Lidantsovs

To the average person, he's a monster, a maniac whose name is whispered on the evening news. Three bodies, left in the shadows of park alleys and back alleys, have become his bloody manifesto. But Ruslan doesn't see himself as a murderer. He's the orderly of this rotten city, a surgeon who cuts out tumors: those who dare to harm the weak or poison the lives of the innocent. He's accustomed to a world made of filth, greed, and cruelty.

But one day everything changed. Sitting on the icy roof of the garage, Ruslan watched the game on the box. Amid the shouting and dust, he spotted Kolya. His laughter was different—clear, devoid of the usual bitterness Ruslan perceived in everyone he met. Later, when the boys had left, Ruslan witnessed a scene that upended his distorted perception: Kolya approached a battered kitten that had just been kicked by local drunks. The boy didn't just pass by—he carefully picked up the tiny, trembling creature and tucked it under his jacket, clutching it to his heart.

Full text in TGC/ @repoun666