Kirana's Tale

She swallowed hard, trying to steady the turmoil within her. "Even our own government… they didn't truly protect us. Their selfishness and ambition destroyed everything—our families, our future, the homeland we loved. Children like me died one by one, helpless in a conflict we never chose."

Kirana shook her head slightly, her voice hoarse with bitterness. "Somehow, I survived. But surviving doesn't mean being free from nightmares. All that awaited me was a different kind of suffering."

The atmosphere grew still, broken only by Kirana's heavy breaths. Her voice dropped, almost a whisper. "As a young girl, I was alone. There was no shelter, no one to rely on. Just to eat, I had to fight stray dogs on the streets. Living like that numbed me… until one day, someone came to me."

She paused, lifting her face with a bitter smile. "He offered something that seemed like a miracle—a place to stay, warm food, even clean clothes. I was so happy. It felt like a dream I never dared to hope for."

But the smile slowly faded, replaced by a vacant stare. "But there was something behind all that kindness. After they gave me a comfortable place to stay and treated me so well, I ended up here. I don't even understand why they threw me into this place."

She took a deep breath, gazing into the distance as if searching for answers that never came. "This place… I don't even know what it is. An endless expanse where even the horizon and sky seem to swallow the edge of the world. I'm trapped here, without explanation, without hope."

Kirana bowed her head, her voice beginning to tremble. "It's been over five years I've been here, trying to survive with the scraps of strength I have left. But honestly, I'm starting to feel like there's nothing left to hold on to. At least I have you… good people who care about me. People like us, cast away into this place."

She lifted her gaze, looking into the faces around her. Her wounded eyes now shone with a glimmer of courage. "At first, I thought this place was part of some reality show or something. Ridiculous, right? A silly thought I clung to just to make sense of it all."

Arga let out a small laugh, breaking the silence. "You and Sana are the same. Both ridiculous," he teased lightly.

Sana, lounging casually beside Arga, immediately elbowed his arm. "How dare you! Remember, I'm old enough to be your mother. Show some respect, you brat." Her face looked annoyed, but the corners of her lips curled into a smile.

Arga laughed harder, and Sana eventually cracked a small smile, pretending to stay annoyed. The laughter rippled through the group, and soon, they were all smiling.

"There it is again," Arga muttered, chuckling as he rubbed his arm where Sana had hit him.

Their light laughter warmed the atmosphere. Gradually, they all looked up, gazing at the star-filled night sky. Even though their world felt so small, the sky above them seemed to remind them that hope was never completely lost.

The night that began with tension slowly transformed into a warmth that words could hardly describe. Their laughter echoed, breaking the night's silence, as if mocking the fear that had once gripped their hearts. The dangerous game they had played earlier not only brought adrenaline but also deepened the bond between them, mending small wounds in their hearts with threads of togetherness.

Kirana stood among them, her smile filled with satisfaction, like a puppet master who had just completed the most thrilling performance. "Don't worry, tonight's not over yet. There are plenty more exciting games waiting," she said mysteriously, deliberately sowing new tension.

Their breaths, which had just steadied, caught again. Arga, Sana, and Nico exchanged glances, their expressions half-believing, half-anxious. But Kirana was already laughing, enjoying their reactions as if they were the best part of the game. That laughter gradually turned into waves of relief until, finally, they all laughed together, realizing that, for tonight, they still had each other.

After their laughter slowly subsided, Arga lay down on the cold grass damp with dew, staring up at the starry night sky. The cool air caressed his skin, carrying the damp scent of earth and grass, a gentle reminder that they were still alive, still breathing in a world full of uncertainty. He took a deep breath, letting the night air fill his lungs before his voice broke the silence.

"I feel happy being here," he said softly, almost as if he were speaking to himself. His eyes remained fixed on the sky, which seemed to shimmer, like a giant canvas painting dreams and hopes.

Sana and Nico directed their gazes toward him, waiting for the next words they knew would surely come. A long pause enveloped them, but it didn't feel awkward; instead, it was filled with a meaning that was hard to describe. When Arga finally continued, his voice was lower, almost like a whisper carried by the wind.

"But I miss my family so much. My younger siblings at the orphanage… and also a childhood friend who meant a lot to me. I don't know how they are now," he went on, his voice trembling slightly at the end of the sentence. "It's heartbreaking to imagine that they might be crying or feeling lonely. But I know one thing: I have to find out the truth about this place and figure out how to get back. If there's hope, I'll find it. And I promise, I'll save everyone here. Everyone who has been trapped… thrown into this place without knowing why."

His words hung in the air like a quiet prayer, filling the night with a fragile yet palpable hope. Sana and Nico remained silent, letting the silence speak. The night breeze blew gently, adding depth to the moment. The night sky appeared broader, as if it, too, was listening to the promise that flowed from Arga's heart.

But out of the corner of his eye, Arga caught something that made a faint smile grace his face. Kirana, who had previously been so full of energy and always driving the situation, was now fast asleep on the grass. Her body curled up small, wrapped in the faint warmth of the night. Her face, usually adorned with a sharp grin and a gaze full of mystery, now looked peaceful, almost like a little child who had just fallen asleep after a long day of play.

"Look at her," Arga whispered, almost like a stifled laugh. "She was the one talking the most earlier and scaring us. Now, she's sleeping like… a little angel."

Sana held back a smile, while Nico stifled a small laugh so as not to wake Kirana. The three of them returned to gazing at the sky, this time in silence. The silence wasn't awkward but instead filled with a warmth that needed no words to be understood. Under the vast and dark sky, they found a sense of comfort they had rarely felt before—an unexpected sense of togetherness.

After a while, Nico shifted his position, sitting up. He directed his gaze toward Arga, then with a casual gesture, lightly punched Arga's shoulder. The touch was small but full of meaning, like a sign of support that didn't need words.

"Everyone here has a story," he said, a smile spreading across his face despite the seriousness in his expression. "Share yours. We're here to listen to each other."

Arga turned to him, then smiled faintly again. "You're right," he replied, his voice warm. "Maybe it's time for us to strengthen each other. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."

Sana, who had been silently listening, joined their small circle. She looked at the two men with a gentle gaze, as if holding a strength she had long hidden. That night, without them realizing it, they planted a small seed of family—a family formed not by blood but by shared fate and struggles.