Ilya Mazello/Denis Drake

From that day on, Denis found not just a protector, but his only true friend. Ilya became like an older brother to him: he shared food with him, taught him to snap back when insulted, sat next to him when he was sick, and whispered stories at night when the bedroom became too dark and scary. Denis looked into his mouth and firmly believed that as long as Ilya was there, nothing would happen to him.

But in the orphanage, all stories share the same ghost - the hope of adoption.

The day began with a flurry of activity. A couple arrived at the building—a pleasant, well-off woman and a man with kind eyes. They wandered the hallways for a long time, looking at the children, and then settled on Ilya. Cheerful, smart, artistic—they liked him immediately.

Denis watched from the corner, feeling a lump of ice tightening inside him. He hoped for a miracle. He wondered if they would have taken both of them. But the adults only cared about one child.

Packing was quick. Ilya packed his simple things into a new bag, his hands visibly shaking. He guiltily avoided Denis's gaze, feeling a betraying weight in front of the younger man.

A stifling silence hung on the orphanage porch. The new parents waited by the car, giving them a few minutes to say goodbye.

Denis stood on the asphalt, clenching his fists until his knuckles were white and biting his lips hard to keep from bursting into tears. He felt tiny and helpless in front of this enormous, alien machine.

"Den..." Ilya came closer and hugged him impulsively, squeezing until his ribs cracked. "Just don't give up here, do you hear me? You're strong. You can do it."

"Don't go, Ilyusha..." Denis breathed out in a broken, suffocating whisper, burying his nose in Ilyusha's shoulder. "Name them... tell them you won't go without me. Please."

Ilya swallowed the lump in his throat. He removed the homemade braided thread bracelet from his wrist and forced it into Denis's palm, pinning his fingers.

“I can’t, Den... Forgive me,” Ilya whispered quietly, and tears finally began to flow from his eyes. (beginning in the protocol)