The Black Swan's Final Revenge Pirouette: The 99th Game Was Mine All Along by Kylie Homme

Chapter 8

Outside the burning mansion, Latigi’s friends shrieked with excitement at the growing inferno, wildly snapping photos and videos on their phones like it was a concert finale.

“Holy shit, revenge ninety nine is going to be LEGENDARY!” Tyler howled, capturing an Instagram story of the flames.

“Tinally, Luigi can dump that clingy bitch and on with his life!” Blake slapped his knee, grinning

maniacally.

move

“When we ‘rescue her, I’m going to record her ugly crying face and blast it all over TikTok. Let the whole fucking campus see what a pathetic mess she really is!” Josh laughed, already planning his caption.

The hellish red glow illuminated their faces like demons at a bonfire, casting long, distorted shadows behind them.

Standing slightly apart from the group, Luigi listened to their callous banter with growing discomfort. Something felt deeply wrong.

His mind kept replaying Ariana’s face from moments earlier–that strange, peaceful expression. Those words that now seemed so final.

Wait–she’d been abnormally calm, hadn’t she?

Every previous anniversary, Ariana had practically vibrated with excitement. She’d plan for weeks. creating Pinterest boards, texting him countdown updates, handling every detail personally with almost manic enthusiasm.

Luigi had always been happy to let her take over. Why waste effort on someone who was just a means to an end? He’d even internally justified his coldness–if she hadn’t humiliated Leila, she wouldn’t be with him anyway.

But tonight had been completely different. Ariana had been unsettlingly quiet.

During the entire drive, she’d sat silently beside him, no nervous chatter, no excited questions.

Beyond those haunting final words, she hadn’t once asked about his “surprise.” She’d been like a marionette with cut strings–compliant, empty, resigned.

And now that he thought about it–he’d been gone nearly twenty minutes, the fire had been raging for almost as long–and she hadn’t called or texted even once?

him like a bucket of ice water.

17. 17.

Black Swan’s Final Revenge Pirouette: The 99th Gjel

the screen over and over, desperation growing with each swipe No calls. No

as cold dread spread through

the enormity of the flames for the first time. Orange and red tongues licked three stories high, the heat

away.

“Ariana

laughter echoing in their apartment, the way she’d leave little notes in his textbooks, how she’d waited hours in the rain once when his car broke down.

deciding to move, he bolted toward the

going?” Derek shouted, as the group moved to block

to respond, a deafening explosion ripped through the night, the concussive force knocking them backward.

BOOM!

mushroom cloud of flame and debris spiraling

group’s expressions transformed from drunken celebration to genuine horror in an

shit–that wasn’t supposed to happen!” Blake yelled, suddenly sober.

another. The sound was like artillery fire, each blast

outward as glass shattered. Burning chunks of wood and concrete rained

mind consumed by a single thought: she

inferno.

desperation, only to be tackled by

go in there!” Tyler shouted, pinning him

911! Fire rescue is coming!” Blake yelled, his face ashen with

no trace of his

out!”

5.54%

Chapter 8

In his mind, he and hear her eating the him–could imagine her trapped, choking, terrified. Every memony of her kindness, hey deson tr he’d taken for granted, crashed over him

friends aside with strength born of pure adrenaline, launching