all this, she looked uncertain instead of flat-out depresssed.

"Really? I'm the person that gave you confidence?" She breathed.

Amira nodded, taking her hand once more. "Being in your family was my first experience with a *real* family. Your mother came with her many imperfections, but she valued me and treated me like a daughter. Your father enjoyed telling me about his day and served me the kinds of foods my parents and Shetani would never serve me. More importantly, though... You're like a sister to me, remember? I feel a special bond with you that I don't feel with anyone else, not like my bond with Winter, but still special. You're... You're my guardian angel."

She blushed, but still had a smile on her face. *Oh dear lord, that sounds cheesy, she's gonna not like-*

"Me? A guardian angel?" Evie questioned, breaking her thoughts.

"Evie, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have thrown myself over a cliff to stop Shetani. I wouldn't have gone onto school grounds to defy her in the first place... If it weren't for you and Winter, I would have likely killed myself before I got the chance to know you for the sister I view you as now."

"Amira... I'm- I'm honored..." Even more tears were in Evie's eyes now, but it was clear they were of happiness and not heartbreak. Amira's spirits lifted. *That's my girl!*

With a sharp prod of determination, she stared Evie directly into her eyes. It was now or never.

"Ev, Mya's not gone, even if you think she is. You don't think she's there because you feel hopeless. But you *must* have hope! Hope that she's there, and hope we can find a way. When there's a will, there is a *way* to a place we haven't seen yet... We need to have someone to lead us there."

Evie could feel herself brightening piece by piece as her friend went on.

"You're smart, strong-willed, and willing to throw yourself into a fire for *anybody*. You're a natural-born leader, and in times like this, we need someone like *you*. Put faith in yourself and the other girls, and together, we will rescue the real Mya and bring her back. Take us to the other side, my friend. My faith lies with you."

Evie's lips were quivering, but it was clear she was trying to smile, Amira's words having acted like a long-overdue solace for her. "You... Want me? To lead?"

"I'd follow you through blood and fire, Evie. Always."

Finally, for the first time in two weeks, Evie saw clearly. Her eyes had returned to a dark green, burning with new desire to put things right. She crawled up, and so did Amira, and the two looked at each other in a way they had looked at each other many times before - with sheer fondness.

There was no gloom in front of Evie. Only clear skies and a path ahead.

She wrapped her arms around Amira, pulling her into a hug. "Thanks, Ami. You're a great sister." Amira chuckled at her slip-up.

The old Evie was back - and they had an old Mya to rediscover.

**SEASON 3, EPISODE 6 - RISE TO POWER**

Later that day, Daniela and Winter sat at the step leading up to Pinelake Park's playground, waiting for Amira and Evie.

Daniela turned to her left, looking at Winter, noticing her ice-blue eyes were tinged with worry and longing.

Two weeks had passed since the spat with Mya that led to her becoming a villain. Daniela had been quick to recover from the shock, but as for Winter, it took her a few days to start acting more normal again. She didn't want to do much and only expressed how much she missed Mya and wanted the real her back; most of her expressions had ended in bitter outbursts of crying, but with her and Amira's help, Winter had eased into more of a calm.

Despite this, Winter still held a fierce and unchangable amount of animosity toward her parents, who had lied to her about Harlow and Ivanna and refused to take an intervention in Mya's plans. Her body radiated the faintest tint of anger, and Daniela could feel how strong it was.

*I know what that feeling's like, Win. It's one of the worst things you could ever feel.*

Winter moved closer to her, something clearly on her mind.

"We haven't seen Evie in two weeks..."

Daniela nodded, understanding her concern. The last time she saw Evie, it was the night Mya "broke up" with her. She had been lifeless in her bedroom, and when she came back to see her, Evie had been grieving as if her girlfriend was *dead*.

Mya's sharp betrayal had shattered all of them in some degree. Nothing in Pineshadow felt right.

But for Evie, would *her* life ever be normal again?

She took Winter's hand, pressing up against her body delicately in the hopes that it would provide some much-needed comfort. Winter took it gratefully.

Then, they heard footsteps. Both perked up, turning in the direction of the noise.

Upon seeing what she saw, Winter's heart leapt out of her chest and up into the sky.

Amira was walking toward them, and right next to her was *Evie*. Evie looked like a true leader, fortitude and sheer confidence beaming off of her as if she were a walking lighthouse.

"Ira! You've brought Ev!" She exclaimed, almost bowling her girlfriend over with a hug that she returned with much passion, even sneaking a kiss under her chin.

"Evie!" Daniela greeted excitedly, throwing her friend into a hug, and Winter joined her seconds later, along with Amira. "We were so worried about you!"

"Yeah, I bet you were," Evie responded. "I'm sorry, guys... The thing is, with Mya's fallout... I fell into the dark. I couldn't *see* my way. All I could feel was depression and no way out... But thanks to a special somebody-" Amira proceeded to wink.

"I've realized that I can't lose my trust in the three of you - my friends. You are willing to go to the ends of the earth for each other, and I am too. We need someone to lead us though, and that person is me." She puffed out her chest proudly, and pride washed over her.

"Mya must be rescued, and out of all of us, I've known her the best. She's still in there, and we mustn't give up hope that we can find her true self again. I don't care how many missions it will take, but I'll be your leader, and I'll lead you *all* through them. We will win, even if we *die* trying!"

"Hell yeah!" Winter jumped up. "I'm in!"

"Sister, you've got me!" Amira added.

"When in doubt, trust in me. I come with the strength of... Someone you should potentially fear," Daniela declared, flexing her arm muscle briefly.

"Alright. Now we're a working team, and that means we need to make a *plan* to address Mya herself..." Evie placed a few fingers on her chin, trying to conjure up an idea.

How would they communicate with Mya without her unleashing utter hell on them? *Where* would they try to reach out to her?

"Uh, Ev?" Winter interrupted her thought process. "We definitely need to talk to Mya, but we've got bigger fish to fry with *Harlow and Ivanna*. Not only do they possess more weapons than anyone in Pineshadow, but they are a modern day *Bonnie and Clyde*. Any second they have, they have the capability to not only traumatize Mya, but terrorize an entire generation with fear and violence. What do we do about *them*?"

Amira and Daniela looked at her in surprise, having not considered that, while Evie stopped dead in her tracks.

*Damn it!* She cursed in her head. *Winter has an excellent point. Harlow and Ivanna are dangerous, and we have to deal with them too...*

*How?*

Evie paced along the ground, dragging the heels of her boots in the dirt.

*Do we lure the Parkers into a trap? Find a way to draw Mya's attention? Use bait?*

She looked down at the ground, noticing the marks in the chalky, light brown dirt she had drawn. It was in the shape of a Y, a single streak with two streaks leading off to the side.

*Two sides.*

Suddenly, it hit her.

"That's it! We need to create a two-sided diversion!" She announced, catching the girls off-guard, and Daniela jumped slightly.

"A two-sided diversion?" Amira questioned.

"Indeed. There's four of us, which means that we need to split evenly into two factions. Winter, you're with me. We're going to talk to Mya directly, as out of all of us, we know her the best. To address Harlow and Ivanna, that comes down to you, Amira and Dani. Your job is to sneak around Hollowleaf Mansion and find information relevant to exposing Harlow and Ivanna as devious criminals."

Amira snapped her fingers with glee. "I'm game! You ready for this, Daniela?"

Her excitement then vanished as she saw Daniela rise to her feet, shaky, fear in her orange-amber eyes. "Dani?" She asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I-I... I can't go back to Hollowleaf Mansion!" Daniela stammered, becoming more distressed, walking toward the startled Evie. "You want me to go *there* and see the *very* guy who assaulted me? Harlow is going to *assault* me *again*! He *wants* me... I can't..." She looked away sullenly, and Evie put a hand on her shoulder, caressing it gently with a finger.

"Oh, Dani... I'm sorry, I... I didn't think of that." Evie spoke calmly, but inside, she felt unnerved. *Harlow is a pedophile. Of course Dani wouldn't want to be around him! I should have known better.* "It's your choice - but you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Daniela's distress turned to relief, and she hid her hands in her pockets, managing to break a grin on her face. "Thank you, Evie." Noticing brown eyes boring into her, Daniela glanced at Amira.

"Good luck doing this alone, Ami. Promise to be strong for me?"

"Swear it over my aunt's grave in hell."

"Alright. It's settled, then," Evie said, returning the girls' attention on her. "We set out for Hollowleaf tomorrow afternoon. Remember - it's just a *game*. Not a *war*."

*Just a game. Not a war.* The words lingered on her tongue, and while she felt strong, she also felt twinges of doubt resting in her like an unmasked darkness.

When everybody's trustin' you

You can't do anything about it

But trust in you

*I have to be their leader. We must get Mya back before she becomes completely corrupted. But... What if I screw this all up and we all become divided?*

*No. I can't let it happen. They trust me, and there is no going back on that now. You're a leader.*

Yeah, whatcha doin'?

Even if it's hard to admit it

I can't do anything about it

But trust in you

The next morning, Daniela yawned as she curled up on her sofa, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with an empty plate in front of her that once consisted of buttermilk waffles and strawberries. Her mother was busy making her afternoon salad in the kitchen.

"You made the right choice, Daniela," she murmured, reaching into the fridge to grab something. "You wouldn't want to involve yourself with Harlow again after the dinner party. I get the girls are brave, but you definitely don't need to be back around that *seething monster* again."

"Yeah, I suppose I did." Daniela was enjoying the comfort of her blanket, but as she did, she began to feel something scratching at her heart.

*Amira.*

Amira was the only one out of all the girls riding solo, and her job was to sneak into Hollowleaf Mansion to gather information on the Parkers. This was insanely risky, and if she were caught, Harlow and Ivanna were likely to torture their prey for as long as *they* wanted to.

She let out a small gasp, biting down her lip nervously. *Amira can't be captured! That would not just mean a hostage situation, but defeating Harlow and Ivanna to get her back, and making sure Winter isn't brought in harm's way due to her girlfriend being in danger!*

Regret overwhelmed Daniela, and she grunted, sitting up and staring at her knees. "Amira... No..."

"Dani, honey?" Rex called, noticing her daughter's brewing anxiety. "Are you feeling well?"

"I have to go to Hollowleaf Mansion."

Rex's heart stopped *beating*.

To her, that felt like someone dunked scalding hot water over her head. She dropped the knife she was holding, leaving it stuck inside of a bell pepper, as she started at her daughter, her mouth unhinged in disbelief.

"Daniela Burton Vunquist, are you freaking **CRAZY**? You are **not going back** there for your own good!" She snapped. "Harlow almost **violated you**, and you want to *go back*? Around **HIM**?!"

Daniela faced her mother with hard defiance now, taking a step closer to her.

"No. I've made up my mind, I'm going. It is not a want, it is an need, for I don't want *my friend* risking her life for substantial evidence by *herself*!" She retorted.

"Daniela, you're-"

"I don't care what you have to say!" She spat, her eyes burning fire. "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?"

Rex put a hand on her mouth, only betraying how dumbfounded she was by her shocked facial expression and her twitching right hand, a movement she repeated over and over when nervous or worrying excessively over her own daughter.

Just a few weeks ago, Daniela had been nearly traumatized at the hands of a person so demonic she'd do anything to place a switchblade into his throat and watch as he'd bleed out in front of her. Instead of longing for hiding inside her home and remaining comfortable, Daniela was perfectly willing to throw herself into the path of a bullet train for her best frirend - no, *all* of her friends.

Finally, after a riveting minute, she brought herself to speak.

"Dani... My love. Are you... Are you sure you want to go through with this? I'm... I'm just so worried about your safety at that place... You're vulnerable underneath your exterior sometimes... I just don't want you to ever be harmed the way you were again."

Daniela softened under the space of her mother, and she moved her body right against hers, melting as Rex wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"I do, mom."

Rex kneeled down, gripping Daniela's hands.

"Look, honey. I really don't like you doing this... It's not right, with you being so young and being so willing to sacrifice so much for this... But you're an amazing friend. And such a changed person from the being you were in the past. Thinking about this... I absolutely won't stop you from what you want to achieve."

Daniela's eyes gleamed with relief and pride. "You're the best, mom. The best mother I could ever ask for," she stated, leaning up against her shoulder. "I'll prove to Pineshadow that I am no villain someday. All I need is time and courage... The latter of which I think I've already got from you."

Rex sniffed; her daughter's words had brought her into the happiest tears of her life. Daniela had gone from the most heartless, vicious, and stone-cold kid with a insidious vendetta to an angel with the strength of a pure warrior and more guts than ever before.

"Good luck, Dani."

**FIVE HOURS LATER**

Evie stood with Winter and Amira outside of Amira's front lawn. Her skin was itching to get this mission started, and she dragged her boots on the ground impatiently.

It had been ten minutes, and Dahlia *still* couldn't find her car keys for her Jeep, a camo green and mud brown vehicle which she had only just recently bought.

Amira groaned. "Sorry, guys. The thing is, Grandmama hasn't driven any cars for a little while, and when it comes to precious objects like car keys, she's prone to hiding them a little... Too well." Her sentence ended with a wince.

Winter leaned up closer to her girlfriend, sympathetic. While this kerfuffle was very minor, she had dealt with feeling impatient and constantly bored living alone in the Piney Woods. Fun never came easy until she was adopted into a real family.

Amira's warmth seeped into her, and she sighed peacefully.

"I've got the keys!"

At the sound of her voice, the girls turned, noticing Dahlia dashing toward them. "I hid them in the pencil pot... I should write physical notes on where I keep my things, shouldn't I," she muttered under her breath.

"Mmmkay. Let's get going, now," Evie said, adding, "We have to conserve day-"

"Need room for one more?"

Suddenly, Evie whipped around, and she gasped.

There, right in front of her, was *Daniela*. Her hands were on her hips, and she looked stunningly triumphant, her buntail tied extra tight.

"*Daniela*?" She managed to ask, eyes stretched wide. "I thought you said you didn't..."

"Want to be near Harlow. I still don't... He makes me want to vomit three weeks worth of food out of me. But... I can't abandon any of you, my *friends*. We're supposed to be a team rising up against elderly crime-mongers and child brainwashers. You... You need *me*."

She then walked forward, casting an amber glance onto Amira, who looked up at her admiringly.

"You came back..." She whispered.

"A true best friend wouldn't leave her bestie to do this on her own. Ami, you've got me, and I've got you. Ready to kick ass?"

"*Hell* yeah. Time to rock out!"

Evie chuckled. *Dani's so adorable and she just doesn't realize it sometimes.*

"Alright, everyone! Now that we won't have any more *plot twists*, I think we have a mansion to investigate!" She proclaimed. The girls turned toward Dahlia, and she proceeded to start her Jeep.

Eventually, after traveling through small neighborhoods and through dense woodland, Dahlia pulled her Jeep to a stop in a small grassy nook near Hollowleaf Mansion. The four girls stepped out, and Amira hugged her grandmother briefly, whispering something of note into her ear.

"We're here. Let's proceed," Evie murmured. Winter, Amira, and Daniela followed her up the cobblestone path to the manor, and Amira stayed closer to Daniela's side, gripping her hand delicately. She could sense her growing anxiousness. *No need to fear, Dani. I'll protect you from these godforsaken heathens.*

They reached the doorstep. Winter motioned at Amira and Daniela, and at once, they dived into a small fold in the brickwork, backs pinned against the walls.

Winter turned to Evie. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she responded. Gulping, and tensing, she knocked three times at the door. Before she even had time to worry about Mya's appearance, the doors teetered open, making her and Winter jump back in shock.

"The doors... Opened on their own..." Winter was quivering, and Evie took her arm.

"No going back now..." She tried to remain strong, but it was hard when Hollowleaf Mansion was all but creepy and teeming with danger. Nonetheless, she and Winter stepped into the storm, bracing for impact.

Hollowleaf Mansion was dark and dimly lit, with barely any light filtering through the dining room, kitchen, or living room. The table remained polished and untouched, and Evie squinted, unable to find anything more.

"H-Hello?" She called out, not hearing her voice echo back to her. Her heart rate picked up, and a complete minute passed right before her eyes.

*The mansion is empty... We came here for nothing.*

Then a light flickered.

And then the lights came back on, giving the room more light, but still giving an eerily faint glow. Evie almost jumped out of her skin, and she grabbed onto Winter, who's face was deathly pale.

Things were taking a turn for the *bizarre*.

*Thunk*. *Thunk*. Evie's head snapped in the direction of upstairs. Those were footsteps!

They came closer, and closer, and closer. *Thunk*, *thunk*, *thunk*.

"Hello?" Winter questioned, much weaker than that of Evie's callout.

Suddenly, at that very moment, a single young girl appeared at the top of the stairwell.

That girl was none other than Mya Elise Heartley.

While the girls were briefly washed over in relief, what they saw next made their hearts fall to the bottom of their stomachs.

Mya had a plain, serious expression on her face, her leaf-green eyes shining in tough serenity. Her typical and iconic cyan shirt was partially masked with a brilliant, long purple cape, trimmed with gold at the very edges that reached her ankles. Mya was looking right at Evie and Winter, newly-painted purple nails gripping the banister, and her expression wasn't betraying much. She was merely *boring* into their souls. Was she mad? Surprised?

And then, all of a sudden, she raised a prized possession up into the air - a golden crown with glistening purple gems. She placed it on her head, and it gave a message written all too well on the wall.

*I'm the queen, and you've entered my castle.*

Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise

Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised

Mya then took one slow, elegant step down the left stairwell, her cape trailing effortlessly behind her. She leapt down the final step with ease and stood face-to-face with Evie and Winter, arms crossed.

"M-Mya?" Evie asked. "What's g-going on?" That cape and crown were making her nervous, and she bit down on her lip, preventing herself from squeaking.

"You are not welcome here. *Leave*."

Mya's warning was clear, and yet, she didn't even show any emotion other than seriousness and pure accuracy in her words.

Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it

Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

Evie and Winter raised their hands up defensively. "We're not armed!" Evie pleaded. Winter nodded feverishly.

"Yes! We just want to talk to you!"

Mya surveyed them, placing a finger on her chin. Her gaze didn't leave her girlfriend and her sister as she made her rounds and checked again twice.

"Hmmpf. The last time *somebody* wanted to talk to me, they ended up *lying* to my face." She cast two, dagger-deep green eyes on Evie, who looked at the ground in shame, letting her hands hang limp at the side of her hips. *I let her down that day. I only tried doing what was right, but I guess I was morally wrong instead...*

Agnus dei

Agnus dei

A twinge of rage shot through Winter, and she looked up at Mya, composing herself to be more serious and straightforward.

"Did we not make ourselves clear? We want to *talk*, Mya," she stated with a distinct edge in her voice, the edge that appeared when she was becoming irritated or furious. "We are *your family* and we have a *right* to speak to you, whether you like it or *not*!"

"Family?" Mya scoffed, flicking her hand in her sister's direction. "Oh, *please*. You're not relevant. Harlow and Ivanna *are* my family and prominent figures in my bloodline. Since when should I give a flying damn about *you*?"

Agnus dei

Agnus dei

At once, Winter's frown morphed into a twisted facial expression full of agonizing pain and dejection. She looked away from Mya, blinking away the salty tears that were forming in her eyes.

*Everything we ever went through is a joke to her. She probably doesn't even care about her convincing me to stand up to Dani.*

*All of that. Wasted.*

She huddled right next to Evie. Mya edged up closer to them, pulling her cape around her shoulders.

"Let me make myself clear to you. *Leave*. This is the last time I'm-"

*Ding.* The warm chime of a bell filled the room, and the lights fully turned on, revealing Harlow, Ivanna by his side. Harlow had a grin on his face, and so did Ivanna, who leaned up like a precious doll against her husband, her silver hair preened. Both their eyes were narrow slits - observing their visitors.

Harlow was holding a small bell in his hand, and Evie thought as if ants were crawling inside of her. Winter's eyes were wide with shock.

"I beg to differ, Mya. These are *house guests*. Why don't we enlighten them and *hear* what they have to say?" He proposed, rattling the bell in his hand again.

"Harlow, they-"

"*Heartley's code*. You obey your guests' wishes, Mya!" Ivanna chastised. "Hearing what they say could serve as... Beneficial."

Winter shot icicles at her, looking as if she might draw her knife any moment. *Heartley code? What in the bloody hell is that nonsense?*

Mya gave a very curt nod, seeming secretly displeased under her layers of bona fide queen, but professional about the manner nonetheless. "Very well. We may speak in the game room."

"Good choice," Harlow commented, pulling his white jacket over himself. "I will accompany you, but I will take no part in these deliberations or offer up anything of interest. It seems only fair I comply to what you likely wish."

"Good," Evie muttered. *You disgust me already, predator breath. The last thing we need is your bullcrap.*

Awkward, Ivanna shuffled her dark boots. "I'll clean. Besides, the living room shelves are getting dusty, and so are the spare rooms..." She walked off.

"Game room is this way. Follow me," Mya then curtly ordered, eying the two girls pointedly. Nervous, Evie and Winter filed suit in her direction and into the bottom right hall of Hollowleaf Mansion.

*Wait.* Winter halted briefly, and turned to the door. It was slightly ajar, and Amira and Daniela looked inside. Winter nodded at them, pointing upstairs and mouthing "Up there!" - the two got her word and snuck in without a sound.

*Perfect.* Before Mya noticed anything suspicious, Winter ran up to Evie's side.

The game room was a medium-sized room with detailed floor rugs and a lavish green sofa right in the middle, facing an old gray-stone fireplace that was lit with a warm fire. Shelves on the sides contained board games, and on the left side of the room was a smaller purple sofa with a TV and even more small shelves. The place was generally inviting.

Evie and Winter took a seat on the sofa, sitting right up next to each other. Winter could see in Evie's eyes that her anxiety was welling deeply, and her breathing was much heavier.

Harlow flopped down in an armchair, holding a newspaper in his hand. "Likewise, I will not involve myself in this private matter. You may speak," he encouraged, unfurling the newspaper and beginning to read what supposedly juicy content was inside of it.

Mya stood in front of her fireplace, and with the lighting, she seemed one hundred times more imposing than she already was. Winter shuddered.

"So. *Why* are you two here?" She demanded, making a *tap, tap, tap* with the heel of her shoes, arms crossed. She flicked her cape to the side.

You look up at the birds

They're flying towards

An ocean so wide

"Mya... We came here because... Because what you're doing isn't *right*! We miss the old you, the *you* that loved *me*, had a sister, and was the most creative and hilarious out of all of us! The resilient, defiant you with a heart of gold! All of us need you *back*!" Evie stammered.

Mya snorted, rolling her eyes. "*Really*, now? I'm gonna make it clear to you, child - we're better off *alone*. Besides, I don't need *you* interfering with my agenda."

And they will just glide

On airwaves in line

With where they belong

Winter sat bolt upright upon hearing the remark, brows pointed downward with rage. "Our parents were **LYING** to us!" She snapped, facing the arrogant, stone-cold Mya. "They know Harlow and Ivanna's true nature! *All* of what they've done! Mom and dad know they're nothing but *pure evil* and did nothing to protect *you* from *this*!" Harlow looked at this curiously with a hazel and gray eye, but chose not to bother and went back to reading his newspaper.

"And?" Mya retorted. "They're just as *bad* as you - they held me back from *power*! *My destiny*! Does it look like I care about them when all they've done is keep me in a bubble, away from what I desire the most? Cowards."

How did we end up here?

Are we settled down?

Or are we unsure

"**OUR PARENTS** aren't **cowards**!"

"I work on my *own terms*. I don't need *imbeciles* in my way."

That this is our home

There is always more

Than we think we know

Winter let loose a deep growl, baring her teeth at Mya. Her eyes burned with molten ice-blue lava, and it was so intense that Evie thought she was going to spring at Mya and push her head into the flames licking at the fireplace brick.

Instinctively, she put her hand on Winter's shoulder, and she eased. Hate still remained in her, but Evie could detect many pangs of sadness in her as well. *She's already been betrayed once, now twice, and then her own sister turns into a selfish queen. No one deserves that.*

*Absolutely no one.*

"Mya, what you're doing is *dangerous*," Evie warned, a fist clenched. "I know the real you is still under that new *queen* persona you've built. You can call yourself a different person all you want - but you will **NEVER** be cruel or ambitious or *power-hungry*. *This* you must come to an end!"

And this is what you chose

So you will make the most

For you cannot go back

For now your world will turn black

"Psh! You don't even realize it, do you, Evie?" Mya replied haughtily, circling Evie and weaving around her like an anaconda about to suffocate its dinner. "*I* have power, and with it, I'm going to get my way. I already don't need you, or anyone, for that matter. If you've ever learned of what *self-sufficient* means, well, I should care to enlighten you... Everything in Pineshadow will be mine, and I need only *myself* to conquer it all!"

"Have you forgotten all that I've done for you?" Her girlfriend retorted, backing away from her. "Because of me, you **learned** how to fight your bullies. Because of me, you accepted yourself as *bisexual*. *Because of me*, you **had a loyal girlfriend**! And have you *forgotten* what you've done for *me*?!"

"No, I definitely haven't erased *that* from my memory. But why does this suddenly concern you, Evie? I helped you, but that doesn't mean you *need* me anymore. We're better off *without* each other."

Did you fall into a black hole baby?

Do you wish you could go back to that day

Winter growled again, taking a step up to Mya and pointing a finger at her accusingly. "**EXCUSE ME**, but your **heartless** soul damaged everything around you, you foolish brat!"

She panted briefly, then continued, almost ready to throw punches.

"You had the *AUDACITY* to say that you didn't love Evie. You left her **HEARTBROKEN** in bed for two weeks and it's all because you're so obsessed with power that you can't *LOVE ANYONE* but ***YOURSELF***!"

"She's- She's right, Mya," Evie shakily admitted. "I-I even went to Pinelake Park past midnight... Hoping to see you... I only saw ghosts of you there to remind me that you're gone and I *can't get you back*! I sat there and cried for you until ***I COULDN'T BREATHE***!" Her voice cracked, and a single tear fell down the side of her face. Winter was aghast, having not heard of the trip to Pinelake at all.

And turn away from what took your soul

And fly away like a bird

*She went there, alone. Hallucinated, thinking Mya was there. Only to break down and realize she'd never get the love of her life back.*

"*You seething little b-*"

Mya chose to intterupt at that very moment, huffing. "Well, at least you're *better*, Evie." The girls' mouths fell *open* with the wave of apathy that crashed over them like a tsunami.

Meanwhile, Amira and Daniela had approached the top left corridor of the mansion's upper floor. The right corridor had proven to be of no success, only containing one bedroom, junk rooms, and completely empty rooms. Now, they had the left corridor to check, and both girls hoped they could find something *incriminating*.

"Alright. Last side to go. If we can't find anything, we find a place to hide downstairs and wait for Evie and Winter," Amira whispered.

Daniela nodded nervously, hiding her hands in her jean pockets.

Quickly, they approached doors, trying them. One door opened to a room with a piano in it, which Amira raised an eyebrow at. She also tried another room, but the door was locked, and she could tell it was empty through the small window it had.

Daniela had no luck with her set of doors either, with all leading to a dead end or useless junk.

As she walked back to Amira, she turned to her left and noticed a wide open door leading to a white marble space. Her heart *froze*.

*The bathroom.*

Instantly, vertigo struck her, and the searing memory of Harlow pinning her hands against the wall hammered her skull. Daniela winced, imaginging the feel of his wrinkly skin and his lustful voice urging her to give herself up to him.

Someone placed a palm on her cheek, and she almost screamed in sheer horror. But reality set back in - it was only Amira, her brown eyes friendly and full of sympathy.

"Shh, Dani. Breathe. Just breathe... I know that place brings back the memories, but Harlow isn't there now, and he isn't going to *assault you again*. Not when you have *this* spitfire by your side." She goofily pointed at herself, and Daniela smiled with gratitude. *Thank you.*

With a short glance at each other, the two broke apart and swiftly searched the doors on the left corridor, all of them opening with the tantalizing frustration of nothing at all. One door led to another empty room, which confused Amira, and Daniela unveiled dust and mothballs from two closet doors, and she swallowed her wheezes, which lingered in the back of her throat.

Swallowing any more coughs, she ran back up to Amira, who stood facing the sole door they hadn't checked yet - it had a small window, and inside appeared to be a small room, but the dust on the window distorted what was in there.

She tried the door. Locked. Daniela frowned; this definitely felt suspicious.

Precisely *who* locked a door in their own household? No one did... Unless you were keeping a secret that you *wanted* to keep buried.

"Ami. Something's hiding in this room that Harlow and Ivanna *want* to be concealed. We *have* to get in there!"

"You're right," she concurred. "But the door's locked, and we have no way of getting in. What's worse is that window is so dusty that I can't *see* anything. We're virtually out of ideas."

Daniela bit down on her lip, preventing herself from letting out a howl of many vexations. Noticing a small table, she chose to lean up against it, pressing her fingers against its wood surface. A cold, metal object graced the skin of her index finger.

Surprised, she jumped back, yelping so quietly that only Amira heard - Ivanna was still downstairs, cleaning away to her content.

"Huh? What is it?" She asked. It was then that she observed a gray paper clip next to Daniela's hand, and she picked it up, examining it.

"Okay, a paper clip... Weird," Daniela muttered. "Welp, we're still out of ideas."

"Actually, we aren't."

Daniela whirled around immediately to face Amira, astounded.

Amira had a devious grin on her face, and with nimble fingers, she bent out the paper clip so it was one, straight line of metal. "I think Harlow and Ivanna gave us our *enter* ticket."

She kneeled down at the face of the door, studied the lock, and set the metal line in. The metal settled right at home, fiddling with the movement of her hand.

And then a second later, *click*.

Daniela's jaw fell to the *floor*. Out of all things, she didn't know Amira could pick locks. Of course, she had been used to screwing around with her gym locker's dangling lock every P.E class in middle school, but *this* was new.

Amira cackled warmly. "Did I ever tell you that Evie taught me how to pick locks? She's always been skilled at it since she was ten, and when I stayed with her, she passed what she knew down to me."

Daniela's composure returned, and she grinned. "You sly little fox," she joked, ruffling Amira's short brown hair. "Right. Enough dawdling. We have to get in there before Ivanna realizes we're here."

With a nod, Amira gently shoved open the door, and closed it once Daniela had joined her inside. It was dark as night in the room, and Daniela's heart began to race at the thought of being shrouded in blackness.

Luckily, these feelings were swept away when Amira flicked on the sole lightbulb in the room, and it flickered, providing for a not-so-still glow.

The room was small, with old, patterned wooden panels and two tables on each side of the room, diagonal from each other. The first table was blank except for being sparsley covered with composition paper, and the second table had more paper with a small cup holding pencils and pens. It also had a vase, made of ceramic, that was blue and held no flowers or plants inside it.

"Is this an office?" Amira held doubts that it *was* an office, but she still couldn't help her curiosity, the curiosity that was quickly interrupted when Daniela shrieked quietly.

"Amira! Look at the board!" She pointed her to the front of the room, where there was a white board framed with brown-black wood. These were the boards Daniela had seen in nearly all of her eight periods at school, usually written over by teachers such as Mrs. Ikenna, who'd make sure her English plans were detailed with much craft.

This board, however, had a message, written in unsmudged, perfect ink.

The message was so ghastly that both Amira and Daniela's mouths fell open in still, frozen disbelief.

Back in the game room, Evie and Winter remained close together while Mya faced them down, expecting another word to come out of them any moment. Her gaze was unwavering, pressuring, and scrutinizing. It made Evie ill to meet.

Winter was the ultimate one to break the silence, as she got up, locking her stare with her corrupted sister.

"You cannot have possibly forgotten that you saved *me*," she stated, her tone gruff. "You were the first to break through to me when I was a recluse, living in a cabin. Understood my roots and why I ran away. You supported me when I had to reveal that Daniela was my ex. You stopped her from *killing me* in her hideout. Mya, can't **you see**? It was **because of you** that I'm here standing instead of lying in a grave ***DEAD***!"

You could see there was more

And you wanted to find your soul

And you just let it come through

She panted, and Evie was startled by how much anger was in her voice. Winter had *never* gotten angry around Mya, except when she first met her and just recently while at Hollowleaf, but this was almost had her breaking point. The breaking point she *and* Mya had seen when she leapt onto Shetani and almost killed her when they were held prisoner in her dungeon.

Mya shook her head angrily, choosing to play the quiet game. This only made Winter even more livid than before.

"*If it weren't for you*, I wouldn't be your ***GODDAMN SISTER***! Are you *fine* with that *reality*? Living *without me*?"

Evie gasped loudly, placing her hands over her mouth. Harlow was still nose-deep in his newspaper, almost as if he hadn't heard Winter detonate like she just had.

A channel for truth

For something brand new

Winter had spoken the truth, and she hoped, hoped with all of her might and with the gods, that Mya would finally snap out of the villianous haze she was in.

"Yes, I *damn well* am," Mya retorted. Evie's heart was pierced with the same, intoxicating arrow that went through her the night she went to Pinelake Park.

It was only about to get worse.

You've had to wait so long

While the dawn is still dark

"I don't need you. I don't need a *girlfriend*. Haven't I made it *clear* yet? Love is *useless*. It's *blind*. I don't need love when I could have all the power I want in the *world*. People to respect my family, people to respect my *name*."

"Your family name is already respected!" Evie begged. "What more could *you* possibly want?"

Mya's leaf-green eyes burned of hate, of something only she could want more than everything.

"Respected? *Oh*, respected? Far as I know, scum like you pay no mind to **my family**!" She spun around, pointing to the top of the fireplace.

Now you cannot go back

For now your world will stay black

Above the fireplaced was a medium-sized frame, and Winter yelped, falling right back to Evie.

The frame had Mya in the middle, cape and all glorious and sitting contently on a sofa, with Harlow on her left and Ivanna on her right. Both of the Parkers bore insidious, unsettling smirks. Evie almost wanted to walk over to Harlow and retch on his *face*.

Did you fall into a black hole baby?

Do you wish you could go back to that day

"I was so weak before," Mya continued. "Foolish. Let myself be *tarnished* by those *monsters* lurking in the dark. Allowing love to shine its *atrocious* light in my face. But I'm not *weak* anymore. I'm going to gain power, and this town will be under *my control*. **Nobody will stand in my way**!"

This time, it was Evie's turn to get up, and she tunneled her gaze directly at Mya. She opened her lips to speak, but Mya placed a finger on them, silencing her promptly.

"Ssh, ssh, dear Evie. Why complain when there are matters to discuss?" Mya's words were such a toxic trance that Evie found herself nodding, unable to respond to her properly. Winter gritted her teeth and gripped a sofa cushion, digging her black nails in hard.

And turn away from what took your soul

And fly away like a bird

Mya swerved around her, her cape tickling her ankles, and the look in her eyes had faded to reveal *lust*. Auspicion. Promise.

"Now, we can let all of this go, Evie - *if* you choose to join *my side*." Evie's blood turned to ice, and she stared at her wordlessly.

"We can have *everything* together. Power, control, fame, *wealth*. If you join me, you will have a loyal, devoted queen to rule beside for the *rest of your life*. There's no need to fight when we can be seen as each other's *equal*." Harlow lowered his newspaper, now intrigued at the idea of this proposal.

Fly away, fly away

Fly away, fly away

Evie mumbled something out of her mouth, but it was more of an uncomfortable squeal which Mya took advantage of.

She placed her fingers under her chin, then her whole hand, caressing it in the same way she used to do so with Evie.

"You *want* this," she said. "You *can't* deny this feeling." She continued to stroke Evie under her chin, and while she tried to back up, her feet were rooted to the floor.

For the first time in her life, she felt *fear* around Mya.

"Mya! Drop it! You're **manipulating her**!" Winter hissed.

Fly away, fly away

Fly away, fly away

"Don't worry, Winter. I *always* get what I want," Mya retorted back. She fixed her sights back on Evie, who trembled in her presence.

Evie gritted her teeth, struggling to respond to her girlfriend's menacing, tempting advances. *I'd do anything to get her back.*

Should she agree to give up what she had fought for? What she had done to get here? Just to rule with an overambitious queen that only thought for herself?

*I'm not a predator... I'm not...*

Mya cut into her thoughts with an invisible, potent sword. "You want *this*," she repeated in a whisper right into her ear, causing her to freeze in extensive terror. "You want me. This is what you want to choose. It's easy. Join my side, and you can have *everything* you want, Evie."

Fly away, fly away

Fly away, fly away

Without another word, she slipped her probing fingers down from her ear, the side of her face, and down her neck, all the way to her shirt collar, and Evie buried the shrill scream she wanted to let out down in her throat.

This love wasn't sober.

*It was moldering.*

"So... Do we have a *deal*?" Mya asked with such lethality that Winter got up, preparing to slam her into the ground. For a third time, she growled. Harlow was watching the scene, entertained as ever.

"I-" Evie heaved up what she wanted to say, wanting to admit what she needed to say, but the words were lodged square in her throat.

Time slowed down.

Winter grabbed the handle of her pocket knife, almost ready to reveal it.

Mya eyed Evie intensely, and finally, she couldn't take it for a second longer.

"No."

Just like a cat, Mya hissed, letting go of Evie and throwing her back. "You insolent fool!" She roared, clenching her fists. "I hope you're happy, 'cause now, you've made your *choice*!"

Fly away like a bird

The board loomed, intimdating and fierce, in front of Amira and Daniela, who were squeezing each other so tightly their fingers were turning pale.

What was written on it was so painfully clear, and it made them both want to run out of the mansion and far away from here altogether.

*One mark too many in this line*

*You never took us*

*Try as you must*

*But the town will turn to rust.*

*We'll return for her someday*

*We'll get our revenge*

*And you will never again see the light of day.*

"M-Mark too many? Pineshadow to rust? *Return for her someday*? I-I-" Daniela was visibly shaken, and tears were about ready to splash her cheeks when Amira approached.

"Daniela, sssh. You're okay." Amira took her hand, a perfect mix of cream and light brown, then put her other hand on her raised shoulder, causing her stress to escape out of her. She sighed, much more relief in her now.

With a much calmer mindset, Daniela re-examined the board's message, hands flexing in and out nervously.

"O-Okay. I think *someone* ended up betraying Harlow and Ivanna... And they wanted them to suffer by destroying Pineshadow!"

"Destroy *Pineshadow*?" Amira was dumbfounded.

"Uh-huh... And come back for her... *Her*."

Daniela's mouth went bone dry.

"Dani?" Amira prodded her. "Are you... You okay?"

"Ami. That her isn't just *any* her in the Parkers' message... That *her* is *Mya*!"

Amira looked at her as if she just sprouted wings from her back.

"It... It makes too much sense, doesn't it? The only *her* they've sought after is Mya. She's *their* granddaughter. And, they promised to return *for her* someday..."

"They've known Mya was their granddaughter before she met them!" Amira exclaimed.

"Exactly! The message also says that Harlow and Ivanna want *revenge*... Revenge against *who*?"

Amira was puzzled by that statement. Whom could Harlow and Ivanna hate so deeply that they'd want to take Pineshadow *down'*?

More importantly, why did they view *Mya* so pertinently?

"Well, we have information now, but not enough of it," Amira then stated. "We have to search this entire room for clues. Look carefully, and if you see anything that looks out of place, screw with it until you oblierate it."

"Roger that," Daniela agreed. The two broke apart and began their search.

Amira ducked under the table on the left, feeling the floorboards for false bottoms or cracks. Nothing. She crawled over to the second table, repeating the process. Double nothing.

Daniela searched the walls, grazing her palm against the wood surface gingerly. No board felt loose, no plank out of place. She was at the left table, which had the papers. Up close, they were a blizzard, scattered around and unorganized.

Hope brimmed in Daniela. *Just maybe...*

She went through the white sheets, scanning them for any revelations and secrets the Parkers may have written down.

Much to her dismay, *all of them* were empty.

Unable to stop her anger in time, Daniela slammed her hand roughly against the wall. "Damn it!" She cursed.

Then, she put her hands on her mouth, panic fluttering in her belly. *No! I'm such a freaking idiot! I just drew Ivanna onto us!*

And *then*, Amira had whammed into her, pulling her under the left table. Their backs were pinned against the wall, and for a intense, stifling moment, neither of them took in a single gasp of air.

Quiet. Serenity. Ivanna was nowhere in sight, nor barging into the room ready to kill them both for invading.

Rushed breathing tainted the air, and Amira glanced to her right. Daniela's eyes were wide with fear, and she was shaking, taking in gulps of air as if she were being suffocated.

"Dani!" She whispered to her. "Ivanna wasn't alerted to us. You're alright. Calm down."

"I-I can't! I'm claustrophobic!" She buried her face in her knees, vertigo once again making her head spin round and round. Already she could view herself back in her prison cell, having nothing to do but go insane every day, spiraling deeper into a pit...

Two light brown arms weaved their way around her Washington State shirt, pulling her close. Daniela blinked open her eyes, and there was Amira, the sweetest smile lining her face. She had her in a hug, and she burrowed her face right into her shoulder, sighing with much peace.

"You're okay," she whispered to her again. "I promise. I'm not going to leave your side, and we're going to help Evie and Winter unravel this mystery. Together."

On cue, she moved her hand right over to Daniela's, picking it up so delicately that Daniela blushed at her gesture.

Gratitude shined in her amber eyes, though, and she finally smiled.

"Words cannot describe how much I appreciate you right now." Now it was Amira's turn to blush.

"Heh. Okay, let's get out from under here and continue scavenging for evidence."

The two crawled out from under the table, and immediately got back to work. Daniela felt along the walls again, but more roughly, hoping she would draw her finger on something damning.

After a minute, she'd struck gold.

A board croaked with her touch, and lighting up, she found it was loose at the top. Daniela pulled the board away with one arm, revealing a gap in the wall.

A paper was inside of it!

"Ami!" She called, and in a split second, Amira was at her side.

She pulled out the slip of paper, uncurling it in her hands. It read, it old blue pen ink:

*They've robbed us of something powerful. Those fools will see...*

"Robbed?" Amira inquired, her thin brown eyes now wide as saucers.

"I don't know what this entirely means..." Daniela admitted. "But I think that whoever *this* is, they've made a horrible mistake, messing with Harlow and Ivanna..."

"Afraid so. Keep it in your pocket, though. *Crucial* evidence."

Daniela nodded, hiding the slip of paper in her pocket and going back to searching. She looked behind the loose board in the wall again, but no more papers were there, and she backed out.

Amira went other to the other table, picking up the pencil cup and gripping all ten pencils in her hand. She took them out, looking inside the cup for something. No hints or clues, just dust and led.

She settled the cup back down, grazing the vase on the corner with her elbow. It teetered over the table, preparing to smash into pieces on the floor.

Amira let out a small gasp and caught the vase by its top with both hands.

Safe for now. She put it back on the table, but something rested at the front of her ankle boots.

*Another paper!*

"Yes!" She cheered quietly, and Daniela approached her. Both looked at the paper, and just as quick as she got hope, Amira's face fell.

The paper merely consisted of lines and dots.

"What the *hell* is *this*?"

Daniela studied the paper, but she found no more meaning to it. "I don't understand this whatsoever. Why keep a paper like this when it proves to have no use?"

Nonetheless, she tucked the paper into her other pocket.

She saw Amira standing in the middle of the musty room, dismayed.

"We looked everywhere..." She muttered. "We have evidence, but we don't have enough to prove Harlow and Ivanna are guilty of something other than destroying Mya's personality and reputation."

Daniela joined her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know, Amira. We tried. I thought we were on the cusp of something."

"Close, but no cigar. Come on, let's get out of this place and wait for Evie and Winter." Amira went to the door, peering out to make sure Ivanna wasn't nearby.

For a final time, Daniela kept an orange-amber gaze on the walls, which were a dark brown, fitted in between with lighter wood. This pattern repeated throughout the room, almost like the stripes of a fudge wafer.

But right in front of her was no such case. The wall in front of her was completely light wood, no dark wood breaking it up to keep the pattern consistent.

*Wait a minute...* She approached the wood, pressing against it with full force, and it splintered at the top and bottom.

"Amira! This mystery isn't over *yet*." Daniela pushed harder, and harder, and finally, the wood gave way.

Daniela pulled the panel aside, and she gasped in sheer amazement at what she was seeing.

"*Amira*! You've got to see this!"

Perplexed, Amira ran back up to her, and her jaw unlatched from the top of her mouth.

Right in front of them was a safe, old and cobalt, stuck in the wall. The lock was silver. Amira tried it in her eagerness, but it was locked.

"Mmkay, so there's a code here," she said.

Daniela shared her frustration, keeping steady amber eyes on the door to the safe.

"Safes usually have three digit codes... Aha! Got an idea." Amira turned the safe's lock to six, then to three, and back to five the other way.

The door didn't creak open.

"Oh son of a mother!" She cursed, annoyance flaring in her tone. "That was the letters in Harlow and Ivanna's names, including the and..."

She moved closer to the safe, noticing dots and lines were etched into it, presumably from a sharp blade.

"That's strange..." Amira commented, shuddering. "Eegh. This mystery just keeps getting even more bizarre."

Daniela cocked her head to the side in clear, paralled confusion to that of her friends. *Nobody* etched marks on top of a safe like that.

*I mean, who even bothers to decorate an old safe? Makes just as much sense as mud being clear.*

The pattern was simple. Line. Dot. Line. Dot. Repeat process until your mind went blank.

*Almost as if they slapped a second code in it.*

Suddenly, Daniela realized something, and her heart rate picked up to a steady gallop.

*No way! No way I just realized this!*

She pulled out that slip of paper she put into her pocket minutes ago.

The lines and dots were a perfect match to one another. This wasn't just any code.

"It's morse code!" Daniela exclaimed, beaming with excitement.

Stunned, Amira took a step closer to her. "Morse code! Pretty clever way for Harlow and Ivanna to hide their secrets... How did you know, Daniela?"

A bit sheepish now, Daniela blushed. "Eh... We learned it in history." Using the code, Daniela carefully turned the lock on the safe - nine, two, nine.

*Click.*

The girls jumped lightly in excitement before shushing themselves. Ivanna still hadn't caught onto them, not yet, but they were on the brink of a major discovery.

A discovery that had a high chance of incriminating Harlow and Ivanna as dangerous criminals.

With growing butterflies in her stomach, Amira opened the safe door, and before her and Daniela's eyes was a diary.

It was a very old diary, brown and torn at the rims with yellowing pages. How long *had* this been here?

Daniela took it into her hands, blowing the dust off the cover and opening the first page.

*We must get that retched light of theirs into our hands. It is simply too powerful, too enticing to us to ignore. This could be the key to everything we've ever wanted in Pineshadow and we'll stop at nothing to get it.*

*Foolish rats! Those old biddies refused to give us the light. Called us "traitors to this name." Called us "greedy." Little do they realize the power we hold... Pineshadow will fall, and we will get our revenge...*

Amira turned a page, shaking.

*If those rebellious scum weren't going to give us what we wanted, we would take it by force. Exactly what me and my lovely doll did.* Well, that confirmed that Harlow was writing this diary.

*To this day, we've vowed to destroy the embers in this fire. We won't stop until all of it is put out. Our beloved baby girl is next, and then the rest of this flame altogether. They'll suffer the same fate as-*

Harlow's handwriting ended there, and Amira turned the next page, preparing for the evidence she and Daniela had long been yearning for.

The evidence on the next page was *scratched out completely*, so much so that it was painstakingly unreadable.

"No!" Daniela whispered, dejected. "We were that close... We were going to actually do it..."

"Are you kidding me?!" Amira snapped. "The truth was *right there*, and of course, they destroyed the *evidence* so nobody could find out what they did... Son of a **mother**!"

Before she could stop herself, Amira stomped hard on the floor.

The vase on the second table tipped right over, smashing into *pieces*, and horror crashed into her instantly.

Even more so when heavy footsteps went up the stairs.

*Holy fudge! Ivanna! WhathaveIdoneWhathaveIdone...*

Daniela, panicking, grabbed her and threw her under the first table. Just like before, their backs were pinned all the way to the wall.

Ivanna stepped in, gasping in astonishment upon seeing how much of a mess the room was. Her gray-black boots scraped the wood floors as she scanned the evidence.

The gap in the wall. Papers in disarray. The vase destroyed. And the safe uncovered.

"Intruders," she hissed in a low whisper. Unbeknownst to her, Amira still had the diary grasped in her hands, pressed against her chest.

A complete two minutes passed, and Ivanna swore under her breath, heading out of the room. The coast was tentatively clear.

Slowly, Amira crawled out, Daniela right behind her. "Okay, we need to hide the diary and *get out*," she stated fearfully.

Daniela slunk over to the door, where a small rack hung with satchels. She grabbed a small one, tucking the diary and other papers inside it and hooking the flap shut.

"Done and dusted." Amira nodded, and feeling goosebumps, she went to rub up against her friend again.

Without warning, her ankle turned the opposite way on the ground, and Daniela *howled* in pain.

Amira's heart dropped.

Then Daniela's dropped.

And moments later, the door flung open, and the blue, deadly fire of Ivanna Parker pierced their guilty souls.

"Just **WHAT** do you think you're ***doing***?" She demanded, two fists clenched and ready to *kill*.

Amira and Daniela jumped together, in so much fear, fear that they weren't going to escape this room *alive*.

But Amira's fear parted like clouds in the sky, for she had a weapon at their disposal.

What they knew of the truth.

"Congratulations, *old lady*, but we've found the truth about you and Harlow, and we're going to show *all* of Pineshadow who you really are!" She declared. Daniela brightened at this and stood by her friend defiantly.

Much to their sheer horror, however, Ivanna only snickered. "Prove *what*?"

"That you desire *revenge* and *power*!"

Ivanna took one, then two, foxy steps right up to Amira's face.

"Such big words for one so pathetically *small*."

Her shadow loomed over Amira, and in a microsecond, all of her confidence and hope faded away.

What happened next would mortify Daniela.

In a swift motion, Ivanna kicked Amira sharply, sending her flying into the back of the wall. She fell, limp, but remained upright, Daniela immediately right by her side.

"You cannot silence me!" Amira rasped, struggling to remain determined. "We have proof of the truth, Ivanna! You and Harlow *are* traitors!"

Ivanna snarled, enraged by her remark. Despite her age, she had the potency to murder them both, should she decide to. And right now, she had eyes bent on Amira, who had always been a natural spitfire and determined since the death of her aunt.

"You *filthy child*," she snapped. "You have *no idea* who you're messing with."

She fell to her knees, yanking Amira toward her by her green shirt collar. Then, she slammed her head back into the wall, hard, and pinned her against the wood floor.

Ivanna placed both hands on her neck, and Amira hacked violently, struggling to breathe air. In the commotion, Daniela had been shoved back into the corner of the wall, watching in paralyzing terror as Amira fought for her life.

If she died now, she would *never* forgive herself.

With the roar of a lion and tiger combined, Daniela kicked Ivanna on her forehead, and she tumbled backwards, muttering some nonsense in a daze. Daniela grabbed Amira, who was now steadily breathing again, and they glared at Ivanna.

"Give *up*," Daniela warned, venom in her voice. "The truth about you is going to come out, and we'll make *sure* you're imprisoned for the rest of your *damn life*."

Ivanna approached her, her face the color of sour milk and a bold smirk etched on it.

"Oh, but why should I trust you? You're the girl that went *insane* in juvenile prison and became a *deranged savage*... Nobody should have a mind to listen to you. You're just a **curse**!"

Daniela stepped back, the remarks hurting like falling rocks, holes opening in her skin. Ivanna was despicable, but now, she was full-on ableist and ready to wreck her life for something out of her control.

Laughing in delight, and with the poor girl distracted, Ivanna socked Daniela on her cheek. The force of the blow sent her careening into the wall, where she stood, clutching her head and groaning in pain.

"I best advise you girls to give in now before you find yourselves in a much worse predicament," Ivanna remarked, eyes slits.

Amira moved right up against Daniela's side, pulling her closer to her, and they held hands so strongly that their skin itched.

"Well, look at that. Such a quiet show of defiance from *weak* young girls." She kneeled down, gripping Amira's chin. "The supposedly confident one, all battered and bruised. How *sad*." She shuffled over to face Daniela. "The brat with bipolar disorder. A lunatic spreading lies. Shame how you're not so *pure*."

At once, rage welled within Amira, and with a yowl, she leapt onto Ivanna, pinning her to the ground.

"**TAKE THAT BACK**!" She commanded fiercely, gripping onto Ivanna's wrists and digging in with her nails. "You have no right to dehumanize Daniela. She is *one of us* and she's *proven her worth* to all of us. She is **MY FRIEND**!"

"This isn't why I'm in here," Ivanna retorted, knocking Amira off of her, and she staggered to her feet. Ivanna then continued, pacing around Amira.

"You two have invaded *my mansion*, sifted through our private information. None of your stinking *noses* belong in this room, and I'll do all that I can to-" She paused.

Amira's heart was racing hard, and she was struggling to breathe. Daniela was right behind her, just as terrified.

An all-too pleasant grin crossed Ivanna's face. She got an idea.

"Oh, Amira... Did you know that I'm aware of your *wonderful* Aunt Shetani?"

It was a blow to Amira that almost sent her crashing down onto the ground.

*Shetani* was her wicked aunt who looked after her when her parents ditched her on business terms. As quick as she came, she had manipulated and gaslit Amira into becoming her slave, trapped against her own will and forced to be anything *but* herself. Each time she "disobeyed" her, Shetani would beat or whip her violently until she was on the floor crying her entire lungs out. The abuse had gotten so bad that Amira was on the brink of commiting suicide, but Evie, Mya, and Winter saved her.

Yet Ivanna was going to play into her trauma. She *couldn't* let that happen!

"That doesn't matter!" She spat. "Shetani is *dead*. What she did does not concern you, neither does the abuse I went through under her care."

"I'm afraid it does, Amira," Ivanna whispered. She tucked a finger up onto her chin, seemingly a "sweet" gesture. But then, she slammed Amira back into the wall, and she blinked, finding Ivanna smiling at her suffering.

She thought it couldn't get worse. She was wrong.

"Disobey me again, and I'll whip your sorry brown skin until you're sore, *slave*!"

Amira screamed, and it was so blood-curdling that Daniela bunched up onto the ground, trying to block it out with all of her might.

In a heartbeat, she was back in her home, being pinned against the wall by a power-hungry, bloodthirsty Shetani, who held a whip in her hand. She raised it, then swung it down, ripping at the precious skin on Amira's cheek.

Amira cried out, unable to bear the misery. Then Shetani morphed back into Ivanna, and she kept crying out, begging for it all to end.

"You like that? Hmm? Hmm?" Ivanna taunted madly. "Then let's amp it up, because I'm seeing **red**!"

She saw Amira's jawline, fragile and shaking. The perfect target for an attack. Snickering again, she swung her fist in the air several times, and time froze as she aimed directly toward Amira's jaw bone.

Amira screeched, preparing for the blow to connect with her.

But it never did.

Instead, someone else screeched in pain - and much to her utter, stunned disbelief - Daniela had deflected it, wincing, but holding strong. She protected Amira with the strength of a lion, glaring daggers at Ivanna.

"If you mess with her, you'll mess with *me*. Mess with my history, and you mess with me. Hurt *anyone* I love, and I'll be the person hunting you down until you *die*!" She snapped, baring gleaming white teeth at Ivanna.

Ivanna wanted to attack again, but Amira was sobbing into Daniela now, and Daniela looked as if she could do the same damage she did to Harlow if Ivanna provoked her any further.

There was only one option left.

"Alright," she conceded. "It seems that we have two outcomes for this." She got up to her feet, and so did Daniela, who held Amira close to her, refusing to let her go.

"You have two options, ladies. You may come down with me, I tell Harlow what happened, and you two can leave the mansion fine. However, if you escape this very second, I will **hunt you down** and dispose of you promptly for your role in this culmulated mission."

Her ultimatum was sickening, and even Daniela faltered under it. Amira clung onto her like a young girl, terrified, her hair all over the place and face stained with tears. She was hurting, and so was Daniela.

*The world must know the truth about Harlow and Ivanna.*

*But... I can't give up my life to say it... I need to show Pineshadow that I'm worthy of their approval. Amira only just survived months of trauma.*

She looked at Amira knowingly, and Amira pleaded, her brown eyes telling her all too well what she wanted to pick.

Daniela bowed her head down. "Fine. You captured us. We won't tell a soul."

Ivanna smirked wickedly. "Good girls. Now, come with me." She picked the two up as if they were ragdolls and dragged them out the secret room.

The storm was only going to get more intense from here.

The game room was slowly spiraling into Evie and Winter's worst nightmare. They were still bunched together on the lavish green sofa, watching Mya with wide eyes, as she ranted about power and everything she sought to acquire.

"To me, weakness is the bane of my existence. I can't be weak now that I'm in power... Pineshadow needs me at my best, and oh, they'll see just how much I can prove myself..."

Evie and Winter wanted to say something, but couldn't; Winter was biting down on her tongue so she wouldn't spit out a stinging retort.

"You don't see it, but I will *have* everything! It'll all start with-"

Suddenly, the doors *slammed* open, and Mya cut herself off mid-sentence. Evie and Winter whirled around, and their faces became washed with trepidation.

Ivanna was in the doorway, arms outstretched.

"Harlow!" She barked, almost excitedly.

Harlow put down his newspaper. "Yes, darling?"

"I think I found some rats scrounging where they *shouldn't* been."

And then, in that very moment, Ivanna dragged Amira Fleckenshire and Daniela Burton Vunquist into the doorway.

Evie thought that she had just died over five hundred times.

Winter was mortified beyond belief.

"Heh... We brought pizza?" Daniela tried to lift the mood, but everyone in the room went as silent as *death*. Even Mya was, though she was fixing the girls with a poisonous stare.

Harlow dropped the paper, getting up and making a beeline toward Daniela. "That insane child! Poking her nose where she shouldn't be! Less I remind you that she ripped out my eye..." His fury was cold, and Daniela squeaked, trying not to break down and cry.

*You're strong, Dani. You can fight.*

Ivanna let her go, and she faced his wrath head-on.

"It seems we meet again, Dani," he stated *too* warmly. "I've told you not to come back here when you aren't supposed to." He approached her, a wide smile on his face. A *predatory* smile.

"Lay one finger on me, and I'll blind you in your other eye!" Daniela threatened.

"Is that so? How cute." Quickly, he pushed her into the wall by her chest, and Daniela's horror from the night of the dinner party blazed through her.

Harlow was now right in front of her, pinning her against another wall. "Nobody has to find out," he whispered.

He gripped her by the shirt, pulling her into his chest for the most terrifying hug of her lifetime. Daniela squirmed like a fish out of water, trying to escape his grip. He was gripping her *waistline*, and any moment, he could do the inevitable.

"**LEAVE HER ALONE**!" Amira screamed, breaking free of Ivanna and charging toward Harlow. However, Ivanna yanked her back, pinning her hands behind her waistline. "*Not another step*, "she warned with such malice that Amira froze dead.

Mya *still* hadn't reacted to this calamity. She appeared to be rather *thrilled*, and Evie felt her head spin.

But Winter felt something else - white-hot, scalding *fury*.

Without even considering the consequences, she drew her pocket knife, raced up to Ivanna, and pointed it at her throat.

"*Let go* of Ira *right now*," she demanded, her voice harsh and shrill. "Or I will put *this knife* into *your throat* and make you bleed out on the floor."

Ivanna snorted. "And kill your grandmother?"

"I *have no grandmother*!" Winter retorted vehemently, and to prove her point, she made a small cut in Ivanna's neck. Enough to make a thin stream of blood stain her blouse.

Wincing, Ivanna let go of Amira, and she ran to Winter's side, hugging her.

"Dani!" She exclaimed. Winter nodded, turning around, and her face twisted into a look of disgust the moment she saw Harlow.

Harlow had his hands right around Daniela's waistline, and she was so petrified that she didn't even try to speak. Nothing came out of her mouth.

"Come close, darling," he whispered. "You can't run away from me this time."

"*Swallow your jagged sin, Parker*!"

Harlow spun around, letting go of Daniela at the same moment Amira kicked him in the pelvis. He yelped, stepping back, and Daniela threw herself onto her best friend in relief.

"You kids are *maniacs*!" Harlow yowled. "God forbid I'm gonna do-"

"***ENOUGH***!"

*Everyone* froze as Mya's voice rang out through the game room. The spoiled queen stood in front of the sofa, her cape back and crown gleaming.

"There is only *one person* to blame for this intrusion of *our* privacy," she growled. "Someone I knew we should have never let in."

*Oh no.* Winter's only thought overwhelmed her as she realized, clear as day, who Mya was referring to.

The person who was standing, frozen, right in front of her.

Amira took her hand.

Mya had placed the blame on *Evie*.

"Mya, I'm... I'm sorry! I had to do it-"

With a screech, Mya barreled into Evie, and the two went *flying* into the floor. Mya had Evie pinned, a hand on her neck.

"So she *admits it*!" She declared. "You plotted this since the moment you walked in here. Thinking you could use your smarts to sneak Amira and Daniela in to ruin *my family's* reputation."

"Mya, Harlow and Ivanna are *criminals*! We have the proof!" Daniela stated, standing between Winter and Amira.

"*Blasphemy*! You have *nothing* but the mindset of a criminal yourself, Dani." Mya focused her attention back onto Evie, and Amira looked away, knowing that her best friend would only be tormented more.

Mya put both hands on Evie's neck now. "You are a *heathen* and a *disgrace* for thinking you could ever get away with this!"

"Mya, stop!" Evie cried, her voice cracking and tears staining her cheeks. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to save you, honest... Be-Before it's too late... The real you-"

"Honest? *Honest*? You never told me Amira and Daniela were *here*, you *worthless scum*."

Evie gasped, and sniffed, tears pouring down her face now. "Please! I just wanted to get back with you... I still really care about you!"

Mya laughed wickedly, almost madly, as if she found this *amusing*.

Daniela's blood was cold. *Just like me. Feeding off the suffering of others.*

"She's a sadist," she whispered to Winter and Amira, who were shaken beyond belief.

Evie's eyes were closed, and she was squeaking, *begging* to escape and to be let go of this hell she was in.

Something snapped inside of Winter, and holding her pocket knife, she sped toward Mya, yanking her up by the clasp of her cape. Evie scrambled free and ran to Amira and Daniela.

Mya was momentarily surprised by her sister's force, but she fixed her with a death glare that Winter burned back at with her ice-blue eyes.

Much to the *shock* of her friends, she pointed the knife at Mya's throat.

"This is the *only time* I'll warn you, sis. You are being *consumed* by darkness. And once you're consumed, you *won't* know when to stop acting out until it's too late, and you'll fall into the dark *forever*."

She clicked the button on the knife, retracting the blade, and she stood by her friends, who took up hands.

Despite their defiance, Mya was no longer having it. Her last nerve was gone.

"*All of you* ***GET OUT***!" She commanded with such force her voice rattled the room. "*None* of you are welcome back. Especially *you*." Mya pointed a sole finger at Evie, who whimpered, and Amira laid her head on her shoulder.

Harlow and Ivanna flanked Mya, only emphasizing her point more.

There was no other way to communicate now.

As quickly as they could, the girls dashed out back to Dahlia's Jeep and far away as possible from Hollowleaf Mansion.

It was an eerily quiet drive back to Dahlia's place, but since then, the girls had told her everything that they now knew.

Best of all, Daniela still had the satchel from Hollowleaf Mansion, which held the precious evidence she and Amira had gathered, including the old diary.

Dahlia had been horrified to hear about the change in Mya, calling it a "great evil" and comparing her to what her own daughter did to her granddaughter. But, it was clear she was proud of Amira and Daniela for going undercover. In fact, she was for all of the girls and had decided to bake them some delicious vanilla-blueberry muffins.

After she had set the tray down on the coffee table, she approached her granddaughter.

"My, words cannot describe how proud I am of you, darling," she said as she ruffled Amira's bangs. "You risked so much confronting Ivanna and invading the mansion for that evidence, and while you're definitely gonna get some bruises... You're a *badass*, through and through."

She kissed Amira, then walked up to Daniela.

"And you, young lady, are one of the most amazing friends my baby could have ever asked for." Daniela's cheeks went red as she nodded.

"You risked your life to protect her. Quite noble of you. Rex will have so much pride in you." Her cheeks turned even more red.

Amira noticed Winter alone on the sofa, staring ahead of her at the wall and twiddling her fingers. A wave of sympathy crashed over her, and she moved up next to her, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

Winter didn't look at her as she responded. "I know we have the information, but we don't have *legit* proof that they've done anything that could get them incarcerated. And now, Mya is even further away from us, closer to falling evil completely. What... What do we do?"

"Babe... I don't know either. I don't know what the future holds, and I can't promise things are going to be okay. But you will *always* have me and the other girls, and that *won't* change. Not even if Mya does everything in her power to break us all apart." She grasped Winter's hands, allowing herself to melt into her once again. They were the perfect contrast of one another - light brown mixed with white, brown eyes mixed with ice-blue, multicolored short hair to beautiful, short brown hair with a purple streak.

Right here was their moment, and right now, the storm could subside for Amira and Winter. Amira let her arms fall over Winter's shoulders, and before she could even process it, her lips had grazed Winter's in a soft kiss.

Winter kissed her back, their noses touching and sending butterflies flittering and flattering in their bellies. The moment was pure.

As for Evie, she didn't notice Amira and Winter's passionate, blissful moment, or Daniela admiring them afar with a grin. Instead, she cast her eyes out the window, viewing the beautiful sunset over the Pineshadow neighborhood.

But her thoughts weren't on the sunset, they were on Mya.

*She's betrayed us all. And now she's a spoiled, selfish queen bent on power and control. She'll do anything to keep us away and anything to cement herself as a catastrophic antagonist. I can't let it happen. But what can I do?*

Evie looked down, but made herself look at the sunset again.

*No. The girl I love is still in there. I will get you back, Mya. Even if you take everything and burn it down to the stake, I'll willingly burn down for you, my love.*

To impress her is just too damn hard

And I want her back but she's gone too far

If I see her again, promise I won't

Cry

## Cast

* **John Hodgman** as Anderson
* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Lauren Tom** as Opal
* **Zoe Saldaña** as Amira
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Eden Riegel** as Daniela
* **Nora Dunn** as Rex
* **Miriam Margolyes** as Dahlia
* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Udo Kier** as Harlow
* **Pam Ferris** as Ivanna

## Songs

* Tritan (feat. Ratfoot) - *Hollow Life* (snippet)
* Aether & Sizzlebird (feat. Veela) - *Raccoon City* (snippet)
* Halsey - *Castle* (snippet)
* Laura Brehm - *Fly Away*
* NIVIRO - *Diamond* (snippet)
* Feint (feat. Veela) - *Vagrant* (snippet)

## Trivia

* This is the first episode in the season where the Heartley parents are absent. However, they are mentioned.
* This episode is heavily inspired by the 2019 Tehlor Key Mejia novel *We Set the Dark on Fire*, and Mya's actions are directly inspired by Mateo Garcia, the antagonist in the book.
* As Amira helps Evie regain faith in herself, the opening to the Tritan song *Hollow Life* is heard in the background.
* It is revealed that:
	+ Two weeks have passed since Mya's betrayal.
	+ Evie fell into a bout of depression, refusing to eat, drink, or leave her room, even with her parents' efforts. Despite this, Amira helps to heal her and she regains her old personality.
	+ According to Amira, both Evie and Winter were the main two to save her life and convince her to defy Shetani.
	+ Most of the girls have recovered from the shock of Mya's defection, though Winter still hates her parents deeply for lying to her.
	+ Rex's hand twitches when she worries over Daniela.
	+ Dahlia owns a Jeep, but sometimes struggles to find objects, such as her car keys.
	+ In the two weeks that have elapsed, Mya's appearance has slightly changed. She now wears a purple cape, a purple-jeweled crown, and has painted her fingernails purple.
	+ Winter (most likely along with the rest of the girls) did not know of Evie's night at Pinelake Park.
	+ Mya has solidified her ambitions to take over Pineshadow and affirms that she doesn't want anything to do with the girls or her parents.
	+ Amira learned to pick locks rom Evie, who has been doing so since she was ten.
	+ Harlow and Ivanna have a hidden room in Hollowleaf Mansion that reveals their greed and power-hungry nature in full, along with their desires to take over Pineshadow, seek revenge on beings who wronged them, and their desire to meet Mya again someday. The room has hidden papers and a diary which Amira and Daniela end up discovering.
	+ Daniela has claustrophobia, and she can also understand morse code.
	+ Ivanna knows who Shetani is, likely from Mya, and uses this to play into Amira's trauma.
* As Evie reflects on her leadership position, a snippet of the Aether & Sizzlebird song *Raccoon City* is heard.
	+ With Veela's featured appearance on the song, this now means that all of Av's favorite EDM singers have appeared in *Evie and Mya*.
	+ Furthermore, this is the second time that an artist (Veela) has two or more songs appear in the same episode.
* Evie's line, "It's just a game, not a war," is from the 2013 Ben Moon song *Majesty*.
	+ Av says that, in a sense, she is meant to represent Nakano Takeko, the leader of woman combatants during the Boshin War.
* Dahlia losing her car keys in the pencil pot is a reference to an event in Av's childhood. Her mother lost her keys to her 2010 Nissan Sentra, only to discover they were in a pencil pot on the kitchen counter the whole time.
* During Mya's appearance to Evie and Winter, a snippet of the Halsey song *Castle* plays in the background. The scene's atmosphere matches that of *Castle* with the flickering lights and darkness as Mya approaches.
	+ Additionally, *Castle* is also a major inspiration for Mya in Season 3.
* As Mya surveys Evie and Winter, she is noted to check again twice, which is a reference to the Jim Yosef & EMM song *Shudder*.
* During Evie and Winter's confrontation with Mya, *Fly Away* by Laura Brehm plays in the background. *Fly Away* is a notable inspiration for Mya in Season 3.
* Before Mya cut her off, Winter was going to call her a "b\*tch" explictly.
* Daniela remembering fiddling with her gym locker's lock is a reference to the locker room to Av's middle school and how she learned to crack locks at the beginning of the semester.
	+ In adition, she also references the whiteboard of Av's sixth grade English teacher, which was always cluttered.
* While Amira and Daniela stare at the board in the secret room, the opening to the NIVIRO song *Diamond* is heard in the background.
* The frame of Harlow and Ivanna with Mya above the fireplace is very reminiscent of the Blight family portrait in *The Owl House* episode *Escaping Expulsion*.
* Evie calling Mya's advances not sober is a reference to the 2014 DM Galaxy song *Bad Motives*, which is a major inspiration for the back half of Season 3.
* Amira and Daniela searching the room for clues to incriminate the Parkers is meant to be a parallel to the first book in the *Scarlet and Ivy* series, *The Lost Twin*. In the book, Ivy searches Rookwood School for diary pages left around by her supposedly deceased twin sister, Scarlet, who had scattered the pages of her diary in the hopes her twin would discover the truth about Rookwood and its evil headmistress, Miss Fox. The pages were usually hidden in creative places, such as in the bathrooms or in a wine bottle down in the kitchen.
* Amira exclaiming "Son of a mother!" is a reference to the catchphrase of *Minecraft* YouTuber TYBZI.
* The safe code, 929, is a reference to the Halsey song of the same name, in addition to referencing the date of the singer's birth - September 29th.
* Harlow's confrontation with Daniela is inspired by the Arthur & Medic song *Broken House*.
* Amira telling Harlow to swallow his sin is a reference to the Krewella song *Come and Get It*, moreover the 2013 Razihel remix of it.
* As Evie stares at the sunset from the window, the ending to the Feint song *Vagrant* is hear in the background. *Vagrant* is another major inspiration for Season 3.
	+ The sunset is also the same one pictured on the Liquicity thumbnail for *Vagrant*.