Chris and Chef laid within the production tent. Face masks clung onto their skin with cucumbers refreshing their eyes. Chris took his cucumbers off. "Hey Chef?"

"Hmm?" Chef laid in his chair.

"You ever wonder if I'm getting too old for this?"

"You only too old when you dead."

"Harsh. But no, really. Like what if one day production was all like, 'You're too old for this. We need someone more hip with the kids!' or something like that?"

Chef shook his head. "Chris. You know that ain't true. There's a contract! That's how you knew that one Topher kid from waaay back couldn't take your place as host."

Chris sat up. "But even then, there was Don. And people seemed to like him a lot." Chris narrowed his eyes. "Too much."

Chef shook his head. "Chris. No one can do it like you. It's not your place when there's already so many more seasons out now."

Chris took a sip of coffee. "Yeah, you're right. I might just be concerned. Production will run our butts out next year."

"I ain't complaining." Chef removed a cucumber from his eye. "Think of that paycheck…"

Chef elbowed Chris and chuckled. Chris returned the gesture. They both chuckled as someone walked by and handed Chris his script. Chris skimmed through it. "We all know the real winners of each season."

Chef nodded. "That's right. Chris man, you deserve this. Suck up yo feelin's and get on tha docks!"

Chris smiled.


"Welcome to the long awaited premiere of Total Drama Qatilat!" Chris threw his arms up in the air. His voice echoed against the terracotta canyon walls. He jerked his thumb towards himself. "I am Chris McLean, and this is the island of Jazira, former home to entrepreneurs, visited by merchants all over the ancient world to trade and invest!" Chris smiled. "Today, thirty new travelers visit this island in the hopes of investing their springs for One. Million. Dollars! Who will leave with the money? Who will embarrass themselves the hardest? Who even are they? Well… Here they come right now! Boat one out of five!"

The boat seared across the water, thousands of droplets scattering the waves.

"Meet Luna Elinor!"

A teenage girl stood along the rail of the boat. Her platinum blonde hair with lavender intruding the front few stands along her brown, argyle patterned sweater vest whipped in the wind. Her arm extended in front of her in order to snatch a selfie on her personal cell-phone.

"Excuse me, miss?" An intern came up behind her. "You can't take that with you in the game."

"Oh," she replied, her voice leaving a trail of a British accent. "I had no idea. May I at least post it?"

"No," said the intern. "The season does not air live, and no one is supposed to know you're here. This was clearly stated in your contract and-"

"Ugh." Luna held her phone out for the intern to take.


Confessional: Luna

"Well, there goes my whole strategy! And I was so close to being able to take it with me. Ugh. This is going to be so hard."

End Confessional


"Vivian Perez and Harry Zukenmeyer!" Chris continued.

Vivan stood on the upper deck of the ship. She crossed her arms and gazed into the distance of the waters.

"Homesick?" Harry asked. His ringed fingers rested along the railing.

"I've never really been too far away from home before." She fiddled with her white sweatshirt. Her brown eyes gazed into his green eyes. "I just worry about my sisters. I'm in this game for them though."

Harry whipped his grey hair out of his eyes. "That's very honorable of you. They were prepared for you to leave, right?"

"Well, I prepared them with the essentials before I left. I just hope they'll be alright… They've never been on their own without me before."

Harry pressed his lips together and nodded. "I'm sure they'll be just fine then."

"I sure hope so…"

Chris cleared his throat. "Kairo Sideris, Allen Alastair…"

"Greetings, fellow contestant." Kairo tightened the black headband on his forehead.

"Hello." Allen smiled, refolding his navy-blue shemagh around his neck for the cameras. "What an interesting choice of make-up you got there?"

Kairo hovered his hands over the thick black lines below his dark-brown eyes. "It's war-paint."

"… and Winter Whelsa!" Chris finished.

"Hey guys!" Winter's blonde curls bounced on her shoulders. "If you don't mind, I'm trying to gather everyone up for a group photo."

Allen stepped forwards. "I'd love to partake!"

Kairo shrugged. "I wouldn't mind either."

Chris perched his hands on his hips as he made his way back onto the docks where Chef was waiting for him.

Chris chuckled. "Can't wait until they all stop acting all fake 'n stuff."

"Chris," Chef shook his head, "don't spoil the season."

Chris stopped. "How can I spoil the season if it hasn't even started yet?"

"Well, you know more than the audience does." Chef gestured towards the camera.

"Hmm, I guess you're right. OOH Boat two is making way!" Chris rubbed his hands together. "Everyone put your hands together for Katniss Monroe…"

A barefoot girl wearing a tattered pink dress threw her spear at a stray bird flying in the sky. The spear fell and landed next to another girl wearing a stained lab coat.

"… and Eleanor Zheng!"

Katniss held her hand out for a handshake. "Me is Katniss."

Eleanor took her hand and, with caution, introduced herself back.

"You do hunt?"

It took a minute for Eleanor to understand just what Katniss asked. "A-Afraid not. Pleasure to meet you."

Chris continued. "Declan Huntington, Evelyn Lynch…"

"Hey everyone!" Evelyn waved. Her long straight hair with pink highlights flowed in the wind. "So stoked to be here!"

"Me too," Declan revealed his charming smile. "I can't wait to spend my summer here, or, I guess, not anywhere I'm alone."

Chris continued. "… and Braden Clefwell!"

Evelyn's pink eyes twinkled a little. "What about you?"

"O-O-Oh!" Braden jumped. His watch hit the railing. "Y-Yes…" He slid the watch back down his wrist.

"Have you ever watched Total Drama back home?" Declan asked.

"Yeah, binged every season before coming here." Evelyn nodded.

"O-Oh, I've never watched that show." Braden held his arm and looked away. "But with only thirty minutes of TV a day, what can you do?"

"And finally, Jeremy Elbertson!"

A boy stood along the railing of the upper deck, watching the waters pass by. He turned his head towards the incoming island.

A spear soared right past him. The pupils in his teal eyes expanded.

"Me is sorry." Katniss lowered her head. "Me want lunch." The spear had already pierced three birds. "You no hunt?"

Jeremy slowly shook his head.

The girl held her hand out. Jeremy took the handshake.

Chris laughed. "Aren't they fun?"

Chef scoffed. "They be more fun when they get here."

"Chef, don't be such a downer now."

Chef kept his arms crossed. "I'm hungry, too. Goin' to the kitchen. Want anythin'?"

Chris thought about it. "A cappuccino."

Chef left and boat three came into view.

Chris smiled. "Riding boat three, we have Hansel…"

Hansel studied the deserted beach near the port where the boat would dock. The contestants on Boat One were disembarking.

"... And Jianne Winthrop!"

A woman standing around the same height as Hansel approached him. "Good afternoon."

"… Good morning." He monotoned in an almost deadpan manner.

Jianne let out a chuckle. "So ready to eat breakfast."

Hansel blinked. "You mistake my response; it is, indeed, the morning. We have been traveling West and the sun has still not yet been directly overhead."

"Thanks for letting me know," Jianne rolled her eyes. "Douchebag."

Hansel shrugged.

"Mason Scherz and Larissa Banks!" Chris announced.

Larissa was writing in her notebook when Mason approached her. Her ears alerted her to the noise. She looked up to Mason's unblinking, lilac eyes. They swirled in chaotic energy.

She broke eye contact to write it down.

"YES!" Mason pumped his fist. "I win!"

"Win what?" Larissa turned back to him.

"The staring contest. Duh!"

Larissa shrugged and wrote more into her book, peering off at the man and woman further down the docks.

Chris put his hands on his hips. "And finally, we've got JT Storm and Rosa Frediano!"

Rosa stared off where the island was coming into view.

"Uh," JT approached her. His prosthetic arm alarmed her. "Sweet ride, huh?"

"Sure." Rosa looked away and tapped her fingers on the rail.

Chris and Chef sat in lawn chairs on the docks, coffee and saucer in hand. At this point, boat two had also disembarked. The interns led the contestants to where they should be headed off to.

Chris slurped his drink. "Now this is the kind of drama I like to see!"

Chef smiled.

"Boat four is coming into way!" Chris pointed. "Introducing…"

A petite woman found the island coming into views. Her fingers bounced on the rails.

"Laurie Ray Dawson and Christopher Hide!"

"Woah." Christopher gasped. "I've never seen you before."

"Um, me neither."

"And you're so strong too!"

Laurie giggled awkwardly. "Um, thanks."

Chris continued. "Wendy Pinkerton!"

Wendy stood clad in her black cowboy hat and cowboy boots. She chewed on a piece of wheat. "Nothin' like a callback to the west." She said as the island came further into view.

"Trevore Fenstermacher…"

Trevore stood in pose as if he waited for the camera to pan over. "Hello, future Trevore fans! I know you aren't envinced yet, but once you get wrenched in my awesomeness, you'll understand what I mean."

"Cole Daniels…"

"Greetings, my peeress." Cole bowed to the woman before him.

"And Selena Henson!"

Selena put a hand on her chest and gave Cole an up down look. "Heelllloo~"

"What a group!" Chef exclaimed.

Chris nodded. "My favorite is Christopher."

Chef spat. "None of the boys on that ship are real men! Only Wendy."

Another boat came into view. "And here comes our final boat!" Chris announced.

"Hey Chris." Chef put down his drink. "Can I take the last boat?"

Chris silently read a piece of paper. "You're going to mispronounce the names."

"So?"

The hosts frown transformed into a smile. "Good point!"

"All right, ev'ry one. Here is Amethyst Brooks, standin' next to Drake Norman."

Amethyst took in a deep breath and stepped up to Drake.

"…" She said.

"What?"

"… …"

"I, uh, I think the boat is too loud. I can't hear you."

With dejection, Amethyst wrote what she wanted to say in her notebook. Hi, I'm Amethyst.

Drake shrugged and crossed his arms.

Chef cleared his throat. "James Arlott…"

James stood on the upper deck of the boat, away from the commotion of the waters. The island was going to become his prison. He sighed.

"Liz Caplen, Vivian Locke…"

"Hello," Vivian waved from further away from the docks.

"Hey," Lizzy approached Vivian.

"Check out this view! It's like a wallpaper!"

Lizzy nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty…"

"… and Tony Marmalade!"

A man in a dark red suit approached the two women. "Hello ladies~."

The pair greeted him back.

He tilted his head up to look Lizzy in the eyes. "My dear, you look amazing, as I'm certain you always do." He turned to Vivian. "My, do you have the contagious smile!"

"Thanks!" Vivian smiled.

Tony smiled back.

Lizzy pushed her raven hair back.

Back at the docks, Chef handed Chris the piece of paper. "Chris, you really thought I wouldn't be able to read that?"

"The interns had trouble."

"Chris man, I can't believe you put me on the same levels as the interns!"

"I don't! I put you lower than them."

Chef put a hand to his heart. "You really are mah brotha."

"Yes, I am." Chris looked back to the piece of paper. "Okay, good we have everyone here. Let's get this show on the road!" Chris stepped off the docks.


Location: Sarim Desert

Two strong interns carried a chair with Chris sitting on the chair. "Welcome contestants… to… The Jazira!"

The contestants clapped.

The interns put the chair down. "Let's begin this season with a challenge." Chris flashed a devilish smirk to the contestants.

"Even before we split up into teams?" Evelyn asked.

"That's right! This challenge will determine who goes in which team! On top of that, it'll help set down a grounding base for the entire game! Who's ready?"

A majority of the contestants cheered.

"This island is called The Jazira, which basically just means island. They called it 'the island' because the Ancients used this island as a massive trading port! One of the main features of this game are these!" Chris pulled out a pouch of coins from his pocket. "Inside are McLean brand coins! With these coins, you will use them to purchase goods to not only survive on the island, but stay in this game as well." Chris winked.

Kairo nodded. "I think I get it. We'll be using these coins to essentially buy necessary things like food and items to help build shelters."

Harry spoke up. "And I imagine there may be some idols involved in this season…"

Winter stroked her chin. "But is there some sort of incidence where if someone plays an idol, you can counteract it with coins or something? You did say, 'stay in this game.' What do you mean by that?"

Chris smiled. "If you ever run into the situation where you run out of coins, you're bankrupt. You will be sent out here," he motioned to the surrounding sands, "to the Sarim Desert, a place you want to be in as little as possible. You're sent here to gather coins, which are scattered all throughout the border of the island! Collect enough, and you're back in the game! Buuut…"

"But what?" JT shrugged.

"There is a catch! The amount of coins you have to collect will go up each episode! And your time here is limited. You have a cumulative total of three days, more specifically 72 hours, out here. Surpass your time, and you're eliminated with no hope of winning the million dollars. Questions?"

"So let me get this straight." Selena propped hand on her hip. "If we are out here for three days total, and we still haven't reached the total amount of coins to get back into the competition, we are automatically eliminated?"

Chris nodded. "That's right. Even if you still have just one coin, you still technically are not bankrupt, so… take that for what it's worth."

"I also have a question." Hansel raised his hand. "You mentioned that we have a cumulative total of three days. Does that mean that there is a possibility that if we're sent here once, we can be sent right back here again?"

Chris pointed at Hansel. "Right on the money, bro. Here at the Total Drama Productions, we time down to the hour, so if you have 4 hours of time remaining until the end of the third day, you have four hours to continue searching."


Confessional: Tony

"An interesting game mechanic, Chris. I wonder what extremes our host will go through to make sure we do become bankrupt and sent here. No way this show can run on air for 29 episodes. Not a clean number that TV productions like. There has to be something, and I intend on figuring out what it is."

End Confessional


"So…" Rosa crossed her arms. "Since none of us have any money as of right now, we're considered bankrupt… which means…?"

"Which means," Jeremy picked up, "our challenge is to collect our coins for the competition?"

"Correctomundo!" Chris' smile flourished.


Confessional: Chris

"These kids pick up fast! Oh boy, this will be one heck of a season!"

End Confessional


Game Mechanic: The Sarim Desert

Rules:

If a contestant becomes bankrupt, they are sent to the Sarim Desert.

If they are sent to the Sarim Desert, they must find and collect coins to reach a certain total. That certain total changes by 1 every single episode.

Every contestant has a cumulative total of 72 hours that they are allowed to spend in the desert.

If the contestant reaches the coin total within the hours they have remaining, they are sent back into the competition.

If the contestant does not reach the coin total within the hours they have remaining, they are eliminated from the competition.


Challenge: Ante Up!

Rules: Contestants will be given one free hour to collect their coins for the start of the competition. They will be required to return to the platform Chris announced this challenge on with 10 coins. Any more will make their games that much easier. Any less… and they will begin to eat into their desert time until they are able to reach the next coin total.


"If there aren't any more questions about the game mechanic." Chris crossed his arms. "Then your time starts… in three!"

The contestants eyed the roped off terracotta.

"Two!"

The distant sound of the waves filled the silence.

"One!"

Everyone dispersed. Desperately trying to find their shimmering gold pieces amongst the sparkling sand.


Time Remaining: 58 Minutes

"Oh wow." Christopher picked up a coin from the sand. He found another one. And another one. "This is so easy!" The sight of Amethyst made Christopher's eyes widen with glee. "Oh, I didn't know you were here, too!"

Amethyst shrugged and stuck her hands into her pockets. She walked around picking up coins of her own.

Christopher shrugged as well and continued on his merry way.


Confessional: Christopher: Deserted

"I really wanna make some friends, but I have to remember I'm in a challenge right now! An easy challenge too! This will be fun!"

End Confessional


Confessional: Amethyst: ? (A Few Days Later)

"I'm aware not speaking to anyone right out of the gate wasn't the best for my social game, but it was not entirely my fault. I had to get used to the environment and whatever team I got on before I could start using my voice."

End Confessional


Christopher followed Amethyst, not saying a word to her. Amethyst crept upon the shore of the beach. She slowly combed her way through the sand, back toward her way to the finish line picking up whatever coins she came across.

Christopher followed her exact approach. He made his way through the sand, picking up what he could find. About halfway to the finish line, he looked inside his coin pouch. Three coins. Three times two was six, so that meant… Christopher would not have enough coins once he got to the finish line.


Confessional: Christopher: Deserted

He wiped sweat off his forehead with some toilet paper. "Actually, this challenge is pretty hard."

End Confessional


Katniss walked around the beach with her hands on her stomach. She came across a stick bigger than her and picked it up.

With a stick and a rock in her hand, her objective has become much easier to accomplish.


As Larissa picked up a coin, she scanned her surroundings. "Oooh, another contestant!" She perked up. "Hello there!" She elegantly waved.

"Hay girl!" Trevore pathetically ran across the sand to catch up with Larissa. "What's going on?"

"You know, the usual, complete this challenge. Talk to as many people as possible before we divide into teams."

"Well, I can't be wasting my time doing silly little things like that!"

"Oh, and why not?"

"Because! All I need to do is make a team, and I didn't expect to have to try this hard at the very beginning of the game, like ugh! This desert is so hot! It's still winter! It can't be this hot! But I just need to make a team. I mean, I'm close! Look at how many coins I have!" Trevore opened his pouch and let Larissa see how many coins he had.

"Oh wow! I've only got a few so far."

"It's okay. I only showed you because you seem pretty trustworthy."

"Oh good! I need people to trust me for the work I'm gonna do."

"Work?"

"Yeah, I aim to help people find love while they're here!"

"So you can get me a girlfriend?"

"Of course! But that depends on a few factors…"

"Like what?"

"Well, it'd be much easier if we were on the same team, and if the girl was on the same team, but she doesn't have to be! But it even depends on if there is a girl for you in the cast."

"Why are you making this sound so impossible?"

"It's not impossible, but still possible. Love is rare but also found everywhere. Falling in love is simple, but love itself is complex. I aim to lead people to the right person, with consent, of course!"

"Well, maybe if we're on the same team then. I'll have girls flocking over to me anyway when they see how much of a winner I am!" Trevore confidently strutted away.

Larissa wrote into her notebook.


Confessional: Larissa: Deserted

Larissa continued to write in her journal. "I wonder what kind of a girl he could have? Perhaps someone with some low standards to balance him out. Hmm."

End Confessional


Vivian P scanned the shimmering sands for the gleam of a golden coin. She needed more to complete the challenge.

She found one, just so happened to be sitting still on a rock. How did that get there? She would never know, but at least the next place it would be was Vivian's coin pouch.

She scanned the area, not a single contestant in sight.

She ran. The wind picked up in her face as she broke the air from her sprint.

A hand reached out in front of her.

As it turned out, the next place it went to was Selena's coin pouch.

Vivian sighed. Nothing to worry about anyway. There were plenty of coins in the desert.


Christopher continued walking along the coast a bit more until he found another coin again. But just as he went to go reach…

"Alright, coin two!" Selena swiped it from beneath him.

"But that was gonna be my coin." Christopher sighed.

"Sorry kid! I'm going after the first coin I see. Besides, this desert is full of them! I'm sure you can find your coins." Selena started to walk off.

Christopher followed her.

Selena stopped. "Was there something you needed?"

"No, I just wanna be friends!" His innocent eyes sparkled.

Selena cleared her throat. "Of course, we can be friends!"

"Yay!" Christopher clapped his hands. "So how do you get coins!"

"Like I already said! Just go after all the first coins you see! Like this!" Selena ran up to a fellow contestant and snatched their coin.

"Hey! That was mine!"

"Not anymore it's not! It was my coin since I saw it in your hand!" Selena ran back to Christopher. "See! It's not that hard."

"That seems kinda mean."

"Hey, I'm just playing a game the way I want. More worthwhile that way! Oh! There's another!" Selena ran up to a camera and knocked over with all the strength she had. The camera broke, but Selena had her coin.


Confessional: Christopher: Deserted

"Selena's strategy really seems to be working for her. Maybe I should give it a try!"

End Confessional


Confessional: Selena: Deserted

"You never know how many coins this desert really has. There might be too few coins for all of us to get ten, and Chris made them more obvious than we think. Stealing is never out of the question!"

End Confessional


"Woah!" Vivian L came across Katniss' area. "You trying to send smoke signals?" Before Vivian was Katniss, sitting in front of a fire with something over it.

"Me hungry. Me hunt. Me eat. Me do challenge."

"What even… is that?" Vivian grimaced.

"Food." Katniss rotated the meat. "Share?"

"Oh no. I'm full." Vivian expressed with her arms. "Biig breakfast!"

"Good. Katniss big hungry." Katniss scarfed down the food she was cooking.

"Is it even cooked all the way?"

"Hmm?"

"Not important. Uh, you do know the challenge, right?"

Katniss nodded and swallowed. "Me find shiny when me done eat."

"Okay," Vivian nodded and walked away. Slowly.


Confessional: Vivian L: Deserted

"I would absolutely lose my mind if I was on a team with people like her. I mean, she's seems great. She's proven a few things to me already that sets her as a valuable team member. But… I think I would lose my patience. Patience is something I need to maintain for my game to work."

End Confessional


Larissa and Vivian L put their hands on the single coin at the same time.

"Well," Vivian scoffed. "This is awkward."

"Indeed." Larissa nodded.

Both contestants refused to take their hands off of the coins.


Confessional: Vivian L: Deserted

"Ugh, I hate this! I know exactly what move I should make, but I really don't want to."

End Confessional


Confessional: Larissa: Deserted

"I'm mainly curious about the move she would want to make. The fact that she's hesitating is interesting."

End Confessional


Vivian took her hand off of the coin.

"That's very kind of you." Larissa pocketed the coin.

Vivian shrugged. "I have plenty of coins anyway. Finding more isn't really that hard."

"Hope we're on the same team together~" Larissa bounced off.

Vivian smirked.


Confessional: Vivian L: Deserted

"It's fine making harmless moves like this right now. It'll make the harmful moves all the more harmful."

End Confessional


Jianne walked her way through the desert picking up whatever stray coins she could find… until…

"Howdy do?" A voice said beneath her.

"Huh? Where are you?" Jianne positioned her hands in a karate pose that resembled nothing like the pose she was going for.

"Down here!" Wendy called inside of a crater.

"Oh, you're digging?" Jianne propped a hand on her hip.

"Yes ma'am! Thought I should call. Didn't want you trippin' down 'ere!"

"Thanks for the warning! Mind if I join you?"

"Digging a hole ain't ma original idea. Do whatchu want."


Tony approached Evelyn swimming in the ocean, curious to see if a contestant was actually desperate enough to go down.

"My dear, what are you doing?"

Evelyn surfaced, stripped down to her bikini. "Coins." She panted. "In the ocean." She caught her breath.

Tony smirked. "There are coins in there?"

"Yeah, I imagined with the winds that are blowing in this desertish beach that some coins might've been washed up. And I was right. I'm making a pretty penny. It also doubles as keeping me cool."

"Smart girl." Tony stripped down to his golden man thong. "I could use a cool off as well." He floated his way through the water.

"Feel free to find some coins too. They aren't all mine to keep." With that, Evelyn dove down for more coins to find.

Tony stayed closer to the shore to avoid the arduous dive down, but quickly left as he found the amount of coins he needed.


"I see myself, the opportunity." Cole grumbled in a low pirate voice. "Born from the sands of gold. Mining by my bare hands the riches to be in a pirate crew and become a part of something greater than THE MEER PATHETICNESS of my life." Cole scared away the seagull. "Need I say more? The wish to be sea borne? In search of riches far greater than the gold beneath these sands.

"I've spent hours gazing at the seas, looking at the blank canvas of freedom. It is so close, I taste the salt sea upon my lips. My quest for acceptance starts right here. So what am I waiting for?" Cole knee slid through the sands, the rough grains being picked up by his hands. He threw the sand into the air. He drilled his feet into the sand. The sand he threw rained onto him, clinging to his gelled back hair. He continued to dig and dig, creating a mess of his clothes, but Cole did not waver.

"Soon, I'll stand before a crew and tell them of my dreams, my desire to sail with them, to embrace the thrill of the unknown, to share their tales of adventure and danger. It all starts with a coin." Cole held up a coin, reflecting the light of the hot sun. "It is the ticket into my new life. It will improve. It will get better. No more will be the wimpy and chinless wretch that is me. I shall be known as Cole 'Sly Ruse' Daniels!"

Sly Ruse clutched the coins he collected to his chest and looked away from his small pit. He found a flat rock and scraped an 'X' on the surface. "Here is where me' treasure lies. Of all the gold to soon be in me hands, this is the first of many journeys. AARGH!"

With that note, Sly Ruse went into a frenzy. Kicking sand in desperation for more coins. He bathed in the ocean, threw more sand over himself, and rolled around in the riches that he collected.

Drake, merely walking through the area in search of coins himself, noticed Cole looking almost deranged at this point. "What the fu-"

"You, my fellow vagabond. You understand the struggle of clawing your way to the board of a ship. Me, not yet, but soon! It shall be our destiny! Our-"

Drake walked away.

"JOURNEY THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE LANDLUBBER!" Sly Ruse sighed. "But what is a pirate with no crew to speak of?" Cole walked to the ocean. He stared into the reflection of himself. "Who would accept a mere vagabond such as 'Cole Daniels.' Only an amateur seadog. Only once on the ship, never on the course of adventure. Would they accept a mere scalawag such as myself?"

Cole shook his head and views the canyon extending along the horizon. "No matter. I am more than capable a pirate and landlubber. I can prove to be a success, even on my own if I have to! Cole Daniels shall live to be no more! Sly Ruse can man a ship on his own! The other pirates best watch their behind!"


Confessional: Drake: Deserted

"I can't be the only one that thinks that guy's a little cuckoo."

End Confessional


"My coin!" Christopher snatched a coin out of someone's hand.

"Uh, that wasn't very nice of you."

"Huh? Oh, I guess you're right." Christopher handed the coin back. "I don't even know why I tried." Christopher picked up a coin from the sand.

"Not to worry. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gladiolus Alastair! But please, call me Allen!"

"Wow!" Christopher smiled. Allen started to walk away. "I like your shirt! It looks so thin and stylish! It's like you're not even sweating! Where did you get it from?"

"I had my stylist design it for this specific season. I can't go out looking anything less than my best," Allen struck a pose, "no?"

"Wow! Cool!"


Confessional: Allen: Deserted

"Already, my game is perfect. Now I just have to charm the rest of the cast. This will be a piece of cake."

End Confessional


Time Remaining: 40 Minutes

Chris lowered his binoculars. "We have our first contestant across the finish line!"

"And time!" Eleanor crossed the checkered carpet marking the finish line, leaned over and panting.

Chris looked at his watch. "40 minutes remaining." He said coyly.

"40 minutes!" Eleanor wiped sweat off her forehead. "I could've gotten so much more!"

"Could've! But you can't change your mind anymore! Eleanor, congrats on being the first contestant across the line! Oh, and we have one more!"

Amethyst silently walked across the finish line.

Chris shrugged. "You can't change your mind on coins once you cross the line! Eleanor, make your way over to the yellow carpet. You are now a part of The Sahra Guild! Amethyst, make your way over to the blue carpet. You are now a part of The Majraa Guild!"

"Guilds instead of teams?" Eleanor smirked.

"Yes, indeed." Chris nodded. "We needed to freshen up and stay on theme."


Confessional: Eleanor: The Sahra Guild

"You know, as much as it would've been beneficial to stay out and collect more coins, I like to see the silver lining in this situation. Now I can observe the other Guild members as they cross the finish line and react to their fellow contestants. Any sort of information is useful, and if you learn it isn't, the brain can easily forget."

End Confessional


"We have some more arrivals heading our way!" Chris lowered his binoculars. "Congratulations Drake for being the 3rd contestant to cross the finish line!"

Drake nodded and stared at Chef behind a monitor and mouse. "You can make your way over to the orange colored carpet. You are now a part of The Kaniun Guild!"

Drake walked over to the carpet and observed it. "Hey Chris, you think you could've picked red instead of orange."

Chef grumbled beside Chris. "See? I ain't the only one who think red would be better!"

Chris facepalmed. "No, red isn't better than orange! At least not in this context. What is the color of canyon walls? Huh!" Chris yelled at Chef.

"Technically, terracotta." Amethyst squeaked.

"And terracotta is orange." Chris reasoned.

Eleanor scratched her head. "Actually, it's more of a reddish brown. If anything, it might've been better if you had colored the carpet brown."

"I'd be fine with brown." Drake commented.

"No! What kind of a team logo is brown?" Chris exasperated. "It's staying orange! Besides there is some more color theory involved. Greater than any of you know!"

Amethyst glanced at the other colored mats.

"Excuse me." Jeremy said, standing on the finish line.

Chris frown turned into a smile. "Jeremy, congratulations for being the 4th contest-"

"Are you really going to say that every time?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, and don't interrupt!" Chris pointed at her. He turned back to Jeremy. "Jeremy, please step onto the 4th and final, purple Guild mat for the season. You are now a part of the Aljibal Guild!"


Confessional: Jeremy: The Aljibal Guild

"I know going into the actual competition with a few amount of coins might be setting myself up for failure, but I believe it may be a better decision than one might initially think. I think that there may be a twist for people with more coins, especially since Chris specifically told us we could collect more than the initial 10. On top of that, we have to spend our coins on survival tools too. The people on the team who are going to spend their coins will be the people with more coins than with few. That's not to say that I will not spend any money on my team. I can get away with buying the cheaper tools. I have no idea if I'm a genius, or if this desert heat is getting to me. Geez, imagine spending 3 consecutive days out here. Even 3 spread apart seems like too much."

End Confessional


"Luna," Chris announced, "congratulations on being the 5th contestant across the finish line. Make your way over to the mat with Eleanor over on the Sahra Guild."

Luna sat down on the mat next to Eleanor. "Hello."

"Hi, I'm Eleanor."

"And I am Luna. It is a pleasure to meet you."


Confessional: Luna: The Sahra Guild

"I did not realize I was so lucky. I thought this was going to be a total bombshell because I couldn't bring my phone, but hello? Money season? Yes, please. I knew I was going to ace that challenge the second I heard it. It kinda sucks I don't have any more phones, but at least now I get to sit next to a pretty brunette!"

End Confessional


Allen and Christopher approached Wendy. She sat close to the shore digging a hole in the sand.
"Oh," Allen started speaking. "I see you've seen a coin over here."

"Naw. I'm just diggin' a hole. Imma find this treasure first!"

Allen attempted to exchange a glance with Christopher, but Christopher gasped. "You mean there's a chest filled with coins somewhere down there!"

"I mean, I dunno for sure, but I have found a buncha coins this way."

"Cool!" Christopher clapped his hands. "I'm gonna go over there and try that!"

Wendy tipped her hat. "Good luck, partner!"

Christopher went to go dig his own pit.


Confessional: Allen: Deserted

"I never thought I'd be able to say this." He facepalmed. "I'm surrounded by idiots!"

End Confessional


Winter stood, annoyed, near a cactus.


Confessional: Winter: Deserted

"Look, cacti are chill and all, but this one has a bunch of coins at the base of it, and I want them. Problem is, I don't want to be a prickly mess by the end of it."

End Confessional


"What's going on here?" Vivian L appeared next to Winter.

"I see a ditch of coins, but I have no clue how to safely get them, and digging only seems to make it worse."


Confessional: Winter: Deserted

"I'm only doing this because I want those coins and clearly I'm running out of time trying to get to them myself. I'm aware asking for help may force me to share the coins, but at least this desert/beach is scattered with maybe a million of these, rather than one valuable idol. Besides, this helps develop trust between the two of us, something that is so valuable in this game!"

End Confessional


Together, Vivian and Winter managed to sweep the coins away from the cactus with some large stick.

"Thanks for the help!" Winter waved.

"No problem!" Vivian waved back with half the coins from the pile.


Kairo hiked through the edge of the desert with a large stick in one hand, stamping into the ground with each step.

His eyes widened as he hit something into the ground. Using his stick, he pushed away the sand to reveal some coins. He kicked them under his feet and kept pushing the sand away until he reached a gear like contraption.


Confessional: Kario: Deserted

"My best guess is that it's a booby trap. Not sure what kind, but I do know that it's to keep contestants from wanderin' out too far." Kairo smirked. "And now I know that for if I ever get sent out here again."

End Conessional


Pocketing the coin, Kairo trekked onwards about the border of the desert. He kept note of the geography. He assumed he should stay about ten feet of the growing bushes to avoid being trapped, not like it would be a problem for him. Just merely a waste of his time. The growing bushes formed into red rocks that, he could tell, spilled into a massive canyon. It extended far out to the horizon where the land seemed to be a part of the sky.

"A little help here!" Interrupted Kairo's admiration. He turned forward to see Declan caught in a rope trap suspended by a tree.

"Went a little too far out?" Kairo smiled at Declan, attempting to undo the knot that strung the trap up.

"Oh, I couldn't help it." Declan sheepishly smiled. "I can't help but appreciate a beautiful view."

"Sure is." Kairo gently let the trap down and Declan out. "But be careful of what's out there. The world is beautiful as it is dangerous." Kairo stepped away, walking back on the path that he was taking previously.

"Thanks for helping me! My name is Declan."

Kairo turned back around to Declan's hand outstretched towards him. "Kairo." He said, shaking hands with the billionaire.


Confessional: Declan: Deserted

"I love vacations every single time, but this place… The Jazira… is truly a hidden gem of this world." Declan shook his head. "It's crazy of me to think that every corner of the world is so beautiful and so unique from one another."

End Confessional


Mason approached Vivian P who had a wealth of coins.

"Coins!" Mason snatched Vivian's pouch while she was digging.

"Hey, those were mine!"

"Why do I have them, then?"

"Ugh! You better get back here!" Vivian chased after Mason, who struggled to get away in the sand. Vivian had an easier time, but still struggled.


Contestant: Vivian P: Deserted

She facepalmed. "This little shit."

End Confessional


While chasing after Mason, Vivian tripped over something.
"Ow!" Rosa said, inspecting a scratch.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Here." Vivian extended a hand, helping Rosa up.

Rosa walked off in the other direction.

Vivian rolled her eyes in response and sighed.


"So how do you feel about your time here so far?" Larissa asked, with three coins wedged between her fingers, her journal clutched in one hand, her coin pouch in another.

Braden, walking with her for a while, had his pouch in one hand and his shoes in another as the two walked down the shoreline. "I-I'm still a fish out of water."

"Well, the ocean is right here." She gestured out to the waves.

"Nn, ugh, that's not what I mean."

Larissa put a hand to his shoulder. "I'm just teasing." She said in a gentle tone.

"This is so new to me. And gosh. The sound of the waves."

"It sure is loud."

"It… relaxes me somehow…"

They both stopped to gaze at the ocean.

Larissa smiled. "That's good. Hopefully, you get a campsite close to the water."


Confessional: Harry: Deserted

He wiped some sweat off from his forehead. "This challenge has been a breeze for some, but it's a struggle for me. Luckily, I'm already at 10, but I think I'm going to hang on a bit longer until I have a few more. Chris will likely warn us when we are beginning to run out of time. From the episodes I've seen here and there, that's what he does."


Chris lowered his binoculars. "More are coming!"

"Oh, good!" Luna clapped her hands, clearly bored, and excited for more.

Chris finished counting the coins. "Vivian Perez! Congratulations for being the 6th person to cross the finish line! You can make your way over to the blue carpet. You are now a part of The Majraa Guild!"

"Thank goodness." Vivian P walked over and sat down next to Amethyst. "Hi! I'm Vivian." Vivian held her hand out.

Amethyst shook the hand, but did not respond.


Confessional: Amethyst: The Majraa Guild (A Few Days Later)

"I would have said more, but I could not utter a word on that first day."

End Confessional


Evelyn appeared next with her hair still wet and her jacket over her bikini.

"Evelyn, congratulations on being the 7th person across the finish line! Make your way over to The Kaniun Guild with Drake!"

"Hey." Evelyn said to him. "What's up?"

"Chillin'"

"Nice! Been too long since you've been here alone?"

Drake shrugged. "I don't really mind it."

Another figure crossed the finish line. "Mason! Congratulations on being the 8th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of The Aljibal Guild!"

"Yes! I did it all by myself!" Mason glanced at the other mats. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I found some more before you got here." Vivian P leaned back.

Mason shrugged. "I'll just have to get you next time."

"Jianne!" Chris announced with Jianne standing next to him. "Congratulations on being the 9th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of The Sahra Guild!"

"Nice!" Jiane cheered herself. "Hello!" Jianne sat down next to the other ladies: Eleanor and Luna.

"A pleasure to meet you!" Luna said.

"Hi!" Eleanor smiled back.

"So how did you guys get your coins?"

Luna pushed her hair back. "The sand is sparkly, but the coins shimmer in a different way. That's how I found them in the sand."

"I just stayed near the start/finish line and found them all there."

"I dug a hole! And I did it faster than anyone else digging a hole!"

"Impressive!" Eleanor nodded.

Another contestant stood next to Chris. "Larissa! Congratulations on being the 10th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of The Majraa Guild!"

"Okay!" Larissa went to the mat towards Amethyst and Vivian P.

Tony approached the finish line next. His dark red suit was put back on, but his hair remained wet.

"Tony! Congratulations on being the 11th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of The Kaniun Guild!"

Tony's eyes flashed. "Guilds instead of teams?"

"That's right!"


Confessional: Tony: The Kaniun Guild

"It was like this season was hand-made for me."

End Confessional


"Rosa!" Chris said next to Rosa, who was completely drenched in sweat. "Congratulations on being the 12th contestant to cross the finish line!"

Rosa wiped some of her sweat. "Uh… thanks."

"You are now a part of The Aljibal Guild!"

As Rosa approached, Mason began obnoxiously sniffing. "Hey, *sniff**sniff* hey, does anyone smell that?"

Rosa and Jeremy exchanged glances. "Uh, no." Jeremy said.

Mason sniffed again. "Oh, it's you!" Mason pointed at Rosa. "Maybe we should get you a shower to wash away your ugly frown!"

"We could also use it to wash away your obnoxiousness."

"Oooh, that was ice cold for a burn!"

"Yeah, you'll need it for later." Rosa shook her head.


Confessional: Rosa: The Aljibal Guild

"Aand that's the last thing I'm going to say to him so long as it doesn't hinder our teamwork." She rolled her eyes. "I hope he isn't a doofus in the challenges, but I'll hold some hope. He finished before I did."

End Confessional


"Hansel! Congratulations on being the 13th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of the Sahra Guild!"

"Good." Hansel sat down next to Eleanor.

"So how did you get your coins?" Jianne asked Hansel excitedly.

"Same as her." Hansel gestured to Eleanor.


Confessional: Hansel: The Sahra Guild

"I will have to be careful around the girl that just spoke to me. I did manage to piss her off on the boats. It doesn't seem like she still cares about that though. I'll just have to see."

End Confessional


Laurie was digging through the sand. Allen walked over to her.

"Oh, hello there!"

"Hi!" Laurie smiled at him for a second before resuming her digging.

"How are you doing, dear?"

"I'm great!" She kept digging. "How about yourself?"

"Doing well with the challenge." Allen shook his pouch of coins. He looked more closely. "You work well with your hands~"

Laurie giggled. "Yeah, they're tough. They have to be."

Allen sat down next to her. "For you challenges~"

"I mean… I guess. But actually, I'm an MMA fighter."

Allen stood right up. "Ah, okay." He began walking away. "Cool…"


Confessional: Allen: Deserted

"She would be my first vote for two reasons. Number One: I need the strongest out during the team phase so I will have a chance in the merge. Number Two: If I had kept going, I might've been her next punching bag."

End Confessional


Confessional: Laurie: Deserted

"Man, I never got that guy's name. I was so focused on the challenge. I didn't think people would try to talk to me!"

End Confessional


"So you're a photographer!" Declan said walking next to Winter.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorite things to do!"

Declan gave her a gentle nudge. "I got caught in a trap looking at the beauty of a place. I'm sure you'll get plenty of good-"

"Wait!" Winter pointed her finger up. "This is perfect."

"... What is?"

"This light. I've been thinking about it this whole time and now the ocean is perfect too and we're so far out there are barely any contestants so we won't have any stragglers in the shot." Winter gasped and fished a coin out of her pouch. "Here take this for a second and pretend you just found it!"

"Oh, we're doing this now?"

"Well, we have an hour for a simple challenge, and it's not like it'll ever be the two of us alone here at this exact place at this exact moment ever again with this exact light and this exact scene so I have to capture it!"

Declan obliged to the spontaneous photoshoot, returned the coin to Winter, and looked through the photos with her. "Wow! Those are some cool shots! How did you get it to look like this?"

"Well, usually I'd have a different camera where I can change the exposure levels and lenses out and really capture the moment well, but since I wanted a camera for this show, I brought this small digital camera. Since it doesn't have internet access, the interns let me have it."

"Hey! That's pretty smart!"

"Thanks!" Winter gazed through the photos. "You're a really good model, Declan."

"Thank you."

Winter walked away from Declan. "I'll see you around."


Confessional: James: Deserted

James sat on the seat with his arms crossed for a few minutes. He picked his voice up in a low tone. "I don't know who, but somebody stole my coins. I have a feeling it was when I went to relieve myself." He facepalmed. "This is great. I'm going to be experiencing some great dehydration from the sun in the next few minutes. I should've listened to my brother when he told me to drink some more water before leaving, but no! I had to drink the orange juice!"

End Confessional


Confessional: Christopher: Deserted

"This challenge is so exhausting." Christopher said, completely drenched in sweat. "I found three coins on my own. Four coins copying Amethyst. One coin Selena's way. Three coins following Allen. And two coins digging like Wendy." He sighed. "I'm never gonna finish this challenge. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try! I have-" Christopher counted the coins in his pouch. He counted the coins a second time just to be sure. "I have thirteen coins! Wow, that was easy!"

End Confessional


"Golly!" Wendy looked up from her pit. She was about 20 feet from the surface sand. She looked back into the camera. "Well, might as well start diggin' my way out. Maybe find some more coins while I'm at it!"

"Uh," the intern behind the camera just had to ask, "how did you manage to dig us this deep into the sand without all the other sand particles caving in on us?"

"Oh that," Wendy flicked her wrist. "Lemme tellya. Ya learn a thing or two when ya live in tha country!"


"Braden!" Chris threw his arms out. "Congrats on being the 14th contestant across the finish line! You are now a part of the Majraa Guild!"

Braden twiddled his fingers. "W-Which is w-what team exactly?"

Larissa raised her hand. "Over here." She said calmly.

"Oh." Braden had calmed down.

Another contestant had crossed the finish line. "Winter! Congratulations on being the 15th contestant to cross the finish line! You are now a part of the Kaniun Guild!" Chris made sure to point at the carpet this time.

"Oh! Looks like it's time for another group photo!" Winter got the camera ready and tried to instruct the partial team to a certain pose.

"Hey, no fair!" Luna called out from the Sahra carpet. "The interns took my phone, but she can have a camera!"

Winter shrugged while holding up the camera for her partial team. "The rules said no phones, and I thought the camera was fine because we're surrounded by cameras."

"While what Winter is saying is technically true," Chris winked, "the reason we took your phones away was because you were connected to our wi-fi somehow. Not sure how. I only change the password every hour. But you still managed to connect, which is NOT allowed. So we went through and took all your phones away. We learned from the past." Chris held his thumbs up.

Flashback

Her wheels of her suitcase screeching behind her, Luna walked down the aisle confident in her game plan.

An intern had come up to her to walk her through the show's TSA. Putting her suitcase on the track, and her other belongings that contained metal, she walked through the metal detector with no problem.

There was a problem with her suitcase though.

He sighed. "I directed you to isolate your phone." He unzipped precisely where Luna kept her phone in stow. "It seems like there is someone every season who wants to do this."

"Hey, wait! I need it!"

"Technically, you don't if everyone else also doesn't need one. It's a tool that gives you an advantage. This game has survival and psychological skills that most of you don't even know, and that's where the phone comes in. You have everything right at your fingertips. Not here. Chris has exclusively ordered us here to take away any phones he sees. He doesn't want anyone somehow connecting to his internet or finding the areas with cell service. I will make sure your phone is safe since the game hasn't started. But, if Chris sees your phone, there is no promise that it will be safely handed back to you after the show."

A lightbulb went off in Luna's brain, but she contained her excitement. "I understand, sir."

End Flashback

Luna crossed her arms and turned away. "Well, this is absolute rubbish."

"Christopher! Congratulations on being the 16th contestant across the finish line! You are now a part of the Aljibal Guild!"

"I've always wanted to be a part of a guild!" Christopher ran up to his designated carpet and hugged both Rosa and Mason. "I just hope we're all going to be best friends!"


Confessional: Jeremy: The Aljibal Guild

"I have a suspicion that the little boy may be gravely wrong. It's just a suspicion though. Maybe this seemingly upside-down Guild will turn right-side up with another member that balances all of us out. It's what I've been hoping for ever since Mason joined, and Christopher isn't a bad start either."

End Confessional


"Laurie." Chris threw his arms up. "Congratulations on being the 17th contestant across the finish line!"

"Woo!"

"You are now in the Sahra Guild! Right on the yellow carpet."

Laurie sat down with her guild. "Sweet!"


Confessional: Hansel: The Sahra Guild

"I really hope I won't be the only guy on this team, or guild." Hansel looked up. "I'm still getting used to it."

End Confessional


"Katniss." Chris announced. "Congratulations on being the 18th contestant across the finish line! You are now a part of the Majraa Guild!"

Katniss sat on her hands and feet, unsure of what to do.

"Uh." Chef thought for a moment. "Fetch." He threw an imaginary stick towards the Majraa Guild carpet.

Katniss scuffled over to her guild carpet.

Larissa wrote for a second in her notebook, but noticed Katniss still looking around for the imaginary stick. She decided to try something. "Good girl!" She said, scratching her head.

Katniss laid on the ground, happy to receive the scritches.

JT appeared next. "JT!" Chris announced. "Congratulations on being the 19th contestant across the finish line. "You are now in the Kaniun Guild!"

"A guild?"

"Yes," Tony stood up and approached JT, "a guild is a group of merchants who craft and trade. Usually, they had quite a bit of power in the social hierarchy in the medieval times. My name is Tony. Welcome to my guild!"

Evelyn approached JT this time. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You look a bit pink."

Chris nervously looked from side to side. "Interns! Fetch the sunscreen! Contestants! Please, get back to your mats! Chef?"

Chef put his hands up. "WhatdidIdo?"

"It's getting kinda late. Maybe give these contestants some water since they're looking pale."

"Oh, thank God!" Rosa cheered.


Confessional: Rosa: The Aljibal Guild

"Chris is actually being nice!"

End Confessional


Chris brought the mic to his mouth. "Contestants out in the desert! You have 20 minutes until your challenge is up! Use them wisely. Once the timer is up… heh heh heh… you will be trapped out here with no team and a bigger price to pay!"


Confessional: Tony: The Sahra Guild

"If it were up to me, I would have had this competition be based on actual income and have the total coins be a percentage of expected salary." Tony shrugged. "It's no matter to sweat though. I've built myself up once, and I can build myself up again!"

End Confessional


Cole knee-slid across the finish line. "Sly Ruse has found his team!" He said lowly. "But which of the four does he decide?" He ran up to the mats. "Will it be you?" He pointed to Majraa. "Or will it be you?" He pointed to Sahra. He picked up a stick from the ground and pointed it up to the air. "Only an oath drawn from blood will be the ultimate chooser for whom my team shall be!"

"Are you going to stop him?" Chef asked Chris.

"I wasn't at first because I thought he was embarrassing himself, but he's actually pretty captivating."

Drake held his hands together. "Please for the love of whoever decides these things. Do not let this maniac join our guild." Drake thought for a second. "But it would be pretty funny to see him try to stab himself with the stick."

In slow motion, Cole aimed the stick to stab himself right in the heart.

But Chef stopped him. He pretended to faint and woke up from the faint after a few seconds. "I am the incarnation of your blood." Chef said in a soulful tone while standing up. "I have decided which team will be yours!"

"Which one do you drive me towards?" Cole questioned.

"First of all, these are no teams, but guilds!"

"Oh, had I been so foolish this whole time!"

"Your guild is the Aljibal Guild!" Chef pointed to the rug.

Cole rose up from the sand. For the first time, you can see just how covered in sand he truly was. It was so much more than any other contestant there. He approached his guild. "My new brothers and sisters. It is an honor to be a part of your new family!"


Confessional: Christopher: The Aljibal Guild

"I feel cheated. My parents never told me I was getting new siblings!"

End Confessional


"Well," Mason started, "I never thought my new brother was going to be the sand monster."

"The only person to have a sibling as a monster would be you, so I guess it works." Rosa rolled her eyes.

"My new siblings… are teasing me. We truly are meant to be with each other!"


Confessional: Mason: The Aljibal Guild

"This guy gets it."

End Confessional


Confessional: Jeremy: The Aljibal Guild

"He's eccentric, but I think it's gonna work! My hope for this guild has been somewhat restored."

End Confessional


Kairo stepped foot across the finish line.

"Congratulations, Kairo, for being the 21st contestant to cross the finish line! Please make your way to the Sahra Guild."

"Thank you, Chris." He said and made his way to the Guild carpet. "Hello, ladies and what's your name?"

"Hansel."

"Nice to meet you. And the rest of you?"

As the introductions went on, another had crossed the finish line. "Congratulations Declan for crossing the finish line 22nd! You are now in the Majraa Guild!"

"Nice!" Declan walked over to the carpet. "How is everyone?"

"Been here since the start." Vivian P wiped some sweat off her forehead and took a big gulp of water. "It's so hot out here."

Declan chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't think it would be this hot while spring just started."

Wendy crossed the finish line next, looking just as sandy as Sly Ruse. "Wendy! Congratulations on being the 23rd contestant across the finish line! You are now a part of the Kaniun Guild!"

"Alrighty!" Wendy walked up to her carpet. "Hiya, peeps!"

"Hey." Drake said.

"Welcome to my guild." Tony greeted.


Confessional: Evelyn: The Kaniun Guild

"I can't help but keep noticing how he keeps calling it 'his' guild. It has to mean that he wants to be the team… or guild leader. I just have to be prepared when that option is taken, but I hoped we'd be a chill guild and not one that has to constantly follow orders from someone."

End Confessional


12 Minutes Remaining

Lizzy was running across the desert, struggling with her red shoes in her hands and her coin pouch in the other.


Confessional: Lizzy: Deserted

"Okay, so I heard that announcement and freaked. Like, I'm on the other side of the desert, I think? I went way too far, and I don't know where the fuck I am! I need to get back to the finish line because I am not staying out here and dip into my days like that!"

End Confessional


Another shot cut to Selena running clad in her black high-heeled boots.


Confessional: Selena: Deserted

"I decided to go for the first 10 coins I saw. Maybe they were in stupid places, like in other peoples' hands, by cactuses, on top of trees, sometimes I was hallucinating, but I made it! Now I just need to get to that finish line. This'll be a good workout for the week!"

End Confessional


"Trevore! Congratulations on being the 24th contestant to cross the finish line!"

"Tch." Trevore kicked the sand but perked up a second later. "Which team am I on?"

"Guild." Chris corrected. "You are on The Aljibal Guild!"


Confessional: Trevore: The Aljibal Guild

"So, coming in 24th is not my best display. But there is so much more game to unpack, and I'm sure my team understands."

End Confessional


"Hi guys!" Trevore waved to his guild.

"Hey Mr. 24th!" Mason jeered. "Get it!" He nudged Jeremy. "Because he placed-"

"Oh believe me," Jeremy stared out, unamused. "I get it."


Confessional: Jeremy: The Alijbal Guild

"I'm not pleased with how Mason is alienating everyone from each other by his awful jokes. I am 90% sure he's doing it on purpose too. Maybe he's trying to unite us against him, but I'm not sure how effective this technique will work in the long run."

End Confessional


"Hey, I just decided to play a different game than the rest of you." Trevore defended himself. "It's about the coins, not about how fast you get them."


Confessional: Trevore: The Aljibal Guild

"Yeah, that's right. I got three more coins than was required. Meaning I got 13! I bet you 3 coins no one else went above and beyond like I did! Nobody!"

End Confessional


"Selena!" Chris threw his arms up. "Congratulations on being the 25th contestant to cross the finish line!"

"Hey. 25th is better than nothing!"

"You are now a part of the Sahra Guild!"

"Sweet!" Selena went to sit down with her guild members. "I am beat!"

"You must be if you've been performing in the desert heat all day." Eleanor handed Selena a flask of water.

"Oh, the winners get the compliments."

Kairo shrugged. "I don't see us as winners. I see us as accomplishers! There is still plenty of game ahead of us."

Luna nodded. "Yes, indeed."

Chris gestured to the next contestant across. "Vivian Lopez! Congratulations on being the next contestant across the finish line, placing 26th!"


Confessional: Vivian L: The Majraa Guild

"I may have been a bit distracted doing… something else… for the time being. I wouldn't have had the opportunity again.

Postpone Confessional


"You are now in the Majraa Guild!"

Vivian L glanced at who was in her guild.


Resume Confessional

"And it seemed to have been worth it given who is on my guild. Get ready. Things might become interesting very soon."

End Confessional


The next contestant ran across the finish line and stopped immediately.

"Lizzy! Congratulations on being the 27th contestant across the finish line!"

"Did you really have to announce it like that?"

Chris shrugged. "I've been saying the same thing for every contestant who crosses the finish line."

"It's true." Eleanor snarked.


Confessional: Lizzy: The Kaniun Guild

"Then he must've phrased it that way on purpose!"

End Confessional


Harry calmly walked across the finish line.

"Harry, congratulations on being the 28th contestant across the finish line!"

"You know, some people might take that as an insult, but I will choose to take that one as a compliment."

Jeremy spoke up. "That kind of attitude will be welcomed in our guild!"

"Hey! Leave the guild assigning to me!" Chris jerked his thumb at himself

Jeremy shrugged. "I'm sorry. Just been here from the start so I recognized the pattern and assumed."

"Yeah, you better be!" Chris cleared his throat and put on his signature smile. "You are a part of the Aljibal Guild."

"Yassou dears!" Allen stepped across the finish line next. "It is quite the pleasure of meeting all of you! I hope we all have a fair and enjoyable game."

"Allen! I would assign you to a Guild, but you seem to be shy of a coin pouch."

"WHAT?" Allen frantically looked for his coin pouch.

"How can you notice?" Declan spoke up.

Chris gestured towards Chef. "Chef has a metal detector."

Chef waved at a monitor. "It's hooked up to the carpet, so that's how we know you have enough to cross."

"Well, that rules out hand-making coins." Hansel muttered.

"But this doesn't make any sense! I had enough coins!" Allen went for his coin pouch that was noticeably not there.

James appeared on the scene.

"James!" Chris threw his arms up. "Congratulations on being the 29th contestant to cross the finish line with enough coins."

"Thanks Chris." James inconspicuously dropped Allen's empty coin pouch.

"You are now a part of the Sahra Guild!"

James walked over to his guild.

"But Chris…" Allen ran his fingers through his hair, "this simply doesn't make any sense!"

"Here's what's simple to me. You don't have enough coins, so you don't complete the challenge. You don't complete the challenge. You don't get assigned to a team." Chris picked up Allen's empty coin pouch from the sand. "I believe this is yours."

"But how!"

Chris reached into his pocket and turned off his timer. He then blew his airhorn into the speaker.

Jianne unplugged her ears. "Why did he do that? We are all right here!"

Chris ignored her. "The challenge is officially over! Allen, you stay in the desert until you can find yourself 11 coins. Your 3-day period starts now at noon! Everyone else, let's make our way over to da shop where we can finish up our tour of the game!"


Confessional: Allen: Deserted (3 Days)

Allen held his empty pouch. "Only a cheater would steal coins from me, and I will have none of it! So if this is the kind of game these mongrels want to play, then that's how it shall be! Oooh, I will go low once I'm out there. The rattlesnake slithering beneath the vines will come out to strike and slowly kill their victims with their venom. It will be a slow and painful death, and I shall come up to reap the rewards. When you hear that rattle, you will know that it is Gladiolus Alastair."

End Confessional


30/30 Remain. 1 Deserted.


AN: It's me. Hi. I will start off with an apology for the long wait. Honestly, my life has changed so much since I began this project, and it has been quite the ride. I've been in school, outlined this project 8 times because I was a toxic perfectionist, I've been out of school, moved, got a job, started exercising, went back to school, and now we're here. I know it's been a while and some may no longer be interested in this project, but I believe that there are still a few of you out there that do hold at least a little bit of hope for this, so here I am, and here I shall stay. I cannot promise frequent updates, but I can promise updates. Anyways, talk about a blindside for Allen? Do you think he will rise after his return or will the desert swallow him?


EN: Man, I don't even know what to write here tbh. I'm just super excited that this is finally being actualized. There were A LOT of outlines that replaced each other over and over again before we finally settled on one. I know I personally had a lot of fun reading through this and I hope you guys are as excited as I am for what is yet to come!


AN2: While Doobop is here editing… come join us over on Doobop Discord Server, Doobop's Desktop! We are all one big family there, and I don't feel right making my own when Doobop already has one that everyone is on, so… join us there! This story does take place in his cinematic universe. I suppose I shall leave a link to it in my own profile so it's easier to find, but it is in Doobop's profile as well if I had not received the permission.


AN3: And, as always, thank you for reading!