Denis tried to walk alone.
The next day, he looked at his own life. His parents had scheduled his entire week: tutoring Monday, piano Wednesday, coding Saturday. His friends laughed at the same TikTok memes, wore the same sneakers, and avoided any conversation deeper than "What's your rank in that game?" At dinner, his father asked, "Grades good?" His mother asked, "Eaten well?" No one asked, "What did you feel today?"
It started with a school assignment: read Beni Ecën Vete and write an essay. Denis opened the PDF with a sigh. Old book. Communist times. Boring.
But the trophy was cracking.