The night air was thick with tension, the only sound being the crackling of the campfire as it lit up the small clearing. The members of Killer Bass were gathered, sitting in a semicircle, their faces illuminated by the flames. Despite the humid night, there was a chill in the air—a mix of nerves and anticipation.

Chris stood at the front, his usual smirk stretched across his face, a bag of marshmallows in one hand and a clipboard in the other. The other hand waved lazily at the group as if this were the most normal of campfire ceremonies. "Alright, alright, gather round, everyone!" he called out, his voice echoing in the silence. "It's time for the elimination ceremony! And, of course, we have a very special guest here tonight—our old buddy, Justin, from the Screaming Gophers!"

Sitting awkwardly beside the Killer Bass, Justin was the only one not smiling. His posture was stiff, his eyes darting between the campers as realizing his disqualification weighed heavily on him. He had been caught faking his wakefulness during the "Awake-A-Thon," and the consequences were swift. Now, he was forced to sit among the competitors he had previously been so eager to best. His disqualification might've been humiliating, but he held his chin high to project confidence.

Chris tossed a marshmallow in the air and caught it in his mouth. "So, here's how this works. You all know the drill—one person is leaving tonight. But, since we're dealing with a mix of teams tonight, this elimination will be interesting." His eyes gleamed mischievously as he extended the bag of marshmallows.

"Alright, here we go," Chris continued, clapping his hands together. "Time to reveal who's safe." He looked at the group with an exaggerated dramatic pause. "Duncan, safe." He tossed a marshmallow at the boy, who caught it in midair and popped it into his mouth.

"Eva, you're good to go," he said, tossing another marshmallow to her. "And, of course, our beloved Sadie... You're safe. Same with DJ." He proceeded down the line, giving marshmallows to each member of the Killer Bass, making a show of looking each person in the eye. "Courtney, Bridgette, and Katie—you're all safe."

Everyone who received a marshmallow grinned and sighed in relief. Eva looked over at Heather, who had been watching the elimination ceremony from a distance, eerily quiet. It wasn't like her to stay so still, especially with all the tension in the air. But Eva had been too focused on the campfire and the disqualification drama to think much about it.

Chris finished handing out marshmallows to Geoff, Harold, and Tyler and looked at the remaining camper. "And that leaves... Justin, the Gopher who couldn't stay awake. I hope your bed was comfy, Justin. Looks like you're not sticking around for another round."

The words hung in the air like a heavyweight. Justin swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as Chris's words sunk in. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and gave a nod to the remaining campers, though his face betrayed the frustration and embarrassment he felt.

"Alright, get lost, Justin," Chris said, casually waving his hand as if he were dismissing an annoying fly.

With a sigh, Justin turned to leave, casting a final glance at the group. His eyes flickered momentarily towards Heather, his teammate, who looked away quickly, her poker face firmly in place.

"Good luck," Justin muttered, his voice barely audible, before shuffling off into the dock and onto the boat.

The moment he disappeared into the night, the tension among the remaining campers relaxed, though Heather couldn't shake the thought that something about the elimination felt off. She had been ready to hear yelling, screaming, or even arguments, but none had. The calmness of the evening made her uneasy.

"Well, that was... anticlimactic," Duncan said, breaking the silence with a smirk, relieved that he had survived another round.

Heather remained still, her thoughts elsewhere. Her eyes flickered over to Eva, who was still humming along to the music on her MP3 player, oblivious to the dark thoughts swirling in Heather's mind.

For the first time, Heather felt a sense of uncertainty. The game was beginning, but with all the secrets and lies in play, she felt things weren't as simple as they seemed. And as much as she hated to admit it, she grew suspicious that someone was playing the game much more intelligent than they let on.

The camera zoomed out from the campfire as the remaining contestants exchanged looks, hopeful, wary, and unsure of what would happen next.

At Chris's Cabin, Melody and Malakai looked at one another with relief that Justin had been eliminated and not one of their teammates. However, they were amused to see Heather's disappointment when she saw that Eva had her MP3 player in her possession.

"Now we can finally sleep and relax since we'll be back in our cabins in the morning," Melody stands up and stretches.

"Want to cuddle?" Malakai asked, feeling bold.

Melody's eyes blinked, and she turned to look at Malakai. All of Malakai's inner selves stared at Vito.

"What? Might as well take advantage of our situation," Vito grinned.

Chester hits Vito on the back of his head with his cane. "Young man, she is still getting to know us. You are going to make her uncomfortable," he scolds.

"Ow! That hurts old man." Vito rubbed the back of his head.

"I-I mean." Malakai blushes, getting flustered since Mike is now controlling him.

"You guys are so embarrassing." Mal groans while looking at his other self with embarrassment.

Chris stared at the scene and saw that the view was doing well because fans liked how Malakai wanted to cuddle with Melody.

Melody shyly stares at her feet and then looks at Malakai. "Do you really want to cuddle with me?" she asks.

Malakai's inner selves started to panic, even Mal himself, since they didn't expect Melody to ask them that question.

"Only if you are cool with it," Malakai replied.

Chris looked amused when fans commented about Malakai being Conset King and not forcing Melody to cuddle with him.

Melody grabs the blanket from nearby and walks up to Malakai.

"I'm cool with it." She reassures and smiles as she sits beside him.

Malakai internally freaked out when he saw Melody wrap themselves with the blanket and cuddle against their chest.

"We gotta do something!" Mike looks at the others.

"Sheila is bold." Manitoba Smith looks impressed.

"Wrap your arms around her!" Vito says.

Malakai slowly wrapped his arms around Melody underneath the blanket, holding her close. The two then lay on the couch, and they fell asleep with Melody's head pressed against his chest while Malakai's cheek against her head.

The camera turns off to give the two teens privacy as they sleep. Chris hums, intrigued by Malakai and Melody since this relationship increases the show's views and fanbase.

"I will make sure these two last throughout the series," he whispers while sipping his coffee.

The sun began rising over the island, casting warm, golden hues across the camp. The gentle sound of waves lapping at the shore was interrupted by the buzz of activity as the remaining campers stirred. Melody and Malakai strolled into camp after their night away, their relaxed demeanor contrasting with the tension that had settled among the others.

The moment Melody stepped into view, a group of girls—Courtney, Sadie, Katie, Beth, Lindsay, and Heather—practically pounced on her, their voices overlapping in excitement and curiosity.

"Where did Chris take you two?" Courtney demanded arms crossed as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, and what were you doing all night?" Sadie asked, her expression bouncing between concern and intrigue.

"Did you get to eat anything special? Like, something better than the gross food we've been stuck with?" Katie chimed in eagerly.

"Did you guys get spa treatment? Is that why you look so relaxed?" Beth and Lindsay asked, looking curious.

Heather leaned in closer, her tone sharper. "And what's the deal with you and Malakai anyway? You two seemed awfully... cozy."

Melody blinked at the barrage of questions, clutching the strap of her bag as she stepped back. Her lips pressed together, refusing to give away anything. She wasn't about to let them pry into her thoughts—or her time with Malakai.

Before anyone could push further, Leshawna's commanding voice cut through the chatter. "Alright, ladies, back off! Give the girl some space!"

Standing beside Leshawna with her arms loosely crossed, Gwen nodded in agreement. "Seriously. She doesn't owe you guys an explanation. Let it go."

Eva cracked her knuckles, looking at the other girls sternly while standing between Gwen and Bridgette.

The girls exchanged glances, disappointed but unwilling to argue with Leshawna or even have Eva mess with them. One by one, they backed off, though Heather lingered a moment longer, studying Melody with narrowed eyes before finally retreating with a scoff.

Leshawna clapped Melody on the back and smiled warmly. "You good, girl? Don't let those busybodies get to you."

Melody managed a small smile, grateful for her friends' support. "Thanks, Leshawna, Gwen, Eva, and Bridgette." She nodded.

On the other side of camp, the guys had surrounded Malakai, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

"Alright, dude, spill," Geoff said, a playful grin on his face. "What happened with you and Melody? You two looked too comfortable coming back from wherever Christ sent you."

Harold nodded in agreement. "Yeah, man. Did you two make out or something?"

Malakai sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I don't have to tell you what she and I were doing. And besides, nothing happened."

"Nothing, huh?" Duncan's voice cut through, and all the guys turned to look at him. He crossed his arms, his green mohawk catching the morning light as he fixed Malakai with a pointed stare. "You're sure about that?"

Malakai rolled his eyes at Melody's overprotective older brother. "Yeah, Duncan. She's fine. I'm not some creep, alright?"

Duncan stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Good. Because if you ever—"

DJ gulped when he sensed tension rise between Malakai and Duncan. He immediately saw Malakai give a murderous look at Duncan. He knew if he didn't do anything to stop it, someone would likely die.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Let's all chill. It's morning, and Chris will be here soon to tell us about the new challenge." He steps in, putting his hands on Malakai and Duncan's shoulders.

"DJ is right," Trent looks at Malakai and Duncan.

Malakai pulls his arm away from DJ and steps away from the guys, looking at them with a cold stare.

"Look. Melody is someone I consider a dear friend. I wouldn't let anything happen to her, and I definitely wouldn't hurt her." His tone was firm but not unkind.

Satisfied, Duncan stepped back, though he kept his eyes on Malakai a moment longer.

Sensing the tension, the rest of the guys started to back off. Cody was the first to speak up, his voice a bit shaky. "Uh, well, cool. I guess that's all cleared up then."

Malakai's sharp gaze swept over the group, his tone turning darker. "Yeah. And if you've got any more questions about me or Melody, save them. You're not getting answers."

The intensity of his glare made even Tyler, who rarely took anything seriously, hesitate. One by one, the guys mumbled their goodbyes and scattered, leaving Malakai alone near the firepit.

As the camp settled into its usual morning rhythm, Malakai sighed and glanced at Melody, who was chuckling with Gwen and Leshawna. The questions had stopped, but he knew the curiosity wouldn't go away so quickly.

He smirked to himself. "Let them wonder," he muttered under his breath.