The End of the Madness

"Relax, Nico," Kirana said with a chuckle. "Fear is part of the game. You have to savor every moment of it."

However, Nico's dramatic panic only made the situation more chaotic. His nervous laughter broke the silence, followed by Sana, who finally gave in and let out a small laugh. Arga couldn't help but crack a faint smile, even though his fear hadn't entirely subsided.

The tension was still palpable, but for a moment, they all laughed together. It wasn't laughter born of happiness but rather the absurdity of their predicament. Laughter became their only way to cope with the lingering fear. Yet beneath that laughter, the shadow of the sharp blade hidden within the box continued to haunt them.

Arga took a deep breath, trying to steady his frayed nerves. With slow, deliberate movements, he brought his finger closer to one of the buttons on the box. His hand trembled slightly as he finally decided to press the button.

"Click…"

That tiny sound made everyone hold their breath. Their eyes were fixed on Arga's hand, waiting to see what would happen. But a few seconds passed without any sign of danger. Silence hung in the air, and Arga finally exhaled deeply, feeling a slight sense of relief.

"Alright, it's safe," he murmured, though the tension in the air remained.

Now it was Sana's turn. She looked at the buttons with a mixture of anxiety and, strangely, excitement. "It's been a while since I felt this kind of tension. The last time… ah, I used to play games like this with Kevin. Damn it, why am I thinking about that jerk?" Sana chuckled softly, though her words carried a hint of bitterness.

Kirana, who had been enjoying the situation all along, simply nodded slightly with a faint smile, as if truly relishing the chaos she had orchestrated.

Arga glanced at Nico with an incredulous expression. "Are they both out of their minds?" he whispered, earning only a brief nod from Nico.

Sana raised her hand, choosing a button with astonishing confidence. She pressed it quickly, without the slightest hesitation.

"Click…."

Once again, nothing happened. Sana took a deep breath, stepping back slowly as she tried to calm her still-pounding heart. "Wow… I thought it would be terrifying, but it's actually kind of fun," she said, her face still holding a trace of a faint smile.

Now only three buttons remained. Nico looked at the box nervously, then shifted his gaze to Arga and Sana. "Please, God, don't let this button be the one that triggers disaster," he muttered, half-joking, half-serious.

With a swift motion, Nico pressed one of the buttons. Everyone held their breath once more. A few seconds passed, and…

Nothing happened.

Nico laughed in relief, though cold sweat still dotted his forehead. "Oh my God, my heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest."

Now only two buttons remained. Kirana, with her ever-present smirk, stepped forward. Her gaze was full of confidence as she pressed one of the buttons. "Looks like we're going to survive tonight," she said casually, as if what was happening was just a simple joke.

"Click…."

Once again, nothing happened. A wave of soft laughter and relief spread among them.

"Thank goodness, all four choices were correct," Nico said with a sigh of relief.

But before they could fully relax, Kirana, without warning, pressed the final button with a chilling smile on her face. "Alright, here's the last button!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone immediately screamed in panic. "What are you doing, Kirana?!" Arga tried to pull his hand out of the box, but the mechanism was too strong to break free. Sana shut her eyes tightly, her breath caught in her throat.

However, a few seconds passed without anything happening.

Then Kirana burst into loud laughter, throwing her hands in the air. "Hahahaha! Oh my God, you should've seen your faces just now! This is too funny!"

The silence turned into a wave of mixed frustration and relief. Arga, Sana, and Nico quickly pulled their hands out of the box and collapsed onto the grass in the park, their breaths still ragged.

"Kirana, you're unbelievable!" Nico snapped, his face a mixture of anger and relief.

"Sorry, sorry!" Kirana raised her hands, though her face still carried a wide grin. "I didn't expect you all to react like that. But seriously, I'd never hurt you guys. It was just a little prank, okay?"

Arga shook his head, lying back on the grass while staring at the sky. "You're absolutely insane, Kirana."

Sana chuckled softly, still trying to catch her breath. "He's right, but… I have to admit, this was kind of fun. Scary, but fun."

They all eventually laughed together, though their bodies still felt weak from the tension they had just endured. The laughter gradually faded, leaving a calm silence that enveloped the night. Above them, the stars shone brightly, bearing silent witness to the whirlwind of emotions that had swept through their hearts. 

Kirana took a deep breath, her voice breaking the silence. She gazed at the sky as if searching for strength, then began to speak in a soft yet meaningful tone. "Maybe you think I'm strange, or maybe just a crazy person who loves to have fun. But honestly, there are so many reasons why I'm like this. I never had many choices in my life. Happiness? That was just a fairy tale I could never grasp. I was born in chaos, in a place where war was the only language people understood."

Her hands clenched into fists, as if trying to calm the storm of emotions rising within her. "My parents… they sent me to another country, hoping I could survive. They said, 'Kirana, find a safe place. Our lives may end here, but you must keep going.' I was just a child then, too young to understand the meaning of their sacrifice."

A bitter smile crossed her face as her eyes welled with tears. "My homeland was destroyed. People killed each other, stole from each other, claiming they were right. Foreigners took over our land, our homes, even our hopes. We just wanted to live in peace, but they kept pushing us out of what should have been ours."