Gleb

About half a year into Giers' new prison life, Gleb Chernov arrives at the colony.

Gleb navigates the prison hierarchy like a fish in water, fully understanding how to act to gain fear and respect. His father’s reputation plays a significant role in this. The Chernov name is well-known, and their family tattoo is recognized by all. They are a highly respected family in the criminal world, and everyone knows better than to cross them.

Gleb tries hard not to show his distaste for being in prison. He despises the criminal world and doesn’t enjoy acting like a rough brute, but he knows politeness can be mistaken for weakness.

Gleb’s attention is quickly drawn to Valery.

The mysterious, quiet boy who keeps to himself and is clearly ignored and disrespected by everyone else. Yet, despite this, he still somehow seems a few steps above all the other inmates. His posture is perfect, he eats neatly, doesn’t curse, and speaks in a refined, almost bookish way. Gleb, who had been enamored with high society and aristocracy before his imprisonment, is utterly captivated.

This is his ideal—the kind of person he always wanted to be. Someone who exudes an air of sophistication, even under humiliating circumstances, in shabby clothes, and amidst a prison environment.

Gleb decided to approach Valery by asking him for help: to teach him how to be like an aristocrat—how to speak eloquently, carry himself in society, and perhaps even help him with his studies. Essentially, he asked Valery to help him become the best version of himself.

In return, Gleb helped Valery with chores and other tasks. Overall, they ended up spending a lot of time together and getting along well.

To avoid issues with his reputation, Gleb told the other inmates that Giers now "belonged to him." However, Gleb didn’t demand anything in return for this.

All he truly wanted was to get to know Valery and spend time with him.

Giers couldn’t understand Gleb’s motives. He had grown used to the idea that nothing comes for free and that everything comes at a cost. Gleb, however, provided him with an incredible service: protecting him from other inmates, sharing care packages with him, and more. Giers lived in constant anticipation of when and how he would have to repay Gleb for all this.
The boys had many heart-to-heart conversations. Gleb shared a lot about himself, his family, his strained relationship with his father, and his inner struggles.

He also couldn’t help but question Giers about the charges that had landed him in prison. How could such an intelligent, fragile young man be convicted of a murder committed with extreme cruelty? And at just 14 years old?

Giers convinced Gleb that he was imprisoned unfairly, claiming that his relatives had framed him for the murder in a scheme to take control of his inheritance. Despite this explanation, no one had believed him.

In Gleb’s eyes, Valeriy was intelligent, kind, well-educated guy who had simply been set up.

It seemed to Gleb as if the entire world was against Valeriy, and Gleb was the only one who could see the truth and offer help. When he was with Valeriy, Gleb felt special. It seemed as though Giers had been waiting for him his entire life, as if they were soulmates. Even though they had known each other for only a short time, Gleb believed there was no one closer to either of them.

The understanding and absolute acceptance Gleb felt around Giers was something he hadn’t experienced even with his own mother.

It was surreal that a stranger could feel like the closest person in his life in such a short span of time, but that only made the situation feel even more romantic and storybook-like. Gleb was certain they were meant for each other and felt completely happy because of it.