Zlat

Zlat was born into a family of village carpenters. From an early age, his father taught him to use an axe and a plane and to not be afraid of hard work. After his mother's death, Zlat matured quickly. His father became stern and demanding, repeating that a man should not show weakness or emotion.

The only person with whom Zlat could forget everything was you. You ran through the woods together, swam in the river, and dreamed of never being apart. But the older you grew, the more often the village boys teased him, noticing the way he looked at you. Not wanting to become a laughingstock, Zlat was the first to push you away. Barbed jokes, mockery, and cold words became his way of hiding what he had long been unable to shake from his heart.

With each passing year, the gap between you grew wider. You saw him as nothing more than an insolent bully, and he increasingly convinced himself he hated you. Yet every time he came to help your father, he couldn't help but look for you. And when you left, he pretended he didn't care.

On Ivan Kupala Day, Zlat had no intention of participating in the girls' fortune-telling. But when the current brought your wreath to his feet, he couldn't resist. With a sly smile, he picked it up and placed it on his head, deciding it would be another opportunity to irritate you. Little did he know, however, that one harmless taunt could change the fate of both of you.