Serge Battour, born to French viscount Aslan Battour and Romani prostitute Paiva, faced alienation from his extended family due to his mixed heritage. Orphaned in childhood by his father's tuberculosis, he later enrolled at France's Lacombrade Academy to follow his father's path. Assigned to room with Gilbert Cocteau, a student ostracized for relationships with older males, Serge experienced confusion and distress over his growing attraction to Gilbert despite initially identifying as heterosexual. Driven by an innate sense of justice and compassion, he persistently sought to understand and connect with Gilbert despite antagonism and social pressures.

His inherited talent for piano and skill in horse-riding earned peer recognition, yet his mixed-race background maintained social isolation. Serge's relationship with Gilbert evolved from hostility to friendship, then a romantic and sexual partnership. This bond deepened amidst systemic opposition, including manipulation by Gilbert's abusive father figure, Auguste Beau, culminating in their escape from Lacombrade to Paris.

In Paris, the couple descended into poverty. Gilbert struggled with trauma-fueled drug use and prostitution, dying after being struck by a carriage while under the influence of opium, an event Serge witnessed, leaving him traumatized.

As an adult, Serge returned to Lacombrade Academy after graduation. During this visit, he reflected on his youth: the turbulent relationship with Gilbert, their conflicts, emotional and sexual awakening, societal persecution, and eventual flight. His return framed these memories, underscoring the lifelong impact of his youth, marked by loss and the enduring psychological weight of Gilbert's death.