The Challenge: Fire & Fate

13

You can tell a Challenge morning is going to be awful when no one's made coffee yet — not even Kam.

She comes out of her room, robe half-tied, muttering, "If T.J. speaks before I caffeinate, I'm flipping his quad."

Too late.

"Players! Meet me on the field in thirty minutes!"

The groans echo through the house like a funeral.

Marcus yells, "THIRTY?!"
Jasmine shouts, "I just washed my hair!"
Cory calls from the bathroom, "I can't find my shoes!"
Kam groans. "And I can't find my patience."

I sip my water and smile. "At least it's consistent chaos."

🎥 Confessional — Sienna (Team Earth)
"Team Earth mornings are like living in a group project that never ends. Kam's the leader, Marcus is the overachiever, Cory's the distraction, Jasmine's the loud one, and I'm just here trying to make sure no one dies before breakfast."

When we get to the field, it's worse than expected. There are steel rigs, balance beams, rope climbs, and pits of mud that look like they've been waiting for someone to cry into them.

T.J. grins like a villain.
"Welcome to Crossfire! Each team will complete five checkpoints. After each one, you'll get to sabotage another team. So, you know... have fun destroying each other."

Devin rubs his hands together. "Finally. A game that fits my spirit."

Bananas bows. "You're welcome for the inspiration."

Tori mutters, "You two have the combined maturity of wet toast."

The horn sounds — and all hell breaks loose.

Kam's barking orders.
Leroy's strategizing.
Cory's running like a headless chicken.
Marcus is counting reps like it's boot camp.
Jasmine's yelling "Let's GO!" every five seconds.
Theresa's trying to out-command Kam.
Jenna's cheering.
And I? I'm knee-deep in mud, pulling rope with Kam and Leroy like our lives depend on it.

"Kam, faster!" I yell.

"You say that again and I'll make you pull the next one!"

Cory calls from the sidelines, "She could, you know!"

"Cory," Kam shouts back, "go lift something!"

"I'm lifting morale!"

Marcus: "Incorrectly!"

Everyone's laughing, but we're flying through the course.

🎥 Confessional — Cory (Team Earth)
"Sienna's turning into a machine. She's fast, she's smart, she's scary calm. Like if a Hallmark movie heroine joined a CrossFit cult."

At the sabotage station, Kam grins. "Not Fire. They're our alliance. Not Water — too risky. Air it is."

Cory snickers. "Sorry, Harper!"

I pull the lever. A wave of sludge pours down over Air's puzzle station.

Zoe shrieks. "You traitor!"
CT just sighs. "Cute."
Harper wipes mud off her face. "We're not friends anymore!"

🎥 Confessional — Harper (Team Air)
"Betrayal, thy name is Sienna. She said 'good luck' at breakfast like a saint and then baptized us in mud. She's lucky she's adorable."

We hit the climbing wall next.
Kam slips halfway up, and I grab her arm, steadying her.

"Got you!" I say, breathless.

Kam laughs. "Are you trying to make me emotional right now? Because it's working!"

Leroy yells from below, "We're bonding! Focus!"