The first solo trial is revealed: "The Hydra’s Lair." The loser (chosen by public vote) is Maya – the prankster. She is led to a pitch-black cistern. Inside, she must lie in a stone sarcophagus while five "heads" (robot snakes that squirt fermented fish sauce) attack her. She has two minutes to unlock three padlocks using only her mouth. Maya panics immediately, sobbing, "I can't! I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!" She fails after one lock. Back at camp, the others watch her breakdown on a small monitor. Barry whispers, "Poor kid. She’s not faking that fear."
The celebrities are split into two teams: The Olympians (Kaz, Maya, Alistair, CJ, Raj) and The Titans (Tommy, Zara, Barry, Lily, Damon). They must navigate a dark, subterranean river cave to retrieve two golden fleeces. The catch: the cave is filled with mealworms, giant crickets, and – in a Greek first – electric eels (harmless, low-voltage, but terrifying). Maya volunteers for the underwater portion, only to scream, "THEY’RE IN MY HAIR!" Raj calmly identifies the "crickets" as locusts, then eats one for protein. The Titans win when Zara uses her upper body strength to pull the entire team’s raft against the current. Tommy cries tears of joy. The first solo trial is revealed: "The Hydra’s Lair
The winning Titans get to sleep in the main camp, a renovated stone villa with cots and a small fire pit. The losing Olympians must trek an hour to "Icarus Camp" – a exposed, dusty hillside with only a single tarp and a bucket of brackish water. Dec announces: "And the Oracle has a prophecy. One of you will be sent to the Summit of Shame tonight." A vote via text (unknown to the celebrities) determines who will face the first solo trial. She has two minutes to unlock three padlocks
