The night after her wedding, Ava's unfaithful groom Eliot pushes her into a bottomless rift that opens up in the forest — and she ends up in a dark, twisted world. Turns out she's not there by accident: Eliot "paid" her off as part of a deal with the Red Queen. At the manor, Simon and Chesi are waiting — they're her captors, but they also openly want her for themselves. Watching from the shadows is the mysterious Hatter, bound to the Queen, trying to hide the fact that he cares about Ava too.
To reach the Queen — which is where she's being taken — Ava has to get through a forest full of dangerous creatures, a staircase collapsing under her feet, and the Caterpillar, a tempter offering her a fake illusion of happiness. In the end, the Queen gives Ava a choice: stay in this world forever — or kill Eliot and win back her freedom.
