"Hunting nearby will be boring, Mandume," Olivia grumbled, tying her boots tighter. "What do you hunt around here? We all need to return with something. And what will we find in this barren patch?"
"Olivia, come on," Rudra interjected, calm but firm. "Let's watch out for one another. Next time, Star will do the same for us, you'll see. Safety comes before thrill."
Mandume added, "Olly… last time, if Tiffanie hadn't reached Star in time, we wouldn't even have her today."
"Agh… Fine," Olivia rolled her eyes. "But if I lose, I'm blaming both of you."
Mandume chuckled. "Don't worry. We won't lose."
Meanwhile, Bonita found Daniels standing near the trail, waiting. They exchanged a wordless smile before embracing tightly, as if the past few days had worn their hearts thin.
Back at the camp, inside a quiet tent, Star glanced at her phone, suddenly remembering to call Tiffanie. She dialed quickly.
"Hello?" Tiffanie answered.
"Star speaking. Hi."
"Star? Oh my God—how are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"I'm great…" Tiffanie hesitated.
"You forgot us, huh?" Star teased.
"Star… actually—"
"I know. Bonita told me everything," Star interrupted softly.
"Boni told you? Star, she's not to be trusted. Let me guess—she's befriended you now?"
"Tiffanie, listen…" Star leaned back, calm but deliberate. "I'm Star. I can see people for who they are from the first glance. Bonita was fake, sure—but she had a reality check. That's why I'm calling you. I want you to hear her out. Like I did."
"What are you getting at, Star?"
"I want you to come to the Davids' place tomorrow. Let Bonita speak for herself."
"What? Tomorrow? You want me to come for her birthday? No. Until she repents, I swear she'll never see my face again."
"I didn't mention her birthday. You're not coming for that. You're coming for her. Think, Tiffanie. I'm asking you to reconcile. If I—someone she planned to kill—can sit with her, so can you."
Star paused, letting her words soak in.
"Tiffanie, can a friendship of twenty years really be broken because of me?"
"Oh, so now you're blackmailing me?" Tiffanie snapped.
"Yes. She blackmailed you into letting go of Mendu. Now I'm blackmailing you into remembering your own bond. You're waiting for her to surrender? Good. You'll only have to wait two seconds tomorrow. Just… come. I want to see her smile again."
Tiffanie was stunned into silence. Star didn't wait for a reply.
"Please think about it."
She ended the call.
Tiffanie sat there, frozen. Her memories with Bonita flooded back—laughs at the river, secrets under the stars, pinky promises they swore never to break. And now?
Meanwhile, Bonita and Daniels strolled along the trail.
"Thanks for coming, especially " Bonita whispered.
Daniels shrugged. "You didn't expect disappointment from me, did you?"
"Tell me we're paired," he grinned.
"In the hunt? Yes. But not in the tents." Her face fell. "I'm upset."
"Who am I paired with then?"
"My sister," Bonita replied.
"And you?"
"Rudrof… my brother's cop friend."
Daniels blinked. "So it's one guy, one girl per tent?"
"A brother and sister will be sharing tonight," he muttered under his breath.
"Yep," Bonita said, tugging his arm. "Come on. Everyone's waiting."
They jogged off, the last to join the group.
Later that night, Star lay in her tent, scrolling through TikTok with one earbud in. The sounds of crickets were oddly comforting, the night breeze slipping through the tent's mesh like a whisper. Until—
Crack.
A twig snapped outside. Star froze.
Another sound—soft, measured steps—brushed against the fabric of her tent. Her gut twisted. But pride and fear had always wrestled inside her, and tonight, pride won again. She swallowed her fear and crawled out.
The clearing was still. Empty. Too empty.
She stepped forward, her eyes scanning the tree line. Something moved behind her.
She spun.
Nothing.
She returned to the tent, uneasy. As she stepped in, her name bracelet glowed faintly—her name etched in shimmering light. She stared at it, frowning.
Then—
Whack.
Something struck her from behind.
The world went dark.