(Author's Note: While writing this, I received a comment on the actual show where somebody said I had no taste, alerting me to the fact that I have an opinion. At least I actually like the show to have an opinion. They can stay mad while I'm writing for y'all.)

"I'm guessing you guys have all the stones," Ethan says as his team walks back into the lounge, only to be met with the other team, who hummed in agreement, confirming that they indeed have all the stones.

"Good job, you guys," Chad says, shaking Mindy's hand first, and then down the line. He sounded kind of disappointed, but at least his sister was safe now.

"So that means you guys must be up for the vote and elimination," Sam says, feeling bad for the four who clearly didn't look like they were in the best mood for obvious reasons.

"Well, duh, it wouldn't make sense if we weren't," Quinn says with a forced laugh and a forced smile, knowing she might have to challenge her own brother.

"Yeah," Chad said with a forced laugh and smile as well. 

"Well, this letter that we got says, 'The blood gem can only be recovered by learning the name of the man without one. Two must be selected by vote to enter his toxic lair and steal it from him,'" Sam read aloud, her expression growing serious as soon as she reads the letter to the group.

"So I'm guessing there's still one more gem we need, which I'm guessing is the big one, of course, because why wouldn't it be," Mindy says, her tone tinged with a mix of sarcasm and resignation.

"Might as well get to voting, as dear old Amber once said," Ethan says, mocking Amber, which makes some of the group chuckles, while Amber remains unimpressed at the "joke" he had just made if you can even call it one.

They all walk to the lounge, carrying the artifact, and place it on the table. Carefully, they start putting the gems that Tara's team had collected into the right holes in the artifact. Each gem fits perfectly into its designated spot.

"Okay, we'll give y'all a chance to defend yourselves so we don't vote useful players out and end up with useless players in. Since we have to vote, tell us what was going on out there," Amber says, pushing all of the mushy crap out of the way to get to the heart of the matter.

"Okay, so I think my record speaks for itself throughout the game. In the first death challenge, I knew the right person for the job, which shows I can identify the strongest players here. I push myself more than others with clues and stuff. I did help find one finger out of my group, and my group-" Quinn was going to continue, as the other team looked impressed by her statement, but Amber cuts her off.

"Okay, time's up, Bimbo Barbie. Next!" Amber says with a smile before they turn their attention to Anika, as Quinn scoffs at Amber's bossy "I'm safe, you're not" bitchy attitude.

"Well, I did try to help my team. I read a lot of the notes, which nobody else does. I know I didn't find most of the fingers, but I did try," Anika says, leaving the team not impressed, but almost unimpressed.

"I didn't help that much with the clues in this challenge. I did try to look for it, and I did make some smart decisions. I helped guide my team respectfully, and I swear if you keep me around, I can still prove that even though I'm not the strongest or smartest member, I'm a team player," Ethan says, though the team seemed unsure about his statement.

"Okay, it's the same case as Quinn's for my plea. In my death challenge, I proved myself, so why do I have to do it again this round? Also, like I said once again, I am literally one of the strongest players, and I'm trying to be one of the smartest and most supportive ones next. So, if you don't let me in the challenge, I can still push up on that goal. I even took one for the team earlier, so yeah," Chad says, and the team seems to kind of agree with his statement, seeing where he was going.
"Anika and Ethan, you did try to defend yourselves, I think, but we need fighters who can fight. Chad keeps trying to build up to that, and Quinn, you're just Quinn right now," Mindy and Tara say, which makes Quinn give Mindy a questionable look.
"I can prove I'm the daredevil and a strong member by doing handstand push-ups," Chad says, which makes everybody interested.
"Oh god..." Mindy says, scoffing and rolling her head back on the couch since she didn't really want to see her brother show off.

"Do it!" Ethan says, really eager to see his best friend work out basically in front of him.

Chad then stands up, and everybody cheers him on as he goes into a handstand. He starts doing the pushups while still in the handstand, and the crowd continues to cheer him on enthusiastically. Ethan admires his best friend's strength and talent, of course.

Anika and Mindy make eye contact before mouthing the word, "gay," to each other, sharing a private joke about Ethan's admiration for Chad, who was too mesmerized to even notice.

Chad then exits his handstand, and everybody claps for him as he sits back down on the couch. The display of his strength earned him applause and admiration from the rest of the group.

"As much as impressive as that was, it was not needed, Chad," Amber says, her smile turning into an unimpressed expression which Chad just ignores this time.

"It is now time to vote. Only people from the losing team will be displayed. Are you ready?" Calliope asks as the team says they're ready.

Here are some (Not All) of the votes of some people:

Chad voted for Quinn.

Quinn voted for Anika.

Anika voted for Quinn.

Ethan voted for Anika.

Amber voted for Anika.

Mindy voted for Ethan.

"I will now shuffle and then draw two. Good luck," Calliope says, shuffling the cards before pulling one out but keeping it hidden from the others. 

"The first one into the challenge is...." Calliope pauses for a moment, building suspense.

"The Record Producer," Calliope announces, which makes Ethan sigh and even Quinn react in disappointment. Chad tries to comfort Ethan, rubbing his shoulder to give him confidence, while Anika frowns, empathizing with him.

"This will be fun...." Ethan says, staring at the ground. His tone suggests a mix of sarcasm and unease.

"The second one... The Jet-Setter," Calliope says, revealing the second card. Anika smiles sadly, and Mindy sighs, while some of the others also look sad at the two friends getting picked for the challenge. The realization sinks in that both Anika and Ethan will be participating.

"At least we're finding out his name together, and we're matching the settings," Anika mumbles while hitting Ethan's shoulder softly. Ethan smiles and laughs, trying not to dwell on the thought of himself or Anika dying from the challenge. 

"Maybe by going through this process, you'll find that fire," Amber says, offering words of encouragement to her teammates. 

"Maybe when we find our fire, you can do the same. Stop voting for people just because you don't like them, and instead vote for those who actually deserve it. That does not include this round," Ethan says firmly, expressing his frustration with the voting process. He and Anika walk over to join Mortimer and Calliope, ready to face the challenge and determined to prove themselves.

Calliope and Mortimer guide the two challengers across a bridge to the challenge area. The two challengers hold onto each other for support as they approach the challenge. "There are two sets of eight letters hidden throughout the lair that spell the name of The Man with No Name, one set in red and the other in yellow. The first to find their set and arrange them must call out his name," The note explained.

"They will then receive the blood gem, and the other will be strangled to death," the note said lastly, as the two challengers sighed to each other, still holding onto each other. It was their last moment together.

"All right, Anika and Ethan, are you ready? Ethan, remember you're yellow, and Anika, remember your red," Mortimer says as the two nods silently.

"You two may cross, go on with the challenge," Mortimer says as the two hold each other's hands while walking into the challenge.

"I'll miss you, Anika," Ethan whispers, his voice filled with emotion as he knows they might not see each other again after this challenge.

"I'll miss you too, my little mini-me," Anika whispers back with a giggle, and Ethan giggles also at the nickname.

They give each other a determined look before running into the challenge, trying to find the letters hidden in the thick fog. 

While looking through the fog, Anika suddenly senses a presence behind her. She turns around just in time to see the tall man approaching. In a panic, she manages to evade him, narrowly avoiding his touch. Her heart races as fear grips her, and she lets out a loud scream.

 While Anika was evading the tall man, Ethan managed to find his first letter and quickly placed it on his table. However, his focus was soon disrupted as he caught sight of the tall man nearby. Ethan felt a rush of fear, and he had to hold back a scream as he continued searching for the remaining letters, trying to stay calm in the face of the eerie presence in the fog. 

Anika continues her search and manages to find her next letter just as Ethan narrowly avoids being touched by the tall man. He lets out a loud scream as he runs away in the nick of time. Meanwhile, Anika discovers her next letter piece and quickly places it on her table. 

As Anika reaches for the next letter piece, she can't resist teasing the tall man from a safe distance, trying to distract him. Meanwhile, Ethan manages to put down his second letter and rushes to join Anika. However, as the tall man comes dangerously close to grabbing her, Ethan quickly intervenes, grabbing her hand, and they both run for cover behind a tree. They manage to find a new spot in the challenge.

As they continue to run and search for the letters, Anika manages to find two more pieces, while Ethan uncovers four more. Their adrenaline-fueled screams echo through the fog-filled lair as they frantically move around. Anika can't help but notice how quickly Ethan is progressing, and a sense of worry and nervousness washes over her. She knows she is falling two letters behind him, and the pressure to catch up and win the challenge intensifies. 

As Ethan finds his second-to-last letter, Anika manages to find another letter as well. They are both getting closer to completing their respective sets, and the challenge becomes even more intense as they race against each other to find the final letters. With determination in his eyes, Ethan sets off to search for his last letter, while Anika focuses on the remaining letters she needs. 

Ethan's heart races as he finally finds his last letter and rushes back to his table to arrange the letters. With trembling hands, he completes the puzzle and reveals the name of The Man with No Name. However, as he is about to call out the name, he suddenly stops himself and looks at Anika. Tears well up in his eyes as he realizes the consequence of his victory – his friend's life is at stake. "Anika..." Ethan Yells out slowly, his voice choked with emotion, knowing that Anika's fate is now in his hands.

"Ethan, just do it. You won fairly. You can go back to Quinn and Chad," Anika says with a sad smile returning to her face as she and Ethan look at each other from a far distance.

Anika's words resonate deeply with Ethan, and he knows that he has to make a difficult decision. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. With tears in his eyes, he looks back at Anika, feeling torn between his desire to save her and the knowledge that he won the challenge fairly.

"I can't, Anika. I can't let you die because of me," Ethan says, his voice shaking with emotion. "You're my friend, and I can't bear to lose you."

Anika's smile becomes even sadder, but she nods understandingly. "I know you're doing this out of love for me," she says softly. "But remember, Ethan, we're a team. We always have been, and we always will be. No matter what happens, you're my friend, and that won't change."

"Just tell Mindy I love her. I love you too," Anika says, tearing up as she expresses her feelings to Ethan.

"Love you too, N-Nika," Ethan says, his voice filled with struggle as he prepares to call out the actual name of The Man with No Name.

"B-B-B-Benjamin is your name," Ethan yells out, his voice shaking with nervousness and fear. Benjamin roars in response, and the blood gem in the glass opens for Ethan to retrieve, which he runs to get.

 As he gets it, Benjamin reaches Anika, and as she tries to run away, he touches her with both of his arms, rendering her unable to escape. He chokes her before blowing green smoke on her face, causing her to scream in agony as she dies instantly from the toxic smoke. The tall man drops her limp body to the ground. Ethan watches from afar, sobbing to himself, feeling helpless as he witnesses the death of his friend. He stands there, unable to do anything to save her.

"Anika...." He mumbles but runs away as he sees the tall man heading for him. Finally, he reaches Calliope and Mortimer, who rush him to place the stone/gem. When he does, the tall man suddenly disappears.

Ethan is still overwhelmed with grief and shock from witnessing Anika's death. The relief of defeating the tall man is overshadowed by the loss of his friend. He feels a mix of emotions as he places the blood gem, knowing that the victory came at a significant cost. 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Ethan!" Quinn says, noticing Ethan as he walks in with the artifact. At first, she has a smile on her face, but it quickly drops when she sees the expression on his face.

Quinn can sense that something is terribly wrong, and her joy turns into concern. She rushes over to him.

"I'm sorry, Mindy. I really am. I tried to give her a chance, but she kept forcing me to finish the rest of the challenge, and boom... I'm so sorry, this is my fault. She really did love you, and I took that from you," Ethan says, breaking down as the weight of guilt and sorrow overwhelms him. The rest of the group feels a mix of sympathy and regret, realizing the impact of the challenge and its devastating consequences.

Mindy's initial anger softens as she sees the genuine remorse in Ethan's eyes. While the loss of Anika is still painful, she understands that it was the circumstances of the challenge that led to this tragic outcome. The emotions in the room are raw and heavy, and the group shares in the sorrow of losing a friend.

Mindy's words are filled with pain and anger, and she doesn't hold back in expressing her feelings. "Even though I hate you for killing Anika, who didn't deserve it, and just you in general," she says, her voice trembling with emotion.

The weight of Mindy's words hangs in the air, and everyone in the room feels the tension. Ethan lowers his head, knowing the truth in her words and the pain he caused. He feels the weight of his actions, and the guilt consumes him. 

"Mindy!" Chad calls out, feeling a mix of sympathy for her but also concern for his best friend.

"But, I realize she was your friend too, and if she realized how I kept being hard on you for her, she wouldn't forgive me. It wasn't your fault; it was nobody's but the fucking monster... So, Ethan, I really am sorry, and just so you know, we all are here for you," Mindy says slowly, her words sincere and heartfelt.

The group listens, and a sense of relief washes over Ethan as he realizes that Mindy isn't angry at him or blaming him entirely.

"I'm sorry too," Ethan says, his voice still struggling to speak, and he clears his throat. He hugs Mindy, who accepts the gesture, and the rest of the group decides to join in the hug, feeling empathy and sorrow for the two friends.

The hug becomes a moment of solace and unity, as the group comes together to support one another in the aftermath of the tragic loss.

When everybody pulls away from the hug, Ethan places the artifact on the shelf before sitting next to Quinn and Chad. They try to comfort him, understanding the immense pain he's going through. Mindy smiles to herself, finding solace in the sweet moment and reflecting on the thought that Anika would have loved to see them supporting each other like this, even in her absence.

As the group finishes comforting Ethan, they softly inquire if he found any coins. Disappointingly, he shakes his head and admits that he didn't find any coins during the challenge. The realization dawns on them that the Carnival Master is catching up, and without the coins, they won't be able to open the box to escape.

(Author's Note: This was such a sad chapter... Anika is such a sweetheart, and Ethan is too :( How do we feel about Anika's sacrifice? This challenge? And why did Ai add so much emotion to my already sad sentences and paragraphs? I love it but also hate this chapter in the best way possible.)