The Challenge: Fire & Fate

04

There's nothing peaceful about mornings in The Challenge house — just caffeine and chaos.

Everyone's pretending to eat breakfast, but it's really just a strategy meeting with better lighting. And after last night's first challenge, the pressure's already on.

Team Fire lost.

Which means tonight, someone from Fire is going into elimination.

And this season? The rules are brutal.

🎥 Confessional — T.J. Lavin
"This season, the format's called The Elemental System. Every week, one team loses — they have to send one of their own into elimination. The team that wins the daily challenge chooses three players from the other two teams who didn't win or lose. Those three names become possible opponents.

The losing team's nominee picks which one of those three they want to face.

And every week alternates — men's week, women's week.

This week? Women."

He grins. "Let the drama begin."

🎥 Confessional — Sienna
"So basically, the losers throw someone in, the winners play god, and the rest of us try not to get caught in the middle.

Sounds simple enough... until you realize you're living in a house full of egos, exes, and people who think strategy means 'who's hot and who's not.'"

Kam calls a Team Earth meeting before breakfast.

"Okay, here's what we know," she says. "It's a women's elimination week, and Fire's the losing team. They'll probably send in Ashley — she always paints a target on herself."

"Which means," Cory says, "if Water wants to stir things up, they can pick three strong players from one team and wreck alliances before they even start."

Theresa folds her arms. "And they will. They're not the type to play nice."

Kam glances at me. "Sienna, you killed it yesterday, but you're still a rookie, and that definitely makes you a name they'll say out loud. Just be ready."

I nod. "Noted. But if they do pick me, I'll make sure they regret it."

Leroy laughs. "She talks like a vet already."

Kam grins. "Let's just hope she survives long enough to become one."

🎥 Confessional — Kam
"She's got that dangerous rookie confidence — calm, calculated, not loud about it. She reminds me of me when I started. I just hope she knows what she's walking into."

By sunset, the rumors are wildfire.
Ashley's pacing, Bananas is fuming, and Jackson — of course — looks like he's about to host a TED Talk on manipulation.

I find him on the balcony, tossing a stress ball, smirking like he's already written the script for tonight's drama.

"Enjoying yourself?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Can't complain. It's nice watching people scramble."

"You don't scramble?"

"Winners don't need to."

I raise a brow. "Wow. Confidence and denial. Impressive combo."

He laughs. "Careful, Teach. Keep talking like that and you'll make the shortlist."

🎥 Confessional — Jackson (Team Water)
"She's too calm. That's what's scary about her. Everyone else is scheming, and she's just sipping coffee, reading people like equations. That's not rookie energy — that's predator energy.

So yeah, I said her name. Nothing personal. Just strategy."

That night, we gather in the voting room — the neon-lit judgment chamber that smells faintly of hairspray and betrayal.

T.J.'s voice fills the space. "Alright, Team Fire — you lost the daily challenge. Time to name one of your women to go into elimination."

Ashley throws up her hands. "You know what? Screw it. I'll go in myself. At least then if I lose, I've only got me to blame."

T.J. nods. "Respect. Ashley Mitchell, you're officially in elimination."

Then he turns toward Team Water. "You won today. You get to name three possible opponents from either Team Air or Team Earth."

Laurel steps forward, steady and cold. "From Team Earth... Sienna Vale. From Team Air... Zoe Parker and Harper Young."

A low murmur spreads through the room.

Kam mutters, "They're not even pretending this isn't personal."

Ashley smirks. "Oh, this is easy. Zoe's new, Harper's nice, but I want a fight. I'm going with Sienna."

My stomach flips — just once — before instinct takes over. I smile. "Then let's make it interesting."

🎥 Confessional — Sienna
"First elimination, against Ashley Mitchell — one of the loudest legends in Challenge history. No pressure, right?

Except I live for pressure."

Later that night, before elimination, Jackson finds me in the prep area.

"You took that well," he says.

"Why wouldn't I?" I reply, taping my wrists.

"Because I put your name up."

I look at him, jaw tightening. "So it was personal?"

He shakes his head. "Strategic. You're good. Too good. I wanted to see what happens when someone like you gets pressure-tested."

I step closer, voice low. "You sure you're not just curious about what happens when someone beats you?"

He grins. "Guess we'll find out."

🎥 Confessional — Jackson (Team Water)
"She didn't flinch. Didn't whine. Didn't even blink. I've seen vets crumble faster.
She's either the coolest woman I've ever met... or a complete maniac.

Either way, I can't look away."

The elimination is called "Flame Out."
A rotating tower of metal bars over glowing firelight. The women must climb, grab puzzle pieces, and complete a board at the top before the rotation throws them off.

Ashley charges in like she's fighting ghosts.
I move slower, strategic — calculating the turns, the grip strength, the time between rotations.

Kam's voice cuts through the air. "Come on, Teach!"

Ashley slips halfway up. I don't.

When my final puzzle piece locks in, the buzzer blares.

"SIENNA VALE WINS!" T.J. shouts.

For a second, everything goes silent. Then the arena explodes with cheers.

Kam's screaming, Leroy's fist-pumping — and across the way, Jackson's clapping, expression unreadable.

🎥 Confessional — Sienna
"I didn't just survive — I won. Against a vet. In fire. And the best part? The guy who threw me in was the first one on his feet."

Back at the house, people are celebrating. Ashley's gone, and I've officially survived my first elimination.

Kam hugs me. "Welcome to The Challenge, Teach."

Across the pool, Jackson raises his drink and smirks.

I raise mine back. Not in thanks. In warning.