As this story grows closer to its climax I hope all who read this continue to enjoy this story and stay safe. Enjoy the chapter.

Chef sat on a recliner in front of the manor at the break of dawn. The rising sun only barely managing to break through the tree leaves and allow a very light orange glow to cascade onto the manor. Taking a moment to clear his throat and breathe in the cool air, Chef began the recap.

"Last time on Total Drama Rosewood Manor: I realized these sissies have gotten too comfy with the fancy cookin' I've been givin' 'em, so I decided that the challenge will be especially brutal! It had to be a full, seven course meal of the spiciest food I could cook up! The preppy girl couldn't take the challenge at all and gave up before it got good. Eh, she couldn't have spicy food anyway. The klutzy girl, hyperactive kid, and flirting guy eventually dropped out as well. Everything came down to the serious kid, the evil dude, and the two brothers against my Mississippi Queen. Evil kid tested the bad brother to see if their alliance was still on, but that didn't work out so well. So the two brothers won the challenge. Those kids thought they could take out Edward but he used the Chris statue to save himself and get Santiago voted out. Now we only got seven kids left, and thankfully Chris is supposed to be coming back today so I don't need to do the recap anymore after this! But for now, what will happen now that the alliance between Ed and Kaz is done? Is this the opportunity that the others needed to take Edward down? What will the challenge be and who'll be sent home next? Shut up and watch so you can find out! You'll see everything that happens on this episode of Total Drama Rosewood Manor!"

If there was a word to desribe how she felt, Andi wanted to know what it was. She had just spoken with a full-bodied apparition of a ghost that told her that she and her friends needed to find the ghost's husband, all of this right before she was going to bed. She wasn't afraid, despite that being the rational response a person would have if they even saw a ghost, let alone talked to one.

She tried falling asleep afterwards but the most she couldn't dream of anything. It didn't even really feel like she was sleeping.

Morning soon came, Andi sat up from her bed and took a bit of time to just think about everything.

*confessional*

Andi: I never thought I'd make it to the final seven, I figured me being such a klutz would somehow screw me over and get me voted off much earlier. But honestly, I think my time here is running out, I mean, Adrian is super tough and overall good at challenges; Kenji is motivated to win since Clara is gone; Nanette is super focused in the game and once Edward's gone she'll be a threat. Speaking of Edward, he's crafty and he's allied with Kazuki, who's as strong as Adrian. Lastly there's Shawn, and you might not know this since I don't know if they even show the stuff that happens outaide of challenges, but he's a big ball of energy when he wants to be. It can actually he pretty funny sometimes! But since it's technically me up against them, I don't know if I'm able to keep up. At the very least, i'd like to solve the mystery of this house, I want to accomplish something while I'm here since I doubt I can actually beat the others...

*end confessional*

With a deep breath, Andi got out of bed and headed to the dining room, thinking perhaps some breakfast would make her feel better.

The seven teens we're gathered for a breakfast of the usual gruel serves by Chef. Andi sat down with her food with a disgusted look on her face.

"Good morning, it looks like you had a bit of a rough night." Adrian greeted.

"Rough is an understatement." Andi replied.

"Well on the bright side, today can only get better." Shawn added, Andi couldn't help but smile.

"He's right." Nanette chimed in. "Whatever happens in the challenge today, you can rest easy knowing you won't be leaving. It looks like the devious duo has had a falling out."

Sure enough, Edward and Kazuki were sitting away from each other. Edward exchanging glares between Kazuki and the others, Kaz himself ignored Edward and instead shifted his glances towards the larger group and his food.

"I do kind of feel bad for my brother though. Even if he did so many bad things, I pity how far he looks like he's fallen." Kenji sighed.

"I'm sure it's some kind of trick." Nanette grimaced. "They want to throw us off guard by thinking your brother is breaking away from their alliance so that we can accept him into our group. Then when we least expect it, they'll pick us apart!"

"Yeah... Maybe you're right." Kanji said solemnly.

*confessionals*

Shawn: I made it all the way here to the final seven and man am I psyched! First things first though: try to beat Ed and Kaz. If they cheated then they have to get what's coming to them.

Adrian: So I made it to the final seven, getting closer to the top but still so far away. Aside from Kazuki and Edward, I respect the others, but I have to do what needs to be done. But Edward and Kazuki are still the priority. If they've been rigging the votes then they need to go. The issue is that if neither of them wins immunity in the next challenge, what's stopping them from rigging the votes again?

Nanette: The final seven, and I've made it here by doing what I can... Even if it has been just trying to take out Edward. I didn't want the majority of my time here being spent trying to take out just one alliance but they've harmed both my old and new friends. Now it's just the matter od actually beating them.

Kenji: I can't believe I made it to the final seven, I wish Clara and Toshiko were here with us. Toshiko for her words of wisdom and Clara for... Just being her amazing self. I've decided that I need to have a long talk with Kaz, my sisters would likely agree as well. But I've come so far and despite everything that's happened this season, I feel like I might have a chance to go higher!

Andi: I really needed that bit of optimism, maybe things will be alright. It might take a bit of time but if we work hard, it might just work out.

Kazuki: I don't care about this alliance anymore, Edward will probably lie to the others and tell them thay I shot Cherry. I need to get to them first, but the problem is if they believe me or not. Ed's a silver-tongued talker so he could probably worm his way into getting them to believe him. At least right now, Edward has no allies, and if I can convince the others that Edward is a rat and that he was responsible for everything, he'll get desperate and eventually fall apart! As for me, I know what I have to do, it'll just be a matter of how I handle it.

Edward: That absolute bastard! ... He thinks he made a smart move, but all he did was screw himself over. But now I can only trust myself. I'll tell the others that Kazuki shot Cherry in the eye, that'll be enough to get the heat from rigging the votes and hitting Cherry off my back. The issue is what comes afterwards. The others will vote me off just for being involved. I can not let that happen! Besides, I don't want to deal with the thought of that prissy little spaghetti-haired b*tch beating me!

*end confessional*

Chef entered the room with a big smile on his face, he was back to wearing his casual outfit and apron. With a quick adjustment of his hat, he turned to the others.

"Morning maggots, I got an announcement! Chris is finally back amd ready to be the host again!"

The teens went absolutely... Mild, as shown when they sat quietly and had no discernable reaction aside from indifference and a few rolling eyes.

Chris walked into the room looking refreshed and overjoyed to be back in the manor.

"Good morning all! Been a while, hasn't it! But after taking some time to readjust myself I'm back and ready to resume my duties as the host of this show." Chris explained cheerfully

"Let me guess, as a way to celebrate you coming back, we're having a challenge right now?" Edward asked.

"As much as I would like to say that, we won't have a challenge right this moment. However, we will have a challenge later tonight. I still need time to settle back in after my time away and the challenge that I had planned needs a bit of time to be set up. So as a way of saying thanks for taking over as the host, tonight's challenge will be lead by Chef."

"Since it's the last challenge I'll be in charge of, I'll make sure it's extra brutal!" Chef chuckled, some of the teens began to grow worried...

"Until then, you all have the rest of the day to pretty much take it easy."

As the host left the room, the contestants finished their breakfast and were soon on their way to go about their business.

Kaz was on his way back to his room, if he had to wait for the challenge then the most he could do for the time being was think of a way to deal with Edward and get the others to accept him, or at the very least get them to stop hating him.

Unfortunately for him, Edward caught up to him and forced him to turn to look at him. As expected, Edward was not in a happy mood.

"So, you thought you could double-cross me?" Ed hissed.

"I just-"

"I don't want to hear it! I gave you a direct order and you disobeyed me! You put me at risk and for that you can consider our alliance null and void, and since I don't like leaving loose ends, you'll be leaving next. Count on it!"

The venom in Edward's tone struck a chord with Kazuki that the young man and made him equally angry.

"Good to know that my safety in this game was taken into account with our so-called alliance! And what about Ben? You stabbed him in the back with no hesitation!"

"We stabbed him in the back. Our alliance ending does not erase your involvement! Enjoy the rest of your time here because after tonight, you're done!"

Edward stormed away, allowing Kaz to head back to his room and scream into his pillow in pure frustration. Unbeknownst to either of them, Nanette had been listening in from behind a corner, a notepad and pen in her hands and a sly grin on her face.

*confessionals*

Kazuki: Well I knew that was coming... But the same problem still stands and I'm running out of time to solve it.

Edward: With the alliance now over, I'm not in a good spot. The fact that I'm admitting that is already something I loathe. But I have one chance: tell the others that Kazuki was the brains of the alliance and that I've been his pawn this entire time. However, the problems with that are the chance that they may not believe me and end up voting me off. If I rig the votes in my favor then it'll simply confirm that I've been the one cheating. If I don't then I won't be able to pull it off anymore without giving myself away and I'd have to rely on my skills in the challenges to get by. Simply put; Kazuki has royally f*cked me over!

Nanette: Yes! Their alliance is finally over! I was going to meet with the others and gather more information on this ghost situation but now I have something just as good to share with them!

*end confessionals*

Chelsea and the remaining four contestants sat in the library, all the information they had gathered laid out on the table they were sitting at.

"Where is she?" Andi sighed. "She's not the type to just suddenly drop something important unless it's something even more important."

"Maybe she's off giving my brother and Edward an earful about how they're awful and uncouth." Kenji joked, garnering a few laughs from the others. Though they quickly died down when Nanette appeared.

"Sorry I'm late everyone, but I have great news!" She exclaimed.

"This better be good." Chelsea groaned.

"Edward and Kazuki's alliance is officially broken up! Apparently Kazuki did something that ticked Edward off and now Ed is going to go after Kaz!"

"Are you serious?!" Kenji asked.

"Absolutely! I even overheard them saying that they conspired to take out Ben, who was also part of their alliance!"

"That is most certainly interesting." Adrian noted as he began to think.

"So what should we do about them now?" Shawn asked.

"We just have to make sure neither of them win the challenge. They'll try to take each other out and they might come to us to get the majority of the votes." Nanette replied. Kenji couldn't help but sigh in frustration at how far he felt his brother had gone.

"Despite everything, I still feel like I should try to help my brother." Kenji admitted.

"Can we get on with the real reason we're all here?" Chelsea interrupted.

"Right, of course." Nanette apologized. "So we need to put an end to this mystery. Andi, you said you had some information regarding this issue?"

"Right."

*confessionals*

Adrian: I suppose now I won't have to be as worried about being eliminated due to foul play but I can't relax until I win!

Shawn: Well that's at least one load off my back!

Kenji: Kazuki's days here are numbered. I don't like or want to say it but this may be his karma for even being in that alliance to begin with.

Andi: I hope I dont jinx myself by saying this but if that alliance really is finished then I might just cruise on into the final five! Even if I'm not as tough as the others, I have to at least try, right?

*end confessional*

As Andi recounted what happened to her the previous night, Chef brought in a box of food into the office. As he opened the door, he noticed Chris changing into his pajamas, the clock that stood on the wall told the time clearly; 2:47 p.m.. Chef began to look more worried than when he initially sent Chris away.

"Chris."

"Oh hey, Chef." Chris yawned. "What's with the box?"

"It's a bunch of ingredients for this week's food."

"Alright, so take it to the kitchen, why'd you bring it here to my room?"

"That... That's just it. I was coming into the kitchen from outside." Chef replied, a look of fear on his face. "Also, this is the office and it's the middle of the day."

Chris had stopped himself and looked around, Chef noticed that his eyes were now a distinct baby blue rather than their typical black color. Just when Chef noticed this however, Chris eyes changed back to their normal colors.

"Chef, what the hell is happening?" Chris asked, now breaking into a cold sweat. Chef wished he had a proper answer but all he could do was sigh and contemplate everything that just happened.

*confe% !%*

Chris: When I left I knew something was up with me but I never understood what exactly was going on. Chef filled me in on everything weird going on and I'm starting to wonder if this season was a mistake from the start.

Chef: I called a priest and bishop to bless this place but they said they can't come until a month later and we don't have time for that. I have an idea, I don't know if it'll work or how long it'll take, but I gotta do what I gotta do...

*€nd confe$$ional%*

"Ok, so just to be sure I have everything correct in my notes..."

Nanette scanned her notebook, the six teens either waited for her review or were looking at all the news artickes and notes they themselves had taken.

"So we know that this Henry character stalked and harrassed the Rosewood family since their childhood because he failed to get Angela Rosewood to fall in love with him. The Rosewood's themselves lived relatively peaceful lives while also helping to fund advancements in science and technology during the time. They ended up having a son and were expecting a second child before Henry attacked them, causing Angela to fall to her death. This house was also on fire and from what we can tell, an explosion happened soon after.

"Fun times!" Chelsea said with obvious sarcasm, the others didn't respond and were simply trying to take in the grim tale.

"So the only things we don't know are how exactly that explosion occurred and what happened to the baby. Every news report about this we've found or were given to us don't mention their children much if at all." Nanette explained.

"So how can we end all this?" Adrian pondered. "Andi said that she was told by Angela to find Anthony."

"Yeah, just one problem." Shawn interjected. "How are we going to find a ghost?"

The lights in the library suddenly shut off, the sunshine creeping in was the only light source in the now pitch black room. The silhouette of a woman sped by the open window, which the teens just barely noticed. Once the lights came back on they saw Andi, her eyes now sullen and with grey irises. A note sat in front of her that was written in messy handwriting: Anthony comes to those in need.

"You must act fast."

Everyone was shocked at the change in Andromita's voice, it sounded like a mixture of her's and of another they didn't recognize but assumed to be Angela.

"Henry has possessed one of the other boys. What killed both him and my Anthony will happen again."

Andi's eyes turned back to normal as she collapsed onto the table, the possession too much for her body to bear.

"Andi?!" Nanette called out as she and the rest of the teens went to help their friend.

"What killed them? Andi... Angela? Whoever you are you have to tell us what killed those two!" Adrian asserted.

*co#?€ssIOn ls*

Nanette: We made progress, it ended in something horrifying but we made progress. Angela mentioned that whatever killed her husband and Henry will happen again, I just hope it doesn't end up hurting us more than it already hurt some of us.

Shawn: Ah, some good old fashioned nightmare fuel! Can't have a ghost story without it can't ya'! Seriously though, I'm thankful Andi didn't come out of that with a concussion or something.

K€nji: Well I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight...

Adrian: Andromita is thankfully alright, but now despite us getting a few answers, we just ended up with more questions.

Chelsea:I feel like all that was was just a cliché ominous warning, but what else could really happen with ghosts involved... Why couldn't this have just been a normal season? Oh right, because Chris F*cking McLean is involved!

Andi: Everyone else told me about what happened. When Angela took over I felt like I was in her place when she died. I didn't feel injured or anything but I could look around. I saw a small wondow peeking into the basement, it was dark so I couldn't see much but it looked like some sort of machine about to explode.

*end end end end end*

As the hours passed, the sun had begun to descend on the manor. Chris gathered everyone to the foyer so that the challenge could begin...

"Well everyone, I'd like to start by saying it's great to be back. I know I said this earlier but it just feels better saying it right before a challenge! Speaking of which, like I also said earlier, this challenge was designed by Chef, so I'll let him explain." Chris announced, stepping back so that attention was on his co-host.

"I wanted this challenge to be especially brutal. You see, in a war, you never know when the enemy is gonna make their move, and if you're not prepared, then you and your squad are gonna drop like flies! Tonight you'll be learning what that feels like!" Chef began, Chris and Chelsea handed everyone oxygen tanks and masks. The tanks were connected to some sort of wristband that had a keypad to input numbers.

With a sinister laugh, Chef continued his explanation.

"On the topic of dropping like flies, these tanks are full of knockout gas. Each tank has enough to last for four hours but you won't last that long, you're not supposed to anyway. No matter how hard you try, you'll all end up knocked out by the second hour. Now each of these tanks come with a special wristband that locks the equipment onto you. Hidden somewhere in the manor or in the backyard area is the code you need to unlock the wristband and win the challenge. If you black out, you'll be out until morning, and for safety measures, this equipment comes with an emergency release that we've modified so that if you do end up falling asleep, the tanks come off so you don't breathe in any more of the gas."

"So what happens if we all fall asleep?" Nanette asked.

"Then game over, nobody wins." Chef replied. "If more than one of you find the code, then they're safe."

"So that's it then? Just find the code before we black out?" Edward asked.

"Yep." Chef replied with a grin. "Course it's never that simple. We've rigged this place and put up traps that'll either stun you and knock you out, or make you breathe in more of the gas. Now if there ain't more questions, you all ready?"

The teens all put on their masks, some hesitating more than others.

"Then the challenge starts...now!"

The seven contestants scattered in different directions, Chef took out a small remote from his back pocket, the remote had two buttons, one red and one green. With a press of the green button, the seven teens began to feel the gas now coming into their systems...

*confessional*

Andi: I think this challenge is kinda blurring the lines of legality. I mean Chris was already arrested once...

Nanette: This challenge could be more dangerous than any other if we're not careful. We'd best get this over with quickly.

Adrian: Despite us having to act fast, we can't over-exert ourselves. That would just make things more difficult. On the bright side, we all have a fair chance at winning the challenge. Now it's just a matter of who can last the longest.

Shawn: Chef definitely wasn't messing around with this challenge!

Kenji: You really got to wonder how Chris and Chef get stuff like this. Does the network have that much money?

Kazuki: I have a plan, if this works then Edward is finished! If it doesn't then I have a backup plan in mind. It's a bold plan but I don't have that many options...

!reh dnif ot deen I, alegnA si erehw tuB !nowd tirips ym peek nac htaed fo selkcahs eht neve toN !enim si ydob sihT :darwdE gnissessop ,yrneH

*end confessionals*

Andi felt like she had made a mistake just running off, she figured she could have grouped up with one of the others so that they could watch each others backs. The sound of footsteps in front of her made her cautious, but curious, as she slowly made her way to where they were coming from.

Andi wanted to take a peek around the corner of the hallway where the footsteps were coming from, but she ended up tripping on herself and falling forward. The sound of a gasp at least let Andi know it wasn't a ghost.

"Andromita, what are you doing?!" Nanette snapped. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"S-sorry." Andi whimpered, a blush of embarrassment on her face. She wanted to say more but Nanette spoke up first.

"It's not a problem I suppose, but be more careful. I already have a bad enough feeling as is."

"I get what you mean. This challenge already feels like a mess, and with this challenge and the ghosts, it's no wonder we feel like this."

"Well you're not wrong, but that isn't what I was referring to." Nanette stated, earning a look of confusion from Andi. "I can't properly explain it but I just feel like something bad is coming. The fact that I don't know what it is just makes it worse."

"Well if anything happens then we should watch each other's backs!" Andi replied, attempting to seize the opportunity she felt she had but that feeling quickly faded when Nanette shook her head.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but this challenge isn't the issue, even with the manor being rigged with traps. The ghosts also aren't an issue in my opinion, we're more likely to fall asleep before they get a chance to do anything anyway."

"Oh..." Andi sighed, Nanette gave her a sympathetic look in response.

"If you really want someone to stick by you, maybe Kenji would appreciate it. I think I saw him heading outside."

"Thanks." Andi smiled. "Let's hope someone from our group manages to win, yeah?"

"Of course. Until then, stay safe."

*confessionals*

Andi: Even if I am a bit behind in terms of skills in this game, at least I have friends who I can count on.

Nanette: Truth be told, I'm not sure if Andi can last much longer. She's a great friend but her clumsiness will likely end up being her undoing. But thankfully for her, she's not a target, Edward is weak and getting rid of him and Kazuki remains my top priority.

*end confessionals*

As Andi headed to the backyard, Nanette heard something fall in the direction Andi left from. The preppy girl rolled her eyes, assuming Andi must have accidentally knocked somethinf over on her way out. Following the noise, she noticed that the fallen object was a painting of Anthony as a teenager. It took a bit of work but she managed to get it back up again.

Nanette then wiped her forehead, she wasnt sure how exactly but it felt inexplicably warm for some reason.

As she turned to walk away, she could feel her heart pumping as the red figure of Henry came rushing at her. It happened fast but Nanette could clearly see the the skin burned severely and the old suit the man wore at the time of his passing. The second Henry came within arms length of the girl, the sound of what could only be described as demonic screeching blasted her ears as she collapsed onto the floor...

Shawn had a good feeling about the challenge, he managed to get this far by keeping as positive of an outlook as he could and with just as much energy. He couldn't help but laugh a little but, he was currently in the library, a room which some people would say is boring and drab, the opposite of Shawn.

The moonlight occasionally shone brightly through the window, sometines fading a little bit. Shawn figured that clouds must be rolling in, hopefully the rain wouldn't be too bad. The silence of the library and the pale moonlight made him take a moment to appreciate the situation he was in; he was in the final seven of the game, he wasn't the biggest target, and he felt like he had a good chance of winning invincibility!

Shawn was snapped back to reality however when he heard the sound of something mechanical coming from above him.

With a quick leap forward, Shawn saw the silhouette of what looked like a boxing glove punch the air right where he had been standing.

"Heh, not today! ...Er, tonight..." Shawn laughed out loud to himself. He punched the mechanized glove, it felt like the same material as a dodgeball so it would have hurt to get hit by it, but it wouldn't cause any serious injury.

Shawn smirked as the glove began to rise back up to the ceiling. Taking care not to activate any more traps, Shawn decided to leave the library.

Kazuki walked along a hallway alone, looking forward with an unreadble look on his face. He was careful not to get himself trapped but he was also lost in thought. Here he was, among the final seven left in the game and he was among the strongest contestants, physically at least, left in the game. But despite the short amount of time that had passed since the game started, it felt like so much longer, especially in regards to how much has happened.

At the start of the game, he didn't care about making friends, just dominating the game and winning the million. Now here he was, wishing he had an ally that he could actually trust. His brother was still here, but the trust Kenji has for him was gone, that he was positive of.

Kaz's thoughts were interrupted by a cardboard cutout of Chris suddenly popping out in front of him from the floor.

'Real cheeky, Chris...'

With one punch, Kaz broke the cutout and kept moving, ultimately reaching a window overlooking the backyard.

Going back to his thoughts, Kaz looked back on some of the others, he had helped them get cheated out of a proper run in the game. He had backstabbed Ben, his own alliance member, just because he was doing something to help the alliance.

He thought of Emma, the voted off contestants surely told her of what he's done the entire time. She'd definitely break up with him and her sister would do everything in her power to make sure Kaz wouldn't hurt her anymore.

Toshiko, Asuka, and Kenji were all probably disappointed in him as well. They'd probably get their mom and dad to disown him or something.

Kazuki then shook his head. He was overreacting and he knew it. He already decided that he would tell the others about Edward being the mastermind of their alliance and he was the real villain.

As he looked back outside he noticed someone walking outside, it was tough to see but he recognized that blue hair as belonging to Andi.

'Of course!' He thought. 'I need to talk to her!'

With a renewed sense of confidence, Kaz hurried to the backyard.

Chelsea carried an assortment of books and newspapers from the library over to the office she shared with the hosts. She half expected Chris to say something about why she was carrying everything but he didn't seem to be there.

"Need some help?"

"Uh... Yeah, if it's cool with you."

Chef took half of the stack Chelsea had and set it on a nearby table. Chelsea smiled, if there was anything she didn't expect this season, it was how alright Chef really was. He was definitely a scary guy when he needed to be and tough as nails towards the contestants, even when Chelsea was one herself.

But becoming an intern definitelt softened her opinion, he may be more brutal in some cases, but he was also nicer in some ways too. It also helped that the food he prepared for the production team and interns was much better than what the contestants got.

Chef looked at one of the books and looked intrigued.

"What's up with the sudden interest in the history of the town?" He asked.

"I'm trying to find out what's up with this place. It's not officially a part of the game so some of the others and I are trying to solve the whole ghost mystery."

"Well hopefully you actually manage to get somewhere because I've been st*ttin" bricks about this for too long now!"

Chef suddenly grabbed a laptop and a set of headphones.

"Gonna be outside for a while, once I'm done you could try using my laptop to look up anything about this house."

"Really?" Chelsea asked in a rather surprised tone. "Well thanks, that might just help a lot."

Chef gave the girl a thumbs up as he left the room, leaving Chelsea to do her research.

Kenji wandered around the graveyard, he wasn't even completely sure if the code to remove the mask was there but for some reason he felt compelled to come here. As morbid as it may sound, being there reminded him of Clara, maybe it was the time they bonded there during the statue building challenge.

There was something else though, he couldn't explain it, but Kenji felt like something pulled him there too. In his mind, whatever brought him there didn't seem to bother wanting anything from him, the search brought up nothing and he was growing sluggish. Maybe if he just rested his eyes a bit on his way back inside he'd have more energy.

"Kenji!"

The young man's eyes snapped open as he saw Andi running to him, tripping on herself and falling again.

"Oh hey, Andi. What's up?" Kenji asked, helping the girl up to her feet.

"I wanted to ask you something important. Since we're in the final seven and we've been so caught up in this ghost business, I figured we should watch each other's backs, you know?"

"Are you suggesting we form an alliance?"

"Well, yeah. I know we're working with everyone except Edward and your brother but once those two are gone then it'll be us against some stiff competition. No offense by the way."

"None taken. I'd be lying if I said you were the only one thinking about the game. But honestly, with how much my brother's alliance has messed with the game, I don't think I'd like to be in one myself. So I'm sorry but I'll have to refuse your offer."

A dejected look grew on Andi's face as she gave a deep sigh.

"Well I should have seen this coming. But I get where you're coming from. I just feel a bit... I don't know, vulnerable? I'm not exactly the toughest person in the game."

"But you're not the weakest. You managed to get this far, didn't you?"

"I guess I did... So, did you find anything out here?"

"Not yet, but I pretty much covered this entire place. I doubt it's actually here though, but I think I'll be safe for this vote."

"If you say so. But good luck, we'll both need it." Andi said as she headed back inside. "Lord knows I will..." She whispered.

As Kenji watched her go, he felt a chill go up his spine, the faintest sound of a man's voice rang through his ears. Kenji wasn't sure of it was morbid curiosity or just stupidity but he slowly turned around and saw the shadowy figure of a man staring right into his eyes.

The shock caused him to react by turning and running...right into a tree face first. The impact caused Kenji to fall backwards onto the ground into an unconscious heap.

*confeSSional*

Andi: Well there goes another person I could form an alliance with. But i gotta give Kenji props, didn't expect him to be the type to go at this alone. ...I guess Shawn's the last person I can try getting to form an alliance with, Adrian definitely wouldn't join an alliance right now and I can't really trust Ed or Kaz.

*coNNNNNNNNNfessionals*

Adrian had no luck so far, having just climbed up onto the third floor after finding a lot of nothing, he was slowly beginning to lose both his patience and his energy. With slow and methodic steps, Adrian pressed on with a rapid shake of his head to fight the effects of the knockout gas.

Despite how much he was fighting it, he didn't have a lot of time left in this challenge and he knew it. Even though he had found nothing thud far, it provided a good opportunity to plan for the challenges ahead and which of the others would be the best opponent should he make it to the finale.

'Getting Edward and Kazuki out of the way first should be top priority.' Adrian thought to himself as he entered the bathroom and began to check the shower for anything. 'I can't risk them rigging the votes and taking me down. Though if I had to choose I'd rather take on Kaz, he's physically stronger and with Total Drama finales always being a physical challenge, it would be the most fair.'

As he found nothing, Adrian left the room to keep searching. At this point he felt a little light headed and he struggled to find ways to stay awake but he kept moving.

'Not now... I have to keep moving. Maybe Chris put the combination in one of the bedrooms...'

As he entered the empty bedroom Karlene and Hester use to use, Adrian continued thinking about who would be the best choice to face in the finale.

*confessional*

Adrian: With the enemy alliance falling apart, I have to start focusing on myself. Nanette is smart but she isn't too strong physically while Kenji is, in a way, the opposite. I wouldn't mind going up against either of them. Shawn is energetic but once he runs out of energy it wouldn't be much of a challenge to beat. Andromita... It's a shame but she'll likely be the first to go once Edward and Kazuki are taken care of. For now it's just a matter of surviving though.

*end confessional*

Dizzy. That was the closest word to describe how Edward felt. It wasn't even because of the knockout gas either, for some reason it wasn't as bad as he was expecting. Aside from the dizziness he felt this strange heat that just wouldn't go away. Opening the windows didn't work, but it was summertime in Georgia so it was understandable.

But Edward did his best to focus on the challenge, he couldn't afford to slip up and lose now, not in his current situation. With his safety net now gone, the only option he had was to convince the others that Kazuki was behind everything. It definitely wouldn't be easy, especially since Nanette considered him as bad as the devil. Even if she did let the alliance issue slide, Edward would have to pretend to be nice to her, which was almost as bad as having her as an enemy.

However, Kazuki himself was still an issue, he was likely trying to do the same thing Edward planned, plus with his brother still in the game he had a better chance at getting the others to believe him. Just thinking about that traitor made Edward furious, it reminded him of all the time he spent planning, he could almost physically feel fhe money slipping out of his grasp. Edward decided that the next time he sees Kazuki, he'd give him a piece of his mind! Strangely enoigh however, the moment that thought went into his head, the dizziness and heat vanished, and it may have been his imagination but Edward thought he could hear footsteps running away from behind him...

"I almost want to say that it's a pleasure seeing you here."

Edward could feel the pure, unbridled venom in that tone, part of him was disappointed that it wasn't Nanette. He didn't have time to worry about what was happening behind him, Kazuki was staring him down right in front of him...

"Funny, I was just about to say the same." Edward replied, his tone just as harsh. Without another word, Kazuki made the first move, attempting to punch Edward right in his skug face...

Back in the office, Chelsea had just finished reading a book about the history of the town. With a groan she decided to take a break, the history book just ended up being a whole lot of nothing important. Chris had entered the room, a ham and cheese sandwich, a can of soda and a bag of chips in his hands. Ignoring the host, Chelsea decided to grab today's newspaper, if for no other reason than to send the messsage that she wasn't interested in anything Chris said.

"Hey Chel, what'cha doin'?" Chris asked.

"Nothing."

"Where's Chef?"

"Off doing something on his laptop." Chelsea said flatly. "Hmm, gonna be raining for the next few days. Says it'll be rough too."

"Oh... Are you...reading a newspaper? Come on grandma, we're in the digital age!" Chris laughed.

Chelsea put the paper down and rolled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed some glitching on the camera to the foyer which caught her attention. It looked like something dragging a leg into the kitchen. The door to the room was halfway open when Chelsea bolted upwards to get a better look but the qualitt had degraded to the point where she couldn't recognize who was doing the dragging, but she did see some golden curled hair being dragged...

She set her sights on the camera in the kitchen and dining rooms but they glitched out as well, now showing only static.

"Chris, fix the cameras! I gotta check something out!" Chelsea ordered as she ran out of the room.

"Hey! Who do you think is the host around here!" Chris huffed, opening his can of soda.

*Chrisfessional*

Chris: Honestly, the nerve of some people! Did Chef give her personnal military lessons or something?

*end confessional*

Andi reentered the house just in time to see Chelsea running into the kitchen, as she followed the intern inside. Andi herself gasped a little bit when she and Chelsea saw Nanette: the posh girl looked uninjured but she was covered in soot.

"Oh crap..." Chelsea sighed as she carefully walked over to Nanette. "Hey, Nanette, are you still alive?"

"Um, how many fingers am I holding up?" Andi asked in a hesitant tone, her hand visibly shaking as she held up four fingers.

"Four..." Nanette replied before coughing.

"Well she sounds okay. Let's get her to the infirmary." Chelsea said. "You mind helping me carry her?"

"Y-yeah!"

Andi grabbed Nanette, but upon touching her, her vision became cloudy and a red tint took over her eyes. Visions of what she thought looked like a machine that was blazing hot with fire erupting at points were fhe only things clear in her mind.

As the visions faded, she wasn't sure if it was the gas or whatever just happened to her but all her energy seemed to be drained from her as she passed out before she could help Nanette, who also seemed to be asleep.

"Right, knockout gas..." Chelsea sighed as she hoisted up the two girls in an attempt to get them to the infirmary.

*confessionals*

Nanette: I'm going to be fine, thankfully. I'm going tl assume that that was the spirit of Henry? Since I've been personally affected with my clothes and hair being covered in soot! I believe I'm justified in saying this little ghost matter just became personal! ...Heh, look at me. Getting so worked up over a phantom, how very uncouth of me! But still, I am going to end this!

Chelsea: Well, there goes my excercise for the day.

*end confessionals*

Shawn ran up the flight of stairs going up to the third floor, he heard banging and was sure it was either a ghost or the other contestants fighting. On the way he managed to run into someone.

"Adrian, what's going on?'

"That's what I'd like to know, this way!"

Edward and Kazuki continued to brawl, despite the physical advantage, Edward managed to match him hit for hit. Edward himself wasn't sure exactly how he was able to match his foe, he also wasn't sure if the heat coming back was the environment, the adrenaline pumping through his veins because of the fight, or something else...

Nonetheless, Edward delivered a sharp kick to Kazuki's chest, airing him out and forcing the delinquent to take heavy, laboured breaths which were made more effective for Edward due to the gas now affecting Kaz more quickly.

With one more punch, now thrown sluggishly, by Kazuki, Edward grabbed Kaz's wrist and used his weight against him to slam him on his back before turning Kaz on his stomach and pinning him down.

"You're done!" Edward began. "I'm going to get everyone else on my side and ruin you. Face it, you are one hundred percent f*cked!"

"Now what is going on here?!"

Edward turned and saw Shawn and Adrian looking at the two. Getting off of his defeated foe, Edward thought of a way to get out of this predicament.

"Well?" Adrian asked, his patience wearing thin. The sound of Kaz weakly choking only made things more stressful for Edward, who now felt like there was only thing to do: run away. Fighting Kazuki already wore him out more than he needed, running would only be worse in the long run be he didn't have time to think anymore.

Shawn and Adrian ran after him, but Kazuki grabbed Shawn's ankle and looked up at him.

"Get everyone... In the library... I need to talk to you all."

Kaz's hand went limp as the gas put him to sleep as well. Shawn nodded before running after the remaining two boys.

Adrian followed Edward as closely as he could, watching to make sure he didn't breathe in too much of the gas. He was heading upwards, Adrian wasn't sure if Edward was leading him somewhere or if he was just running out of places to run. The sound of heavy breathing behind him made pause for just a moment.

"Adrian... Can I get a hand here?" Shawn begged as he struggled to stay on his feet and stay awake. Adrian looked at him and the looked at Edward who looked back at him before running away.

"Sorry." Was all Adrian said as he ran after Edward, leaving Shawn to pass out.

*confessionals*

Shawn: I don't blame Adrian for doing that. It's the final seven, we're basically at the home stretch! Still, I wish he could have helped.

Adrian: I did what I had to do...

*confessionals end*

Edward mamaged to get to the roof and slammed the door shut behind him. Right by the edge of the house was a small sign that said 'Code' on it.

'Bingo!' Edward thought as he used the code to unlock the mask and finally remove it, winning the challenge.

Just for added measure though, Edward hid by the door with the gas tank in his hands. Adrian barged through and looked around for Edward, who snuck up from behind and bashed him with the gas tank, knocking him unconscious. An air horn blared through the mansion's intercom system but really, only Edward was the only contestant to hear it.

"The challenge is over!" Chris announced. "We have our winner!"

Hours later, most of the teens woke up. Shawn had did as Kazuki instructed and gathered everyone in the library. Nanette had a towel wrapped around her hair as she also wore a rather expensive looking silk robe, she seemed rather annoyed at the fact that she had been summoned on such short notice.

"This better be good! My hair still hasn't been properly cleaned since last night and my clothes are still filthy!"

"S-sorry." Shawn replied. "But I asked everyone to come becau-"

"Because I asked him too." Kazuki announced as he walked in from the foyer.

Upon seeing the delinquent, Nanette and Adrian readied themselves, Andi looked nervous and Kenji looked disappointed.

"Look." Kaz began. "I know some of you hate me and all of you don't trust me but I have some into you'll want to hear."

"You won't fool any of us!" Nanette asserted.

"I don't want to." Kaz assured. "It's true that I was involved in Edward's alliance, we has rigged votes to get ahead. I shouldn't be here right now and there's no way Edward could have made it this far otherwise."

"I knew it!" Nanette announced, looking pleased at herself.

"Why are you telling us all this?" Andi asked.

"Because as some of you may have seen, my alliance with Ed is off and if he makes something happen to me, then I want to be sure something happens to him!"

Kenji looked shocked as he tried to take this all in. Kazuki then continued with his explanation.

"Edward was the one who started this alliance, Ben and I joined him, thinking we could cause trouble and get ahead. Unfortunately for me, we did. For a while I was honestly fine with being in the alliance, but then Kenji and I talked for a bit. Just like you, brother, I thought we had bonded fkr a bit. Then came Emma... she made me think about the way ive been handling some personal issues. I genuinely believed that I might have a chance to start over and nake things right with my family. But then Edward got her eliminated, I already knew he had gone tko fsr before. After all, he's the one who shot Cherry Ash in the eye, I suppose at that moment I realized our alliance wasn't worth it, but Edward threatened me by saying he'd tell you I was the one who shot Cherry. At that point I had no choice but to comply."

"[Brother!]" Kenji cried out, getting up from his seat and embracing his brother, tears running down his face while Kazuki's eyes were watering as well.

"Woah." Shawn said. Andi looked shock while Nanette looked a bit guilty about her animosity towards Kaz, though her hatred for Edward only grew. Adrian sat back to take in everything he was hearing.

"With all due respect, Kazuki, why are you telling us this now?" Adrian asked.

"Because I don't want Edward tricking you, him still being asleep is a blessing." Kaz replied, wiping his eyes. "Besides, with everything going on, and with Edward having invincibility, I figured I'll let you in on my plan."

"What plan?" Andi asked.

"Don't worry about it, and don't worry about the elimination either. I'll take care of it, you have my word."

*confessionals*

Adrian: Well that was certainly some useful information. If knocking me out wasn't enough, now I know Edward is truly evil. But I still have to keep a close eye on Kazuki.

Kenji: I shouldn't have doubted Kazuki, I'm upset that he willingly joined Ed's alliance but he learned his lesson, I think. I just hope his plan doesn't end up making me regret thinking he's changed.

Andi: Now we know who to blame for hurting Cherry! That's such a messed up thing to do!

Shawn: Man, why did Edward have to have invincibility now of all times!

Nanette: If what Kazuki is saying is true then I need to apologize to him. I also need to make sure Edward pays severely for what he's done!

Kazuki: I said all I think I needed to say, all that's left is to do the last thing I think is right.

*end confessionals*

The rest of the day proceeded as normal, and as the sun began to set the final seven aggregated at the Elimination Station. Chris looked excited for the first elimination since his return. All eyes were on Edward in either disgusted glares or a glances between him and Kazuki in insecurity.

"Welcome final seven! It's been a while since I've been here but you all know how this works. Edward has invincibility so don't bother voting for him."

"None of that will be necessary." Kazuki announced.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Kenji asked.

"Both statues have already been used so you can't get rid of me." Edward stated smugly.

"I don't plan to." Kaz replied. "I'm quitting."

Andi and Kenji gasped, Shawn and Nanette went wide-eyed, Adrian look surprised amd Edward simply laughed.

"Any particular reason why?" Chris asked.

"Because I've done all I feel like I needed to do in this game. After causing so much trouble, I feel like this is my way of making up to everyone I've cheated. Besides, I want to see Emma and Toshiko again." Kazuki explained.

"So you're giving up your chance at the million because you're scared of what I know?" Edward asked.

"Know what?" Adrian asked.

"The thing about Cherry? Too late, I've already told the others everything. Everything about the alliance and about the vote rigging, whether or not they choose to believe me is up to them. But as for you Edward, your time is coming." Kaz exclaimed, he and Kenji shared one brotherly hug before he walked towards the train.

Just as Kaz was about to step onto it, he ran at Edward and dropkicked him in the chest before heading back onto the train.

"Argh... You bastard!" Edward screamed at the train carrying his former ally. As he turned back, he saw the five other teens glaring at him. Edward scowled at them as he left the Station.

"Hehehe, man that was a great ceremony!" Chris giggled. "We're down to our final six: can Edward survive on his own with everyone against him? Can Andi survive the next challenge?"

WARNING: CAMERA BATTERY LOW: 5% REMAINING

"Is Adrian now playing for himself? Will Nanette finally have her chance to eliminate Edward? And... Is it getting hotter in this place or is it just me?

WARNING: CAMERA BATTERY LOW: 1% REMAINING

"Find out next time on Total Drama Rosewood Ma-"

*confessionals*

Andi: I didn't think Kazuki would do that! I mean I feel bad but, I kinda want to celebrate too... He was really tough and now maybe I might have a better chance in the next challenge... Maybe...

Adrian: Am I surprised, yes, but I'm also thankful. A major threat is gone and now we have our next target. But we are up against someone who is honestly awful.

Kenji: I'll win, for my family, for Clara, ...and for my Kazuki!

Shawn: That was... intense!

Nanette: Quitting was not what I expected. I suppise Kazuki was being honest, Edward wouldn't have reacted otherwise. Now I know that I need to take Edward out now more than ever!

Edward: That jackass ruined me! Argh! I was hoping to ride out this alliance until maybe the final five, we would keep Andi and Shawn around since they're the weakest out of everyone left. Then I'd just backstab the other two and take out Shawn and Andi easily! But now I'm going to have to rely on my own skills and maybe a bit of luck just to survive! Kazuki that piece of motherfuuuuu-

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Th nks for being so patient with this chapter. It's b?n done for about a month now but every time I try to upload it, the file somehow gets c*rrupted. There have been a few issues but hopefully it works this time.