Episode 6 of *Wayward* commences with Leila trapped in the haunting mirror room. Evelyn, with an almost spectral presence, compels her to confront the harrowing events that transpired on the fateful night her sister Jess met her untimely demise. As Leila gazes into the mirrors, she's bombarded with fragmented visions, each offering a different vantage point of that tragic evening. Evelyn's voice, both commanding and haunting, urges Leila to face the unvarnished truth.
In one stark reflection, Leila's mother emerges as a nurturing figure, sharing a deep bond with Jess. Yet, in another, she's depicted as a stern disciplinarian, her affections clearly skewed in Jess's favor, leaving Leila feeling overlooked and unloved.
Meanwhile, as Leila grapples with her past in the mirror room, the rest of the students embroiled in the riot find themselves herded into the dense woods, their eyes shrouded in blindfolds as a form of retribution. Duck, with an air of authority, bestows upon them supplies and issues a daunting challenge: to trek to the summit of Mount Otis. The first to reach the peak and sound the bell will be granted their freedom from Tall Pines.
Back in the mirror room, Leila's memories transport her to a lively party where she and Jess mingle with friends. Jess, with a mischievous glint in her eye, hands Leila a stash of drugs to distribute. Leila, feeling bold, flirts with Ashley, a friend of Jess's, but Evelyn's persistent interruptions shatter her attempts to rewrite history, demanding she face the raw, unaltered truth.
In the woods, chaos ensues as Ello, with a callous disregard for others, snatches Abbie's water. Rory and Abbie, sensing an alliance, join forces and venture deeper into the forest, their sights set on Mount Otis. Daniel, lured by their determination, tags along, and together they kindle a bonfire, seeking solace near a cavernous cave for the night. Daniel, with a hint of pride, reveals his prior hiking expertise, asserting his seasoned experience.
Within the mirror room's confines, the scene shifts to the restaurant owner barging in, disrupting the raucous party. Panic ensues as the partygoers scatter, leaving Jess and Leila stranded. In a desperate bid to escape, Jess hands Leila a stolen bottle of liquor, and they flee, eventually breaking into a public pool, their laughter echoing through the night as they seek refuge from their troubles.
In the heart of the dense woods, Rory and Abbie awaken with a start to find that Daniel has vanished without a trace. Determined, they press on with their hike, only to be joined by Marty along the way. As they tread further, their path crosses with Ello's, who pleads desperately for their assistance, her body battered and her voice trembling with pain. Abbie, however, remains unmoved, urging Rory to abandon Ello and continue their journey.
Resisting the urge to help, the group forges ahead, their sights set on Mount Otis, leaving the wounded Ello behind in the wilderness. Meanwhile, Jess and Leila are engaged in a light-hearted conversation by the poolside when Leila, in a moment of playful mischief, shoves Jess into the water. But the laughter quickly turns to horror as Jess struggles to stay afloat, her cries for help echoing through the air. Leila dives in, desperate to save her friend, but arrives too late. Evelyn, witnessing the scene, confronts Leila, insisting that her memory of the event is flawed and demanding that she relive the moment.
Elsewhere in the woods, Stacey comes face-to-face with Daniel, her eyes blazing with accusation as she confronts him for the harm he's inflicted upon Rabbit. She lashes out, accusing Daniel of betraying the very principles they were taught to uphold. Daniel, unrepentant, claims that Rabbit deserved her fate, adding that the academy had broken her under the guise of mending her wounds. As tensions escalate, Stacey lunges at Daniel, driving a wooden stake into him with a ferocious intensity. Rabbit, arriving at the scene, offers solace to the distraught Stacey.
In the mirror room, Leila's mind replays the tragic poolside incident, but this time, she stands motionless, her gaze fixed on Jess as she drowns, her heart hardened to the point of letting her sister perish.
Abbie and Rory continue their arduous ascent, their argument escalating as they near the mountain's peak. Rory accuses Abbie of selfishness for refusing to aid Ello, their words cutting through the tension like a knife. Meanwhile, Marty seizes the opportunity, sprinting to the summit and ringing the bell in triumph.
Marty emerges victorious in the mission, leaving the rest of the students disheartened and envious. Duck grants Marty permission to depart, but soon realizes the folly of his decision as Marty struggles to navigate the wilderness alone. Reluctantly, he returns to the bus, where Duck lies, claiming that Daniel has fled, as the vehicle makes its way back to school.
In the mirror room, Leila confronts the haunting truth of her sister's demise, admitting with a heavy heart that she pushed Jess into the pool out of jealousy, fueled by their mother's favoritism. Evelyn wraps Leila in a comforting embrace, assuring her that her guilt can be mended, that healing is possible.
Meanwhile, Alex delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding Tall Pine Academy, uncovering an article that speaks of a self-help group and a chilling murder that took place in the 1970s, hinting at darker secrets lurking beneath the surface.
Dwayne uncovers the chilling truth that Alex had a hand in Maurice's demise. In a swift move, he confiscates Alex's gun and, with a measured tone, informs Alex that he's willing to lend a hand with the case, citing the townsfolk's generally forgiving nature.
Racing home in a frenzy, Alex urgently tells Laura that they must flee the town without delay. Laura, ever-observant, reveals that their home has been bugged, and with deliberate defiance against Alex's pleas for silence, she begins to speak out. In a moment of raw vulnerability, Alex discloses that Laura's parents had once come looking for her, but their hopes were dashed when the academy mercilessly took their lives before they could reunite with their daughter.
Laura, her eyes steely with determination, vows to shield their unborn child from harm. Later, as dusk settles, Laura takes a plunge into the murky pond. There, beneath the water's surface, she spots a car lying ominously at the bottom, a silent testament that it might very well be the final resting place of her lost parents.
