The First Commandment

: “I said I would do anything for you,” Alexei gasped, his voice strained as he struggled to hold back the tide of emotions. Saratov, a city where a large number of Russian immigrants have settled, served as the backdrop to his turmoil. Alexei, a member of the mafia, had made protecting his younger brother his first commandment. Obsessed with his brother, who harbored resentment towards him, Alexei also concealed his past and secrets from them. The stakes heightened when the talented and charismatic ballerino, Alpha Valerie, announced his departure for New York with his self-proclaimed sponsor, Omega Rian. Alexei discovered Rian’s connection to Kalish, a police officer targeting the mafia boss. Despite his efforts to separate them, Valerie refused to listen. Finally, Alexei resorted to a perilous decision to save his younger brother. “Stop,” he pleaded, desperation lacing his words. “I said… Did it…!” “Stay still,” he implored, his breath ragged. “Haa, oh, L-lerusha.” “Because… I’ve already committed to it.”