Chapter 99

The scene on the screen played on relentlessly. The trio was utterly consumed by their web of love and resentment, completely oblivious to the destruction they left in their wake.

Helpless mortals scattered in terror—weeping, screaming, begging—but their cries fell on deaf ears. The gods' petty squabbles reduced everything to rubble, erasing generations of hard work in mere moments. The village lay in ruins, a wasteland of shattered lives.

When the love triangle finally reached its dramatic conclusion, the three didn’t even glance back at the devastation. The man in white vanished into the sky, while the man in black spirited the woman away.

As the lights dimmed, the venue plunged into stunned silence. For a heartbeat, even the barrage of online comments paused—until, like a tidal wave, viewership surged as word spread.

Preston and Donovan were drenched in cold sweat. Why are they doing this again? Filming this show is literally stealing years from our lives! They exchanged frantic glances. They might as well have just replayed Team Duo Alpha’s performance as a parody! This is brutal! Did Team Duo Alpha offend them somehow?

Even the backstage crew trembled. Their special effects—nearly identical to those used in the previous performance—made them look like accomplices in Team A-List’s ruthless takedown. They braced for the inevitable backlash from Team Duo Alpha’s furious fanbase.

Meanwhile, the audience sat frozen, hearts pounding. The romantic fantasy they’d just witnessed had twisted into something dark and absurd.

Offstage, Sebastian, Adrian, and Seraphina glared at the screen, fists clenched. This wasn’t just competition—it was a targeted attack. Team A-List had turned their performance into a punchline.

The live comments exploded.

"This is blatant sabotage! They’re mocking our idols to prop themselves up. How vile!"

"I used to respect them, but this? They’ll do anything to win."

"Team A-List has no integrity. They’re just bullies hiding behind ‘artistic interpretation.’"

Defenders fired back:

"Team Duo Alpha’s fans need to chill. These are standard fantasy tropes. If their idols used them first, why can’t Team A-List?"

"Maybe your idols should’ve picked a less clichéd plot. This is what happens when you recycle tired storylines."

A neutral viewer chimed in: "Okay, Team A-List is definitely throwing shade, but their take is way more compelling. The gods’ drama literally destroyed innocent lives. That’s the real tragedy."

Twitter erupted. Debates raged, but public opinion remained split.

Onstage, the horror continued.

The lights rose on returning villagers—only for them to find their loved ones gone, their homes obliterated. The injured wailed; the dead were buried. Rivers ran dry, crops withered, and plague spread. Survivors huddled at the temple’s steps, broken.

Julian’s character collapsed. Then Evelyn’s, her final whisper cutting through the silence: "They were supposed to protect us. Do they even care? If they exist… why did they abandon us?"

But the worst was yet to come.

The celestial war raged—sparked by nothing more than a lovers’ quarrel. Smoke engulfed the stage as rapid flashes showed:

—A wedding reduced to ashes.

—A scholar’s life’s work burning.

—A mother cradling her lifeless child.

—A king’s desperate plea to the heavens: "If they won’t save us, why do they get to destroy us? They don’t deserve our faith!"

The screen lingered on the man in white cradling the woman as they disappeared—oblivious to the hell they’d unleashed.

The lights faded.

Silence.

Then—chaos.