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“Hurry, before anyone sees us,” Red hissed under her breath.
Without waiting for an answer, she snatched Chloe’s hand, lacing her fingers through hers as they bolted forward. Their footsteps clattered loudly against the ancient stone path, Red dragging them double-speed through the twisting, claustrophobic hedges of the Wonderland maze. She never let go of Charming’s hand for a second.
Chloe panted softly, her cheeks flushed as her eyes darted nervously toward the shifting shadows of the living hedge walls. “Red, are you sure this is where we should bury the pocket watch?”
“Yep.” she skidded to a sudden halt, pulling Chloe up close beside her—so close their shoulders brushed, sending a spark straight down the blue haired girl’s spine. “Right here.”
She pointed toward a heavy, ancient stone archway hidden beneath a thick curtain of tangled, thorny vines: The Wonderland Royal Vault. Red pulled the gleaming, ticking timepiece from her leather jacket and held it out, her usual sharp gaze softening as she looked from the artifact to Chloe.
“It’s the perfect place to keep this hidden.”
Chloe let out a long, shuddering breath, watching as the magic sealed the heavy stone doors tight, burying the dangerous artifact deep within the earth. She turned back to Red, a tender, breathless warmth rising in her eyes. "And no one can undo the good we’ve done."
“There,” Red murmured softly, stepping an inch closer. A rare, genuine smile softened her sharp features. “Your mom’s safe…” She paused, her voice turning quiet, almost sweet, as her gaze lingered on Chloe’s lips. “…and your mom’s nice.”
The princess let out a soft, nervous chuckle, her heart racing—though not entirely from the adrenaline of the maze. She took a timid step closer, her brown eyes bright with hopeful affection. “Hmm. And we’re…”
“Aw, Chlo.” Hearts cut in, a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. She reached out, gently cupping Chloe's chin between her gloved fingers, her eyes sparking with mischief. “Are you asking to date now? Of course I will… You’re still such an HK.”
Her cheeks burned a deep, rosy pink. “Okay,” she whispered with a breathless laugh, leaning into Red's touch. “And that’s never gonna change.”
She glanced back toward the trail leading home, a cozy, hopeful warmth settling in her chest. “Though, knowing now that my mom didn’t care about all this rigid royal stuff when she was young… maybe I can talk to her? Relax things a little bit around the castle?”
“You? Relaxed?” Red snorted softly. Before Chloe could protest, Hearts gently leaned in and pressed a lingering, tender kiss against Charming’s flushed cheek.
Chloe froze. Her breath caught in her throat as a bright, radiant smile broke across her face. Instinctively, her fingers rose to brush the spot on her skin where Red’s lips had just been.
“Hey, it’s hard work being the daughter of a hero,” Chloe stammered playfully, trying and failing to play it cool. “You’ll see.”
Red scoffed, a genuine, quiet laugh escaping her. Turning toward the trail ahead, she reached down and relaced her fingers with Chloe's.
“Come on, how different could it be?”
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Chloe groaned into her pillow. Morning already?
She blindly slammed her palm down over the alarm clock, cutting the blare short. Sitting up, she took a beat to let her foggy mind catch up to reality.
Right. They had actually pulled it off. The past was rewritten. The Queen of Hearts was nice, Cinderella was safe, and the future was secure. Everything was back to normal.
At least... that’s what she thought.
She dragged herself out of bed, threw on her blue-and-gold uniform, and headed down the grand marble staircase toward the dining room. But as she stepped into the lower corridor, an eerie, suffocating silence hit her.
It was way too quiet. No servants bustling, no clinking breakfast plates, and none of Chad’s obnoxious, echoing laughter bouncing off the castle walls.
Something is wrong.
Chloe peeked into the dining room, expecting it to be empty. To her surprise, her mother and father were sitting side-by-side at the massive mahogany table, quietly picking at their food.
There was no third place setting. No sign of her brother.
King Charming looked up from his plate, his face lighting up with warm affection the moment he noticed his daughter in the doorway. “Good morning, sweetie,” he said, gesturing toward the table. “Your breakfast is ready.”
Cinderella offered a gentle smile. “Come sit and eat, darling, before it gets cold.”
Chloe stared at her parents for a long beat before taking a hesitant step inside. She pulled out a chair and sat, pulling a plate closer, but every bite felt like chewing glass.
She ate in silence for a few minutes, the knot in her stomach tightening until she couldn't take it anymore.
“Um... where’s Chad?” she asked, her eyes darting toward the empty doorway. “Did I actually beat him downstairs for once?”
Both of her parents froze. They stared at her as if she had suddenly spoken in a dead language.
Cinderella reached across the table, her face laced with sudden concern as she pressed the back of her hand against Chloe’s forehead. “Darling, are you feeling alright? Did you have a nightmare?”
“Chad?” King Charming echoed, a small, confused frown tugging at his brow. “Who is Chad?”
“Chad Charming? My older brother? Your son?” Chloe let out a sharp, incredulous scoff, her gaze darting frantically between them. “How could you two possibly forget your own son?”
“Chloe, sweetheart...” Cinderella’s voice was heartbreakingly soft. “You don’t have a brother. You’ve always been an only child.”
The blue haired girl’s eyes widened. Her breath hitched, trapped in her throat.
Clatter.
The silver fork slipped from her numb fingers, striking the porcelain plate with a deafening snap.
“What? What are you even talking about?!” Chloe scraped her chair back so violently it shrieked against the marble floor. “Of course I have a brother! He’s lived in the room right next to mine for sixteen years!”
Before her parents could rise to comfort her, the younger girl turned on her heel and sprinted out of the dining room. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, her boots skidding across the polished floorboards as she raced down the grand hallway toward the family gallery wall.
Her hands trembled so badly she could barely get a grip on the heavy, gilded picture frames.
She ripped a family portrait off the wall, her thumbs smudging the glass as her eyes frantically scanned the painted faces.
There was her mother, serene and glowing. Her father, smiling beside her. Her grandparents in their formal attire. And there was Chloe, standing right in the center.
No Chad.
She tore down another frame—a photo from last summer at the beach. Just three people. She grabbed a desktop frame from a nearby console table. Just three.
No. No, no, no.
The air was sucked clean out of her lungs as the horrific reality crashed down. Chad was gone. Wiped from the history books. Erased as if he had never drawn a single breath.
They had saved her mother. They had fixed the past. But time had exacted a horrific price—and Chad was the payment.
And it was all her fault.
The ride to school was a nightmare of agonizing sensory overload.
Every turn of the carriage wheels felt like a physical weight pressing against Chloe's chest. Cinderella sat opposite her, chatting softly about the upcoming school assembly, completely oblivious to the black hole gaping open inside her daughter. She just stared out the glass, nodding at intervals she couldn't track, her fingernails digging so hard into her leather handbag that her cuticles bled.
It's a mistake. Magic leaves artifacts. Memories don't just disappear.
When the carriage stopped at Auradon Prep, Chloe moved through the morning crowd with an eerie, hyper-focused rigidity. She walked straight toward the Tourney field where the team was tossing a ball around.
"Hey! Where's Chad?" Chloe asked, her voice tight, artificially high. "Isn't he supposed to be running drills with you guys?"
The players stopped, looking at her with mild confusion. "Who?" one of them asked.
Chloe's throat constricted, but she forced a bitter, brittle smile. "Chad Charming? The guy on the squad who spends twenty minutes fixing his hair in the locker room before practice?"
The boys exchanged uncomfortable glances. "Chloe... there's no Chad on the team. We only have twelve players on the roster."
A quiet crack echoed inside her mind.
She turned on her heel and walked away before they could see her face contort. The halls of Auradon Prep felt narrower, the air heavier.
Red. I just need Red. Red makes everything safe.
When she reached the Beast statue, the illusion of control shattered completely. Chloe collapsed against the cold granite pedestal, sliding down until her knees hit the stone. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eye sockets until purple stars burst across her vision.
He was really gone. The annoying, vain, fiercely protective brother who used to clumsily spar with her using wooden swords—he didn't exist to anyone in this entire school. Only to her.
Her vision blurred, and the tears she had been violently holding back spilled over. She pulled her knees into her chest, burying her face as a ragged sob tore from her throat.
A firm, warm hand settled gently on her shoulder.
Chloe flinched hard, looking up through blurred tears to find Red standing above her.
“Bluey?” Red’s tough exterior melted instantly. She dropped to her knees, stepping straight into Chloe’s space. Her warm, leather-scented hands reached out, gently cupping Charming’s pale face, her thumbs brushing away the hot tears. “Hey... what’s wrong, sweetheart? What happened?”
The unexpected, sweet endearment sent a rush of heat through Chloe's chest. She leaned desperately into Red's hands, her whole body trembling.
"I... I can't find him, Red," Chloe whispered, her voice cracking into something completely broken. "He's not at the castle. He's not in the pictures. The guys on the Tourney squad said he's not even on the team."
Hearts froze, her brow furrowing in deep confusion. "Who? Bluey, slow down, you're shaking."
"Chad!" The princess choked out, her fingers catching the lapels of Red's leather jacket, pulling her close. "Chad is gone! Red... my brother doesn't exist!"
Red’s hands tightened gently on Chloe's face, her own pulse spiking. “Bluey, calm down. That doesn't make any sense. I know Chad's your brother. I know who he is. Why are you saying he's gone?”
“Because he’s NOT HERE!” Chloe cried out. "My parents looked at me like I was insane! His room... Red, his room is a library now! It’s like he was never born!”
A heavy silence fell between them. Red went completely still.
In that silence, Hearts looked down into the younger girl’s devastated eyes, and a terrifying realization struck her like lightning. In this altered timeline, Chloe hadn't just lost a brother... Red had gained a sister.
Red’s gaze softened into pure, aching tenderness. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead gently against Chloe's to ground her. "Hey... breathe for me, Chlo. Please. I've got you."
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to Red's jacket like a lifeline. "Red... what did we do to the timeline?"
The rebel chose silence, keeping her truth locked away just a little longer. She pulled Chloe flush against her chest, wrapping her arms snugly around her waist, burying her face in Chloe's soft blue hair. She wished with everything inside her that she could just hold Chloe like this forever and shield her from the cruelty of the world.
Then, the world interrupted.
“Redddddddd!”
A girl with bright pink hair came skidding around the corner of the statue, her sneakers squeaking loudly on the stone path. She slid into their space, looking between Chloe’s tear-stained face and the soft, intimate way Red was holding her.
“Oh... Hearts,” the girl winced awkwardly. “Is this... a bad time?”
The rebel didn't let go of Chloe, but her posture shifted defensively, her chin resting protectively on top of Chloe's head. "Pink. Not right now."
Chloe slowly pulled back from Hearts’s chest, her eyes darting between Red and the stranger. "Red... who is this?"
The older girl bit her lower lip, panic and guilt swirling in her dark eyes.
The pink-haired girl stepped forward, offering a soft smile. “Chloe, right? Did you hit your head? It’s me.” She tapped her chest. “Pink. Red’s younger sister.”
Red's younger sister.
Every drop of color drained from Chloe’s face.
She looked at Pink. Then at Red.
She wasn't denying it. She was looking at her with unbearable guilt.
The fragile pieces of Chloe's mind shattered into something cold and sharp. The universe stole my brother, and it handed Red a brand-new sister in his place.
A wave of nausea hit Chloe. The grief inverted into a searing, volatile radiation of pure betrayal.
"You knew," Chloe whispered, her voice shaking violently. "You knew the timeline changed. You knew you had a sister while I was losing my mind."
"Chloe, no, I didn't know until—" Red reached out desperately, her fingers brushing Chloe's wrist, but Chloe slapped her hand away with a sharp crack.
"Don't touch me!" Chloe sobbed.
She turned on her heel and sprinted away, vanishing into the school halls.
The rebel stood frozen, staring at her empty hands. Her chest felt entirely hollowed out.
Spinning around toward Pink, Red’s sorrow instantly mutated into blinding rage.
“What?!” Hearts snapped, her dark eyes flashing with heat. “Pink, what could possibly be more important than what just happened?!”
Pink flinched. “Red... Mom’s been captured. By Maddox Hatter.”
Red’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“We need to save her!” Pink lunged forward, grabbing her sister’s arm. “Right now!”
Instead of softening, the fire inside Red flared hotter. She shoved Pink’s hand off her jacket. “We will save her! But I need to fix things with Chloe first!”
Without waiting for a response, Red turned and stormed down the corridor to hunt down Chloe.
Pink watched her sister disappear, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“My, my... poor little lost princess,” a drawling, velvet voice purred from the shadows.
Pink turned to see Hazel Hook leaning casually against a stone pillar, twirling her silver hook between her fingers. Max Hatter and a crew of VKs hovered right behind her, eyeing Pink up and down with cocky, amused smirks.
"Look at you, all bright and pink," Hazel teased, stepping forward with a slow, predatory catcall whistle. "Does your sister always leave you behind, cutie?"
Max chuckled, folding his arms. "Wonderland's getting wild, Pinkie. You sure you can handle it without Red holding your hand?"
Pink’s cheeks flushed a furious crimson. “Stop whistling at me, you weirdos!” she barked, shooting them a harsh glare. Turning her back on Hazel's lingering, amused gaze, Pink marched off to find her own friends, Luis Madrigal and Robbie Hood.
Red searched everywhere, her heart in her throat. She finally sprinted toward the library, pushing through the heavy double doors.
Weaving through the ancient, dusty stacks, she found Chloe tucked into a tiny alcove, surrounded by open record books. Chloe was curled into a ball, clutching her knees, silent tears tracing down her pale face.
Red’s chest tighted painfully. She stepped forward softly and dropped to her knees right in front of her.
"Chlo... hey."
Chloe didn't lift her head. "Go away, Red."
"Look at me, Bluey. Please." She reached out, her gloved fingers gently cupping Chloe's chin, lifting her face until their eyes met. Red’s thumb tenderly stroked the princess’s cheekbone, wiping away a tear. "I know you're terrified. But we are going to fix this. I promise you, sweetheart. I swear on my life, I won't let you lose him."
Chloe’s breath hitched. A desperate, agonizing flicker of hope flared in her brown eyes. She leaned into Red's warm palm, her voice a fragile whisper. "You promise?"
The rebel swallowed hard, hating the next words before they even left her mouth. "...I promise. But my mom has been captured by Maddox Hatter. I have to save her first."
The faint warmth in Chloe’s eyes vanished, replaced instantly by an icy wave of absolute devastation. She jerked her chin out of Red’s grip, scrambling backward against the bookshelf.
“First?” Charming echoed, a harsh, disbelieving laugh breaking from her lips. “Your mom is captured, Red! My brother doesn't even exist! Every second we waste, he’s slipping further away, and you want me to just pause my nightmare so we can go handle yours?!”
“Chloe, please—” She pleaded, reaching out again, her hands desperate to hold her, but Chloe slapped her hand away.
“No!” She yelled, tears overflowing. “Go save your mom! Go play hero with your new sister! Just leave me alone!”
The words sliced through Red like a blade. But looking at Chloe's shattered expression, the rebel knew there was no convincing her right now.
Red stood up slowly, her fists clenched tight at her sides.
“Fine,” She whispered, her voice thick with suppressed emotion. “I’m going. But I am coming back for you, Chloe. Because I love you... and I'm not giving up on you.”
Red stood at the edge of the swirling rabbit hole, the wind pulling at her red hair as she prepared to leap back into Wonderland.
“Red, wait up!”
A sharp, familiar voice cut through the wind. Red froze and glanced over her shoulder.
Standing there, windblown and breathless, her eyes shining with fierce resolve, was Chloe.
A slow, breathless smile broke across Red’s face as she turned around. “Changed your mind, Bluey?”
Chloe crossed her arms tightly, a faint flush creeping up her neck, though her eyes softened as she looked at Red. “I’m helping you because of your promise... and because there's no way I'm letting you go down there without me.”
Red’s expression melted into something pure and genuine. She stepped close, reaching out to gently take both of Chloe’s hands in hers, thumbing her knuckles. “Thank you, Bluey. It’s gonna be okay. We’ll figure it out together.”
A sudden, intense hush fell over them. The chaos of the storm faded into quiet background noise. Chloe’s eyes flickered down to Red’s lips before darting back up to her eyes, her breath catching softly. She gave a small, tender nod, stepping closer until their foreheads touched.
Slowly, helplessly, they both leaned in. The distance between them shrank to a fraction of an inch, their warm breath mingling—
“Woah. Cute moment alert!”
They whipped apart instantly, Red immediately pivoting to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Chloe, her fingers remaining tightly entwined with hers.
Emerging from the trees was Hazel Hook, Max Hatter, Felix Facilier, and the Smee Twins. Hazel had her signature smirk plastered on her face, leaning casually on her hook.
“I hope your plan includes us...” Max said, stepping forward with a calm smile. “...because we’re coming with you to Wonderland.”
Chloe immediately stepped slightly in front of the rebel, her royal posture clicking into place. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Our interests don’t align. Come on, Red.”
She reached down, her fingers lacing even tighter through Red’s hand to pull her away. But Red held her ground softly.
“Wait,” Red said, squeezing Chloe's hand reassuringly. “Let’s hear him out.”
“You need someone who knows how to beat my father at his own game,” Max argued. “And I can help with that.”
Red scoffed, eyeing him up and down. “You’d sell out your own dad?”
Max shook his head. “I’m not him. And I never want to be.”
Red and Chloe traded a swift, silent look.
“Wait for us, too!” Pink, Luis Madrigal, and Robbie Hood jogged up to the edge of the pit. Luis stepped directly into Red’s personal space, adjusting his tunic with a smooth smirk. “Two merry men reporting for duty. And for you, Princess... I’m always at your service.”
Red blinked, her face twisting into pure disgust. She took a sharp step away, bumping her shoulder comfortably against Chloe's. “Yeah, do me a favor and never call me that again. Or stand that close.”
Chloe’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Luis. Her hand automatically tightened around Red’s, pulling the redhead just a fraction closer to her side.
“I brought snacks!” Pink beamed, jogging up behind them—before pausing to look at Hazel and the VKs. “Wait, what are they doing here?”
“This is going great,” Red muttered sarcastically, looking at Chloe with a soft, private smirk. “Fine. Whatever. Everyone in.”
The chaotic group turned as one, stepping right up to the gaping vortex of the rabbit hole.
“We’re really jumping?” Robbie swallowed hard, staring into the abyss. “Anyone scared?”
“No,” Chloe said softly, looking at Red. Her hand tightened around hers until their knuckles turned white. “Let’s do it.”
Taking a deep breath, Red looked at Chloe, squeezed her hand tight, and leaned in to press a quick, fierce kiss to the princess temple.
“Here we go, Bluey!”
Together, hand-in-hand, they leaped over the edge, plunging straight into the swirling chaos of the rabbit hole, their hearts tied firmly together in the endless void of time.
Great. Fantastic. Now she was stuck tumbling through an endless void of Wonderland with a whole circus of people she barely knew.
As the walls of the house began dangerously closing in on them, absolute chaos broke out. Chloe had seen Red frantically stretching her hand out toward her through the crowd, desperate to pull her to safety—and Charming had reached back, every nerve in her body screaming just to hold onto her, to feel the grounded warmth of the rebel’s fingers laced with hers.
But then stupid Luis shoved himself in the middle, grabbing Red instead and pulling her away as the shifting corridors separated them.
Now, through the dust and falling debris, Red was completely gone with Luis.
"Where is she?" Chloe scoffed, wiping a streak of grime from her face as a bitter, disbelieving laugh tore from her throat.
Great. No Chad. No Red. Just fucking great. Every single thing she gave a damn about—the girl she was falling head over heels for, and the brother who made up her entire life—was being ripped away from her. Panic clawed at the inside of her ribs, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Chloe glared over at Pink, a knot of irritation and sheer terror tightening in her chest.
God, it was exhausting just looking at her. Pink was standing right there, loud and alive, while Chad was completely, terrifyingly gone. How was everyone else acting normal?! Chad’s room, his annoying voice, eighteen years of memories—wiped out like he was nothing!
Chloe felt like she was going insane, her mind spinning as she tried to cling to the memory of his face before it faded. What else did they destroy when they touched that cursed pocket watch? Maddox Hatter was suddenly an Isle villain, the Queen of Hearts wasn't evil, and their entire history was rewritten. What else did they break?
Chloe let out a low groan, slapping the heel of her hand against her forehead in sheer frustration and emotional turmoil.
“Chloe!” Pink called out, flashing her a bright, enthusiastic smile as she gestured for her to hurry up. “Come on, we need to keep moving!”
She forced a strained, fake smile onto her face and fell into step, quietly dragging her feet at the very back of the pack, her chest heavy with grief for her lost brother.
The group finally ground to a halt near the edge of a dense, shadowy forest.
“I’m going to leave my shoe right here so Red knows where we went,” Pink announced, beaming as if she and the rebel had been inseparable sisters for their entire lives.
Chloe felt a bitter laugh bubble up in her throat. What the hell? You didn't even exist yesterday. Unlike her brother, who had spent eighteen years annoying her, protecting her, loving her, and being an irreplaceable part of her life—and now he was just erased. It was driving her mad. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, to shake everyone until they remembered him.
It wasn't even that she hated Pink personally. She just hated the agonizing truth of what Pink represented: a reality where this stranger existed, and her own flesh and blood didn't.
Chloe let her eyes wander over the rest of their bizarre little search party. Hazel Hook was pretty much the same as before, but the Smee twins weren't shy anymore—they seemed to actively thrive on the chaos. And Max Hatter was a full-blown VK now, according to Red.
Nothing made sense. She hated it here. She was losing her mind.
“Red!” Pink’s voice echoed through the trees as she broke away from the group and sprinted toward her sister—who was visibly stiff, practically leaning backward to escape Luis’s suffocating, unwelcome presence.
Pink launched herself forward, throwing her arms around Red in a sudden, dramatic hug.
She let out a heavy huff, reaching into her jacket. “I found your shoe,” she muttered, pulling out the stray boot and shoving it into Pink’s hands.
“I knew you would! Thank you!” Pink beamed, snatching the shoe back and wandering off, cradling it like a prized possession while muttering about how much she adored it.
“She is unbelievable,” The rebel grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.
Before Red could even react, Chloe practically threw herself into her arms, wrapping her up in a fierce, bone-crushing hug. The sudden relief of having the rebel back in her arms made Chloe's eyes sting. The rebel froze for a microsecond before her arms wrapped tightly around the princess’s waist, pulling her impossibly close. Hearts’s face instantly flushed a deep, bright crimson, her heart thumping wildly against Chloe's chest.
“Red... oh my god, I thought I lost you, too,” she breathed into Red's neck, her voice small, trembling, and utterly wrecked. The scent of leather and cinnamon filled her senses, anchoring her. “I can't lose you. I can't, If I lose you too, I have nothing left.”
Red’s guarded expression completely melted, filled with a deep, profound love for the girl in her arms. Her fingers gently cupped Chloe’s cheek, her thumb tracing the soft curve of her cheekbone as if reminding herself that she was really there, real and safe. She smiled—soft, raw, and full of unspoken adoration.
“You’re never gonna lose me, Bluey,” Red whispered softly, her thumb lingering against Chloe's skin a second longer than necessary before she forced herself to focus. “I'm right here. I've got you.”
Chloe leaned into the tender touch for a fleeting breath, her heart hammering with overwhelming affection, before reluctantly stepping back—though her hand lingered against Red's arm, unwilling to break contact completely.
“Good... because we’ve got a bigger problem,” Charming murmured, trying to pull herself together. Reaching down, she slipped a gleaming dagger out from the cuff of her leather boot.
Red’s eyes widened slightly, raising her hands in mild alarm. “Whoa! Look, I’m not Hazel’s biggest fan either, but let's take it down a notch.”
“What? No, it’s not Hazel—it’s that,” Chloe corrected, pointing the blade toward a strange, mechanical bird whirring softly in the shadows of the brush. “I saw one of those back in the croquet garden,” she added, stepping closer to Red to whisper.
Hearts leaned in until their shoulders were pressed together, her dark eyes locking onto the robotic dodo. The sudden proximity, the intense warmth radiating off Red, and the soft breath against her ear sent a sudden, electric flush straight to Chloe’s cheeks.
For a second, Chloe's pulse hammered harder against her ribs, her heart swelling with an intense, intoxicating love for the red-haired girl beside her that made it almost impossible to concentrate on the metal bird.
“It has to be a spy for Maddox,” Red realized, her tone dropping into something dark and dangerous. “Is that how he’s been tracking us?”
Chloe caught her breath and grinned, glad for the sweet distraction from all the grief over Chad. “Bingo.” She paused, her eyes lighting up with tactical excitement. “Listen... if we take that dodo down, I can pry it open and rewire its internal circuitry. We can turn Maddox's own bird against him—make it our spy. That way, we stay one step ahead of him, get to the palace, save your mom... and I can keep my promise to help you.”
“We should tell Max. He might know more about them. But, Red, listen—”
Red looked from the bird back to Charming, a fierce, admiring smirk tugging at her lips, her eyes scanning Chloe's face with raw fond devotion. “You know, Princess... you’re kinda hot when you’re pulling off a tactical heist.”
Chloe flushed an even deeper shade of pink, her chest fluttering. Red walked away, casting one last smirking backward glance at her.
She headed over to Max to fill him in on the mechanical dodo. Right on cue, Luis shoved his way into the conversation, desperate for Red's attention. In a pathetic attempt to play the hero, he grabbed a nearby tree trunk and began violently shaking it, trying to dislodge the robotic bird from its branch.
Chloe watched him with a slow roll of her eyes. It was honestly embarrassing seeing him act like such a smitten puppy for Red, especially when the princess knew how deeply the rebel looked at her.
The dodo suddenly let out a shrill, metallic screech that pierced the quiet forest.
Surprised by the noise, Luis dropped the trunk and tumbled backward into the dirt. Scrambling to his feet, he stammered, “I—I think it’s calling for backup!”
“Guys, we need to keep moving,” Red ordered, taking charge. “Let's cover our tracks. Come on.”
As the rest of the group started moving ahead, Red glanced back over her shoulder. Chloe was still standing in the exact spot where she had left her, a bright flush painting her cheeks, her face a delicious mix of lingering fluster and disappointment that their intimate moment had been cut short.
Red couldn't help but grin. It was ridiculously cute. She loved everything about this stubborn princess.
“You coming, sweetheart?” She teased, throwing a cocky wink over her shoulder.
Charming snapped out of her daze, her head popping up as she quickly fell into step. “Yeah... coming.”
Red fell back a few paces, reaching out to catch Chloe softly by the forearm. She slowed their step, letting the rest of the loud, chaotic group trek ahead until they had a sliver of privacy beneath the dense canopy of trees.
“I’m not forgetting our deal,” the rebel murmured, her voice dropping into a quiet, serious tone.
She paused, stepping directly into Chloe’s path so they were face-to-face. Reaching out, Red took the blue-haired girl’s hand, her thumb rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles as she searched her eyes with fierce affection.
“We will figure this out. We’re going to bring Chad back, Bluey,” Red promised, offering a soft, reassuring smile that made Chloe's chest ache with love. “I give you my word.”
Before Chloe could even wrap her mind around the fierce devotion in Red’s eyes, the rebel leaned in close. She pressed a kiss to the princess cheek, the warmth of her lips sending shivers straight down the younger girl’s spine—and leaving behind a faint, red mark from her tinted lip balm.
“Come on,” Red giggled softly, a rare, breathtaking sound that made Chloe's heart perform acrobatics.
Squeezing her hand one last time, Red gently tugged the blushing princess forward to rejoin the rest of the group.
As twilight blurred into night, the shadows across the Wonderland forest deepened. Pink led the exhausted group into a secluded clearing that seemed safe enough to camp for the night.
For a few minutes, there was peace, until the endless feud between the Isle and Auradon erupted. The AKs and VKs began throwing jabs, arguing fiercely over who was better, who was more trustworthy, and who was actually holding the team together. Pink, trying to defend her side, snapped a comment that hit way too close to home for Max.
Hurt and quietly humiliated, the Mad Hatter's son stood up and walked off into the dark woods alone.
Red immediately shifted to follow him, but Chloe’s hand caught her wrist, holding her back.
“Red, wait,” Chloe pleaded softly, gesturing toward the chaotic campsite before looking up at the rebel, her eyes practically desperate for Red's closeness. “Can we talk about this afternoon? And... and now this? Siding with the VKs over everyone else?”
Red let out a heavy, tired sigh, shifting her weight. “I know, Chloe. But I’m used to their way of doing things. It’s just how I grew up.”
“Well, you kind of blew me off,” she murmured, her voice tight with hurt as her eyes searched Red's face, yearning for the soft affection she had shown her earlier. “I thought we were going to figure this out together.”
“It’s not like that, Bluey. I’m just...” Red hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
“You don’t want to listen to what I have to say,” Chloe cut in, the emotional exhaustion and the agonizing grief over Chad finally breaking her composure. “Honestly, I’m not even sure why I came.”
Chloe turned on her heel, ready to walk away into the darkness, but this time, Red reached out and caught her hand, pulling her back.
“I thought you came to help clean up the mess we left in our wake, Chloe,” Red said, her sharp tone coming out a little colder than she intended. “Right now, that mess includes Max. He’s out there trying to help us, and he’s being judged for what his dad did, not for who he is. Sound familiar?”
The words hit Chloe like a physical blow. Her jaw tightened, a flash of deep, wounded disbelief washing over her eyes. “Yeah,” she whispered, her voice dangerously quiet. “I’ll go with you. It’s my mess, too.”
Hearts stepped in front of her, cutting off her path. “No. I think he needs to hear it from me.”
“But... I—” Chloe tried to argue, her hands twitching at her sides, but looking at the stubborn set of Red’s jaw, she knew it was a lost cause. The barrier was up, and she wasn't letting her in.
“Yeah. Fine,” Chloe choked out, her brown eyes shining with fresh hurt. “I’ll let you handle it.”
Without another word, the princess yanked her wrist free, turned her back on Red, and walked away toward the far side of the camp, her shoulders hunched against the cold.
The moment Chloe’s back was turned, the anger in Red’s chest completely evaporated, leaving behind a cold, sickening pit of regret. The rebel stared down at her empty hand, the harsh bite of her own words echoing in her ears. Sound familiar? Why had she said that? Chloe was breaking, drowning in grief for her erased brother, trying so hard to hold on to her, and Red had just pushed her further away.
Red took a half-step forward to go after her, her mouth opening to call her back—to take it all back and wrap her in her arms—but she stopped herself.
With a heavy, guilty ache settling deep in her chest, Red turned toward the dark trees to find Max, praying she hadn't just broken things with the girl she loved beyond repair.
Seeking any sliver of quiet, Chloe wandered toward the outer edge of the campsite to look for a spot to settle down for the night. Her mind was spiraling completely out of control. Chad, Chad, Chad. His face, his stupid laugh, the way he used to steal her clothes or complain about homework—was she going to forget his voice next? Was she losing her mind?
She let out a low, frustrated grunt, rubbing her temples as she rounded a massive fern—only to freeze dead in her tracks when she locked eyes with Hazel Hook. The pirate girl was lounging casually against a fallen log, sharpening her hook.
“Oh. Sorry, I’ll just...” Chloe muttered, backing away.
“Not on my account,” Hazel interrupted smoothly, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Sighing, Chloe gave in and sat down on a wide glow-stool mushroom directly across from her. “Thanks. Just looking for a spot for the night.”
Hazel’s lips curled into a sharp, knowing smirk. “So... you and your fearless girlfriend on the outs already?”
Chloe’s head snapped up, a hot flush burning her cheeks. “Red’s not my—. She’s my... um, friend,” she stammered, pausing as her heart did a painful, loving twist. “We’re partners.”
The pirate let out a mocking laugh. “Right. And the Smees are mine.” She shrugged casually, twirling her dagger between her fingers. “Look, sweetie, Red’s the alpha and you’re... the omega. Red leads, and you follow right behind her. It's just nature. You can’t change it.”
“It isn't like that,” Chloe huffed, her fists clenching in her lap. “And you’d be surprised what can change.”
A sudden, suffocating weight pressed onto Chloe’s chest. Chad. Her mind screamed his name, her stomach turning at the agonizing secret she was carrying alone. She was going crazy holding it in. She couldn't tell Hazel—she couldn't tell anyone that they had traveled back in time and altered reality. No one could ever know.
Hazel tilted her head, watching Chloe's tense posture. “Really? Because from my view, you look like a pathetic little puppy following its owner around.”
Chloe stared down at her hands, carefully picking her words so she wouldn't blow their cover, her voice dropping into a shaky, frantic whisper. “I just... I keep thinking that if everything can change in an instant... if people you love with your whole heart can just... disappear from your life like they never mattered... what are we even supposed to hold on to? How are we supposed to stay sane?!”
Hazel’s smirk faded for a brief second, replaced by a cold, practical indifference. “My dad always taught us that you only have yourself to rely on. It’s the best lesson I ever learned.”
Chloe looked at Hazel as if she had lost her mind. “That sounds miserable. That sounds lonely.”
“Is that so?” Hazel chuckled, leaning forward with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Well, I ain’t never let me down yet.” Her smirk returned, full of razor-sharp venom as she leaned in closer. “Can you say the same about your little girlfriend, Red? Because from where I’m sitting, she’s already leaving you behind.”
That was the absolute final straw. The sting of Red's earlier harsh words coupled with Hazel's mockery boiled over, and Chloe stood up abruptly.
“I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight,” Chloe spat, fighting back the lump in her throat as she turned away.
Hook leaned back, watching her go with a lazy grin. “Yeah, you do that.”
Chloe took two steps before Hazel’s voice called out after her one last time, dropping the playful tone for something far darker:
“Hey, Princess... be careful who you trust.”
Chloe nodded numbly and walked over to the far side of a massive, twisted tree. Leaning her head back against the rough bark, she stared up into the canopy, her heart breaking into a million pieces. She missed her brother so much it felt like an open wound, and the fear of losing Red on top of him was driving her to the absolute brink of sanity.
She needed to go back in time. She knew messing with history again was dangerous, but it was the only way to fix this, to bring her brother back, to save her life.
“I know how to stop my father.”
Max’s voice echoed softly through the trees, cutting right through the quiet night air. Chloe snapped her head around, her chest tightening as she saw Red and Max standing close together, looking practically inseparable as Max laid out his plan.
Chloe couldn't focus on a single word Max was saying. Her eyes drifted, catching sight of Hazel lounging in the shadows. The pirate girl had a cruel, razor-sharp smirk plastered across her face, her eyes locked right on her.
Hazel was right.
Everyone instinctively circled around Red. Everyone listened to her, followed her, relied on her—and Chloe was just trailing behind in her shadow. She hated it. But more than anything, she hated how completely true it was, and how much she loved her despite how deeply it hurt.
Red glanced over Max’s shoulder and spotted Chloe standing off to the side. Breaking away from the group, she strolled over with a warm, triumphant smile, her eyes softening as they landed on the princess.
“Hey, boo,” Red murmured softly, her gaze tender. “Problem solved. We’re one step closer.”
Chloe stared back at her, her expression unreadable and icy, guarding her bruised heart. Without saying a single word, she held Red's lingering gaze for a fleeting, agonizing second, then turned on her heel and walked away.
Chloe’s chest burned with fresh fury as she watched Red standing there, practically soaking in her own victory. Tears pricked the corners of Chloe’s eyes, but she quickly crossed her arms and jerked her chin away, refusing to let the redhead see her break.
Max walked over, his voice quiet. “Hey... are you okay?”
Chloe hesitated, staring bitterly into the dark forest, her mind screaming Chad's name. “My, um... best friend just used me as live bait.”
Max offered a sympathetic grimace. “You think I don’t know how that feels? My own father keeps hunting me down.”
“I thought I knew Red,” Chloe muttered, her throat tight with betrayal and longing. “I actually defended her to everyone. I gave her my heart. But I guess... never mind.”
“Look, Red is just being Red,” Max tried to reassure her.
“I’m not interested in bonding over being betrayed, Max,” Chloe snapped, turning on her heel and walking away before he could reply.
Max let out a soft groan, running a hand over his face.
Feeling the suffocating weight of it all, Chloe dropped heavily onto the bottom step of the wooden staircase, her jaw set tight as she glared furiously at the floor, fighting the urge to sob out loud for Chad and Red.
A moment later, Red joined her, holding a hollowed-out pink lemon with a straw sticking out of it.
“You want to try one of these pink lemonades?” Red offered softly, trying to break the ice with a timid, sweet smirk. “They’re just as sweet as Pink... so, you know, small doses.”
Chloe slowly lifted her gaze. There was zero warmth in her eyes—only a sharp, icy glare that practically cut through the air. Without a single word, she sneered and jerked her face away, utterly ignoring her.
Red’s smile instantly vanished, replaced by a defensive pang of hurt. “So what? You’re just going to give me the silent treatment now?”
Chloe snapped, turning her head back with a sharp, angry glare. “I don’t have anything to say to you, Red,” she spat, her voice dripping with pure venom and deep betrayal. “And if you’re too blind to see how messed up that is, then I don’t even know why I’m wasting my breath on you.”
Unable to sit next to her for another second, Chloe shoved herself up off the step and stormed off.
Red watched her go, a sickening knot of regret tightening in her gut. She had never seen Chloe this genuinely angry at her before. Beyond the rage in Chloe’s eyes, She could see a profound, agonizing pain—one that went far deeper than today's betrayal, even if she couldn't fathom the whole truth about Chad. She just knew she had pushed her princess too far, and the thought of losing Chloe's love terrified her to her core.
Red opened her mouth, about to swallow her pride and chase after her, but Luis immediately seized the moment. Stepping directly into the rebel’s path with a hopeful smile, he pointed toward the door.
“Hey... do you want to get some air?” Luis asked.
Red froze, her eyes frantically darting between Luis and Chloe's retreating back. Her pulse was racing, overwhelmed by the storm she had created with the charming girgl and the stifling weight of her own mistake. She needed a second to catch her breath and figure out how to fix this before the girl she loved shut her out for good.
“Yeah,” Red muttered quietly, her voice hollow.
As she stepped toward the door with Luis, Red paused at the threshold, throwing one last desperate, deeply loving look over her shoulder—hoping against hope that Chloe would turn around to catch it before the door clicked shut.
Red and Luis walked side-by-side beneath the dim glow of the giant forest fungi, the quiet of the night wrapping around them.
“So... do you want to talk about it?” Luis asked gently, trying to play the comforting shoulder for her to lean on.
“Yeah. Um...” Red sighed, trailing off as she stared absently at a cluster of luminous blue mushrooms lining the path. “Chloe and I are in a really bad place right now.”
She kicked a small pebble across the dirt, her usual cocky posture completely crumbling into something raw and vulnerable. “I just... I don’t know how to talk to her anymore.”
Red paused, biting her lip as a warm, flustered blush crept up her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, finally letting the truth spill out before her pride could stop her.
“Talking to her is so hard because I get so damn nervous around her,” Red admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Every time she looks at me, my stomach flips. I care about her, Luis. It’s not just that she’s my partner... I think... no, I know I’m falling for her. I love her. And I’m terrified I just blew my only chance.”
Luis stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping open. A visible wave of disappointment washed over his face as his little crush on Red crashed and burned right in front of him.
“Oh...” Luis stammered, his voice squeaking slightly as he blinked in utter shock. “You... you like girls?”
Red snapped her head toward him, her cheeks burning a bright crimson as she realized just how much she had spilled to him of all people.
“That’s what you took from all of that?!” Red groaned, burying her face in her hands.
“I mean—no! It’s fine! It’s totally fine,” Luis stumbled over his words, rubbing the back of his neck as he swallowed his bruised ego. “It’s just... wow. Okay. So... you’re like, really down bad for the princess, huh?”
Red pulled her hands away, letting out a heavy, anxious breath as she stared into the dark woods. “Down bad doesn't even cover it. She looks at me like I have everything figured out, but when it comes to her? I’m a total mess. I try to pull back because I’m scared of hurting her, and instead... I just ended up breaking her heart. I don't know how to fix this, Luis. I can't lose her. I love her too much.”
Luis let out a long, slow breath, setting aside his shattered romantic hopes and looking at Red with genuine sympathy.
“Well... for starters, stop pulling back,” Luis said softly, leaning against the stalk of a massive mushroom. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching you two, it’s that Chloe doesn’t expect you to be fearless all the time, Red. She just wants you to be honest with her.”
Red blinked, shifting her weight awkwardly. Hearing advice from Luis Madrigal of all people felt surreal, but his words hit uncomfortably close to home.
“Honest?” Red scoffed weakly, crossing her arms over her chest to shield herself. “What am I supposed to say? 'Hey Chloe, sorry I acted like a heartless idiot, by the way, I’m madly in love with you'? She’s currently sitting inside ready to throw me into a Wonderland rabbit hole.”
“Maybe skip the whole declaration of love until you actually apologize,” Luis chuckled gently, shaking his head. “Look, she’s mad because she cares. If she didn’t care about you, she wouldn't be hurt—she’d just be indifferent. She felt abandoned tonight, Red. You have to show her she’s not just a pawn in your strategy. That she’s your priority.”
Red stared down at her combat boots, the weight of his words settling deep into her chest. The anger she had been hiding behind wasn't protecting her anymore—it was just suffocating her.
“She looked so broken earlier,” Red whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she recalled the cold, hollow disappointment in Chloe’s eyes. “Like she was carrying the weight of the whole world on her shoulders... and I just added to it.”
“Then go take some of that weight off,” Luis encouraged, offering her a faint, supportive smile. “Go talk to her. No grand schemes, no tactical deflections. Just you and her.”
Red looked up at the White Rabbit’s cottage glowing in the distance, the soft candlelight spilling through the windows. Her heart hammered against her ribs—not with fear of the mission, but with the terrifying, beautiful reality of how much Chloe Charming meant to her.
She turned back to Luis, giving him a small, rare nod of appreciation. “Thanks, Luis. And... sorry about, you know.”
The two of them walked back toward the glowing cottage in silence. Reaching the front entrance, Luis held the door open for Red, giving her an encouraging nod.
“Thanks,” Red murmured.
Stepping inside, Red’s eyes immediately swept the room until they landed on Chloe. The princess was sitting alone on the tiny parlor couch, her head bowed as she hastily swiped a tear from her cheek, her small frame trembling.
Luis offered a faint, gentle smile. “I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, he quietly slipped into one of the back bedrooms, giving them the privacy they desperately needed.
Red swallowed the lump in her throat and walked over, sitting down on the edge of the cushions next to Chloe.
“He is, um... pretty great,” Red started, letting out a nervous, breathless giggle. “Not for me, though.”
Chloe let out a heavy, bitter sigh, sitting up straight and pulling her knees against her chest without looking at her.
Unable to stand the icy distance between them, Red reached out and gently took Chloe’s hand, her fingers trembling slightly. “Chloe, please... talk to me.”
Chloe finally turned her head, her eyes red-rimmed and burning with a mix of fury, madness, and heartbreak. “Why?” she spat, her voice trembling. “So you can just ignore me some more?”
Red flinched at the sharpness in her tone, but before she could speak, the dam inside Chloe completely broke.
“It must be so easy for you, Red,” Chloe whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek. “Flipping back and forth. On again, off again. Hero, villain, sister... whatever we are. I’m envious, really. You just ride any wave you want to get what you want...”
“Chloe—”
“...like a true villain,” Chloe pressed on, the word cutting straight into Red’s chest.
“Chloe, stop—”
“No, it’s okay!” Chloe cried out, her voice cracking as she shook her head, spiraling completely. “You’ve been telling me all along that this is who you really are! I guess I’m just realizing I should have believed you! I was stupid enough to fall in love with you!”
Red’s jaw dropped in disbelief, her breath hitching at the confession buried in the rage. “Is this about the chess game?! Because I’m sorry, but I had to think quickly—”
“No!” Chloe yelled, yanking her hand out of Red’s grip as if her touch burned. “It’s about us! I thought we were—I thought we were a team! That we actually loved each other and were in this together!”
“We are!” Red pleaded, leaning closer, her eyes shining with desperate affection. “Chloe, I do love you!”
“I mean, first, it turns out I don't actually know my mom at all!” Chloe sobbed out, throwing her hands up in utter desperation, her mental state fracturing under the pressure. “Which means everything I looked up to, everything that I wanted to be... it means nothing! And then we traveled back in time, Red! We messed with the timeline, and now Chad is gone! My brother doesn't even exist anymore, and I am going insane trying to carry that impossible, terrifying truth all by myself!”
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face as the secret she had held inside finally shattered out into the open in a frantic, heartbroken outburst.
“I woke up this morning wondering if I’m losing my mind!” Chloe choked out, her voice raw and panicked. “Wondering if I’m insane! I’m the only one who remembers his voice, his stupid smile, or the fact that I used to have a brother! I miss him so much it’s killing me! And while I am suffocating and losing my mind under the weight of everything we broke, you’re out here acting like none of it ever happened!”
“That’s not fair, Chloe!” Red cut in, her fists clenching in her lap as her own voice shook, tears brimming in her dark eyes. “You think I don’t care?! You think I’m just strolling through Wonderland without a care in the world?!”
“It sure looks that way!” Chloe snapped back, standing up and towering over her, her posture trembling with pure rage and grief. “Ever since we got here, you’ve been ignoring me! You dismiss me, you talk over me, you use me as live bait without even asking! You treat me like an obstacle instead of your partner—instead of someone who loves you!”
“Because I am trying to keep us alive!” Red yelled, shoving herself up off the couch to face her, her own composure completely shattering. “You expect everything to be perfect and noble all the time, Chloe! But newsflash—this isn't Auradon, and I don't have the luxury of playing by your neat little rulebook!”
“I didn't ask for a rulebook, Red, I asked for you!” Chloe screamed, a fresh wave of tears spilling down her face. “I fell in love with you! I thought you’d care... or at least notice that I’m drowning!”
“So am I!” Red snapped back, the defense rising in her chest as her own tears finally spilled over. “You know, you’re criticizing me for being a villain when I’m just trying to help my mom—a mom that finally, truly loves me! But when it was about saving yours, who I am seemed to work out just fine for you! Convenient, Chloe!”
Chloe stared at her in utter disbelief, the words hitting her like a physical blow. The silence in the cottage stretched agonizingly thin between them, heavy with everything left unsaid and two broken hearts bleeding out into the quiet room.
“Wow,” Chloe whispered, backing away toward the front door as a cold, hollow realization washed over her. “You really don’t care, do you? You still think I’m just some boring goody two-shoes who’s tagging along.”
Red’s posture went rigid, her survival instincts throwing up a wall before her heart could stop it. “Yeah, well... if the shoe fits.”
Chloe's breath hitched, the last shred of hope dying in her tear-filled eyes.
“Chloe...” Red breathed, her voice instantly dropping into pure, agonizing regret the second the harsh words left her mouth.
It was too late. Without another word, Chloe turned, threw open the cottage door, and slammed it shut behind her, leaving Red standing alone in the silent room, suffocating in her own grief and lost love.
“If the shoe fits.”
Red’s harsh words echoed in Chloe’s mind, repeating like a cruel loop. Blinded by tears, she stumbled blindly through the dark woods, putting as much distance between herself and the cottage as she could.
When the pain finally overwhelmed her, the dam broke. Chloe let out a raw, heart-shattering scream into the empty forest. She grabbed whatever she could lay her hands on—glowing wild mushrooms, jagged rocks, heavy branches—and hurled them into the night, sobbing hysterically until her chest burned and her strength completely gave out.
Collapsing near the edge of a quiet, dark river, she lay in the damp grass, gasping for air as her sobs faded into silent, heavy chest-heaves. Her mind was a terrifying, chaotic hurricane of grief and love: Chad is gone. He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone, and Red doesn't even care.
Then, the faint crunch of twigs behind her broke the stillness. Footsteps were approaching.
“Oh, for fuck's sake,” Chloe muttered bitterly, wiping her tear-stained face as she pushed herself up to face whoever was following her.
Standing in the shadows was Max.
Chloe frowned, her voice raspy. “Max? What are you doing out here?”
Max stepped closer, his expression unnervingly intense. “Look, I know about the time travel,” he said, fixing his gaze on her. “I know what you lost. I know about Chad. I can help you, Chloe. Please... let me. It’s revenge for my father, and it’s justice for you.”
Chloe shook her head, pulling back with a weary sigh. “I don’t know, Max... look, it’s not worth it. We can't mess with time again. It’s driving me insane, but—”
“I made this for you,” Max interrupted smoothly, reaching into his coat and pulling out a sleek, glowing blue wristband embedded with a strange crystal.
“Max, no—”
“Come on,” Max coaxed, his tone dropping into something far darker as he closed the distance. “It’s going to be worth it. We get your brother back, and you never have to be ignored by Red again.”
Before she could pull away, Max grabbed her arm, snapped the wristband tight around her wrist, and slammed his thumb onto the center crystal.
“NO, WAIT!” Chloe yelled, panic surging through her.
The crystal flared with a blinding, crackling light. Shockwaves of dark energy surged through her veins, pinning her in place as a gasping cry tore from her throat. Her blue hair shifted and darkened, her clothes warping and transforming right before her eyes as the magical surge rewrote her very appearance—and consumed whatever was left of her gentle nature, twisting her desperation into pure, unadulterated madness.
Morning broke over Wonderland, casting a cold, pale light across the White Rabbit’s cottage, but Chloe was still nowhere to be found.
Red stood on the porch with her arms tightly crossed over her chest, her eyes frantically sweeping the treeline for any sign of blue hair. Her stomach was tied in sickening knots, her chest aching with the terrifying weight of how much she loved the princess she had just broken. Beside her, Luis let out a heavy, anxious sigh.
“I’m not leaving without her,” Red stated stubbornly, her voice trembling slightly through her harsh tone. “She didn't come back last night, Luis. What if something happened to her? What if she’s hurt? What if she hates me forever?”
“Neither did the Hatter’s son,” Luis noted quietly, leaning his back against the porch railing.
Red snapped her head toward him so fast her braid whipped around her shoulder. She stared at him with such intense, wide-eyed shock that she didn't even hear the wooden door creak open behind them.
“Max?” Red demanded, stepping right into his space. “Where did he go? What does Max have to do with Chloe?!”
Luis raised his hands, shrugging helplessly. “I don't know, Red! All I know is he slipped out right after you two had your fight. He looked pissed.”
Pink stepped out onto the porch, smoothing down her skirt and looking at her sister with a faint, knowing tilt of her head. “She’s still not here? I mean, she was pretty upset last night. Crying, yelling... total drama.”
Red turned her glare onto her sister, her chest heaving. “Yeah? What do you know about it, Pink?”
“I couldn’t possibly know anything, right?” Pink hummed airily, dusting off her sleeves with a dramatic smirk. “I’m just the other sister nobody listens to. But if I had to guess, you pushed her way past her limit.”
Red rolled her eyes and tuned her out completely, turning back to the foggy treeline. That’s when she caught movement in the distance—two silhouetted figures walking side-by-side near the edge of the woods.
It was Max... and right beside him was Chloe.
“Chloe!”
Without another thought, Red sprinted off the porch steps and tore through the damp grass, chasing after them. “Chloe, wait!”
“Red, hold up!” Luis shouted, bolting right behind her as his boots thudded heavily against the dirt.
Red ran until her lungs burned, trailing the two figures through the trees as they led them straight to the entrance of the towering, twisted Wonderland Hedge Maze.
Chloe and Max finally stopped right at the mouth of the labyrinth, turning around to face their pursuers.
“Hey, guys!” Max called out with a breezy, mocking wave. “We were waiting for you. Are we gonna get to the Oraculum or what?”
Red halted in her tracks, the breath completely knocked out of her lungs as her eyes landed on Chloe. The princess was completely transformed. Gone was her standard gear—now, long, straight cobalt blue hair fell past her shoulders, woven with glittering cyan strands. She wore a fitted black leather-look corset top with a sheer mesh neckline, a metallic silver-detailed puffed sleeve, and dark, sharp eyeliner that made her gaze look lethal. She looked utterly, breathtakingly mesmerizing.
A sudden, fierce flush crept up Red’s neck and flooded her cheeks, her heart hammering against her ribs with overwhelming desire and terror.
“Chloe...?” Red gasped out, her eyes scanning her up and down. “What’s with the makeover?”
Chloe’s lips curled into a wicked, dark smirk. “Red.”
Slowly closing the distance between them, Chloe stepped in until there was barely an inch of space separating their chests. Red froze, her breath catching in her throat as the heat radiating off the princess hit her. Chloe reached out, her cool fingers brushing against Red’s skin as she lazily twirled a stray lock of crimson hair around her index finger, pulling it just firmly enough to force Red to look up into her eyes.
“You weren't listening to me,” Chloe purred, her voice dropping into a dangerous, sultry whisper that sent a sharp shiver down Red’s spine.
Before Red could process it, Chloe drew her blade with her free hand. The flat, freezing side of the dagger tapped softly against Red’s cheekbone, tracing down to her jawline.
“So I found someone who would,” Chloe whispered.
Chloe smirked, strolling in a slow, feline circle around Red. As she passed Luis, she gave him a rough, disrespecting shove backward, sending him stumbling hard into the thorn bushes.
“Hey!” Luis yelled, brushing off leaves in utter shock.
Ignoring him, Chloe stepped right back into Red’s personal space, leaning in so close her lips almost brushed Red’s ear.
“You like me now, rebel?” Chloe purred softly. She tapped her own lips before reaching up, her thumb slowly, deliberately tracing the outline of Red’s bottom lip, making Red’s breath hitch in a sharp gasp.
“You can thank Max,” Chloe added smoothly, pulling her hand away at the last second and stepping back beside the Hatter's son.
Red’s jaw clenched, her head spinning as she tried to fight the terrifying hold Chloe had on her. She glared past Chloe, her eyes landing on Max with pure fury.
“You did this...” Red choked out, her voice dangerously tight. “To my... my girl?!”
Max stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Chloe, a smug, triumphant grin spreading across his face.
“How quickly someone’s life can change, right?” Max taunted, leaning in. “Hero to villain. Brother to sister. A simple flick of the switch... or the wind of a watch.”
His smirk widened into something dark and cruel.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Max spat, his voice laced with venom. “I know what you did, Red. I know about the time travel. You ruined everything. You took my father’s mind, you erased her brother Chad, and you thought you could just play house in Auradon like nothing happened!”
“Max, you don't understand—” Red tried to shout, stepping forward.
Before she could reach them, a deep, earth-shattering rumble echoed from deep within the hedge maze. The living walls shifted violently, branches twisting open to reveal a dark, overgrown path leading into the heart of the labyrinth.
Chloe grabbed Max’s arm, throwing one last wicked smirk over her shoulder directly at Red.
“It’s time,” Chloe said smoothly.
Together, the two of them spun around and bolted straight into the shifting maze.
“I know what they are after!” Red yelled, grabbing Luis by his vest to drag him forward. “Come on!”
Red and Luis dove straight into the hedges after them, the dense foliage snapping closed behind them as Chloe and Max ran deeper and deeper into the dark, tangled depths of Wonderland.
They ran and ran, their boots kicking up dirt and crushed leaves. Ahead, Chloe’s long, cobalt blue hair cut through the foggy green labyrinth like a streak of blue lightning. She moved with impossible, predatory grace, her newly awakened power practically pulsing off her skin.
“Chloe, stop!” Red screamed, her lungs burning, her voice echoing down the shifting corridors. “Just talk to me!”
To Red’s shock, Chloe actually stopped. She turned on her heel in a narrow dead end of bushes, letting Max sprint a few paces ahead before halting beside her.
Red skidded to a halt just inches from her, her heart hammering wildly—half from the chase, half from the sheer, suffocating spell Chloe had over her.
“Talk to you?” Chloe purred, taking a slow, deliberate step into Red’s space until their boots clicked together. The cool scent of midnight rain and sharp dark magic rolled off her. “Why, rebel? So you can lie to me again? Tell me how much I get in your way?”
“I lied because I was terrified!” Red rasped, her hands hovering at her sides, desperate to touch her but terrified of pushing her away. “I was scared of how much I wanted you! Of how much power you have over me! I love you, Chloe!”
Chloe let out a low, breathy chuckle that sent a liquid heat straight down Red’s spine. She reached out, her cool, gloved hand sliding up the side of Red’s neck, her thumb resting directly over Red’s erratic, fluttering pulse.
“You look so cute when you’re desperate,” Chloe whispered, her brown eyes darkening as she leaned in, her lips hovering an agonizing millimeter from Red’s. “You liked the good girl, didn't you? So innocent. So easy to push around. But tell me, Red...” Chloe lowered her voice to a throatier, wicked murmur, her gaze dropping to Red’s parted, trembling lips. “...do you like me better when I’m dangerous?”
Red’s breath hitched violently, her hands instinctively coming up to grip Chloe’s waist, feeling the firm leather of her corset top beneath her palms. “Chloe, please... you’re driving me insane.”
“Good,” Chloe breathed, her thumb pressing just a fraction firmer against Red’s neck, making Red gasp. “Now you know how I felt every single time you looked right through me.”
“Hey! Lover girls, we don't have time for this!” Max yelled from down the path, glancing back impatiently.
Chloe’s dark smirk returned. She slid her hand down Red’s chest, dragging her fingertips tantalizingly over Red’s heart before giving her a soft, teasing shove backward.
“Catch me if you can,” Chloe whispered, winking as she spun around and sprinted deeper into the maze.
“Chloe—!” Red yelled, stumbling back before lunging after her.
The maze roared in protest. The living hedge walls groaned, massive thorned branches twisting and bending as if defending their new dark queen.
“Red, watch out!” Luis shouted from behind.
Suddenly, a massive wall of thick, thorny vines burst out from the surrounding bushes, snapping closed right between Red and Luis.
“Whoa!” Luis gasped, thrown backward onto the dirt.
Before he could jump back up, the surrounding bushes surged forward like living tentacles. Thorns snagged his coat, wrapping tightly around his arms, torso, and legs.
“Red! Help! I’m stuck!” Luis yelled, thrashing violently against the overgrown hedges, but the branches only tightened their grip, pinning him solid against the maze wall.
Red skidded to a halt, spinning around in panic. “Luis!”
She lunged back, reaching for something to cut him free, but Luis shook his head frantically. “No! Go! I’m fine, they’re getting away! Go get your girl!”
Red hesitated for a heartbeat, her chest heaving, before giving him a tight nod. “I’m coming back for both of you!”
She turned on her heel and sprinted through the narrowing gap of hedges, bursting out into a small, eerie clearing right behind Max and Chloe.
“It ends here, Max!” Red shouted, her chest rising and falling heavily as she closed the distance.
Max didn't even bother turning around. He simply stepped up to the massive, ancient bush at the dead end of the path. “You’re too late, Red.”
Before Red could tackle him, the surrounding vegetation began to pulse with a blinding, crackling golden light.
The dense greenery peeled back like a curtain, revealing the hidden heart of the labyrinth: The Wonderland Vault, glowing with raw, unbridled temporal power right inside the ancient roots.
As the vault swung open with a heavy tumble, Chloe reached over and casually snatched the pocket watch from Max's hand. She turned to Red, her dark eyes gleaming with possessive amusement as she stepped into the glowing light.
“Aw, princess,” Chloe purred, her voice dripping with sweet, dangerous venom as her gaze lingered on Red’s parted lips. “Don’t look so sad. Everything is about to go right back to normal.”
Red’s breath hitched, every drop of blood in her body pounding in her ears as she watched Chloe cradle the glowing pocket watch. The reality of what was about to happen tore through her, shattering the last bit of her stubborn pride.
Max stepped up right behind Chloe, leaning over her shoulder, his voice dropping into a smooth, poisonous whisper that echoed right into her ear.
“Don't listen to her, Chloe,” Max hissed, his eyes glinting with cold manipulation. “Look at her. She’s desperate. She’s only saying whatever she has to say so she can keep her precious timeline intact. She doesn't care about Chad. She erased your brother, Chloe, and now she’s trying to trick you into forgetting him too. Is that what a hero does? Or is she just using you... again?”
Chloe’s hands trembled around the cold metal of the watch, her eyes wavering as Max’s words sank deep into her open wounds, poisoning her thoughts with the painful ghost of her erased brother.
“No—Chloe, wait!” Red screamed, lunging forward just as the thorned bushes began to snap shut.
She threw her body through the closing gap, tumbling onto the mossy ground inside the Vault. Scrambling to her feet, Red closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, her hands gently snatching Chloe’s wrists to pin the pocket watch down before Chloe could wind it.
“Red, get off her!” Max snarled, trying to grab Red’s arm, but Red shoved him back with a violent elbow, keeping her entire universe locked on the princess.
“I won't! I’m not letting you erase us! And I’m not letting him twist your mind!” Red’s voice cracked, completely stripped of any defense. She yanked Chloe closer, forcing the princess to look at her. “Listen to me, Chloe! Not him! Look at me! I lied to you, okay?! I acted like an arrogant, selfish idiot because I was terrified out of my mind!”
Chloe tried to pull away, her dark eyeliner framing eyes that were suddenly shining with unshed tears. “Red, stop—”
“I scared myself because I’ve never felt like this about anyone!” Red cried, tears spilling over her cheeks as her hands softened, cradling Chloe’s wrists instead of holding them down. “They all looked at me and only saw a threat—a villain, a monster in training,” Red choked out, her voice breaking as tears tracked down her face. She held Chloe's face gently in her hands, her eyes searching hers. “Everyone except you. You saw me. So please... no, no, don't do this, Chloe. Please don't leave me.”
Red pressed her forehead against Chloe's, her breath ragged as her voice dropped into a raw, trembling whisper that laid her entire soul bare.
“You didn't care about the crown on my head, or the Red of Hearts title, or the mask I put on just to survive. Behind all of it, you cared about me. The real me. You protected me when I was at my absolute worst, and I was terrified of how soft you made me feel!” Red sobbed softly. “I built walls so high I thought no one could ever reach me. But the second you looked at me... the second you held my hand... all my defenses came crashing down. I hated how much power you had over my heart, Chloe. I hated that I couldn't breathe without thinking about you.”
Chloe’s breath caught, her chest heaving as the icy, dark armor Max had built around her began to crack. “You... you ignored me...”
“Because if I admitted how much I needed you, I knew I’d completely break if I lost you!” Red’s voice broke into a desperate prayer, ringing softly through the pulsing Vault. “I love you, Chloe! I love you so much it terrifies me to my very core. I don't care about the rules, or Auradon, or being a hero or a villain. I don't care about anything in this world if you’re not standing by my side. I just care about you. Only you.”
Max panicked, stepping closer and yelling over the roaring energy, “She’s lying, Chloe! She’s playing you! Wind the watch! Think about Chad!”
Before Max could say another word, Red raised her hands to frame Chloe’s face, her thumbs brushing away the fallen tears cutting through Chloe's dark makeup. She leaned in, tilting her head, and brought their lips together.
The kiss began as something breathtakingly gentle and sweet—a tender, soft press of lips that washed away all the anger and noise of the maze. Red’s touch was reverent, pouring every ounce of her love, her fear, and her devotion directly into Chloe. But as Chloe let out a shuddering gasp against Red’s mouth, the kiss deepened into something raw, fierce, and utterly passionate.
Chloe completely melted. Her hand flew up, her fingers tangling tightly into the back of Red’s crimson hair, pulling her impossibly closer as she kissed Red back with a starving, desperate hunger. It was a clash of fiery passion and dark magic, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the girl Red loved was still right there inside.
Red’s heart soared, feeling the frantic, loving beat of Chloe’s heart pressed against her own chest, believing with everything in her that she had saved her.
Then, Chloe slowly, painfully tore her lips away. She kept her forehead resting against Red’s, her heaving chest pressing against Red’s as heavy tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry...” Chloe choked out, her voice a fragile, heartbreaking whisper right against Red’s lips. “I love you, Red... I love you so much it hurts... but I want my brother back.”
Before Red could scream or stop her, Chloe shifted her grip, and her thumb slammed down hard on the winding mechanism of the pocket watch.
CLICK.
A blinding explosion of temporal light burst from the watch, sending shockwaves of raw power violently ripping through the Vault. Max was blown backward into the bushes, but Red refused to let go.
Refusing to yield, Red wrapped her arms tightly around Chloe’s waist, burying her face into the crook of her neck and locking her grip around the princess as the vortex of time swallowed them whole, pulling both of them violently backward through the timeline.
Whatever mess awaited them on the other side, one thing was certain: they were going to figure it out together.