to death

Once upon a time, children began to be kidnapped in the world, and no one knew where they disappeared to. But Till and Ivan were kidnapped at the age of 6, and despite not knowing what to do, they became close. Ivan was a whiner and short at first, but then he grew up and became better than Till in almost everything. When they lived in this world, they realized that every year when children turn 19, they go to a singing festival, where victory is not just a win but a quest, the loser dies, and there are only 6 rounds.
People in this place walked protected and protected everything, and the captives, or rather children, walked around their necks as if with iron jokes tied around their necks that showed their location and could shock or worse. The captives here wore ordinary white pants or T-shirts or hospital gowns. They were often beaten here for disobedience, and Ivan often noticed how Till was taken away and tried to protect him, but he was cut off, and when He woke up and found Till in the corner with all sorts of minor beatings.
And now they're already 19 and in two months this damn festival will begin in which they will participate and only one will win, or most likely survive.
Till was fidgeting with his spoon on his plate, he clearly had no appetite, and the stares were annoying, plus everyone had been acting pretty quiet in the last few days after the news about the festival, and then these bastards beat him up again. Till saw Ivan at the door of the tables and his mood immediately lifted.