By nightfall, a sandstorm trapped them in a single tent. T-Bone had a panic attack. Sister Bernadette began chanting in Latin. The first trial — "Scorpion's Ladder" — required them to climb a 40-foot rope ladder suspended over a pit of deathstalker scorpions. Jordan Kale froze halfway up, sobbing. Max climbed past him, deliberately kicking loose pebbles onto Jordan’s hands.
Rex lasted 10 minutes before screaming. Chloe lasted 1 hour 58 minutes — then punched her way out, breaking two knuckles. She was given medical tape and sent back to camp. Sister Bernadette pulled Lila aside during a water-collection walk. She revealed she was not a real nun — she was a former cult deprogrammer hired by producers to monitor psychological deterioration.
First casualty. The audience thought it was an accident.
Dr. Samira staged a hunger strike to force producers to intervene. Instead, they doubled the next trial's difficulty: — each contestant had to lie in a sealed sarcophagus for two hours while sand slowly filled the chamber.
Later, a hidden camera caught Max laughing: "One down. Six to go." Rations were sabotaged. A crate of mealworms and rice arrived — but someone had urinated in it. Rex blamed T-Bone. T-Bone blamed his withdrawal shakes. Lila said nothing, but her eyes were calculating.
"They're betting on a death this season," Bernadette said. "If someone dies, ratings triple. I've seen the contract riders."
The wheel spun faster. Warthogs began snapping. T-Bone, still on his wheel, vomited.