On his very first day at his new school, in Mariabronn, a monastery in medieval Germany, young Chrysostomos, who arrived there in a carriage accompanied by his father, will be forced to exchange punches with some of his classmates and will receive his first reprimand from the supervisor. However, he will also meet his brother Narcissus, almost his age, who will impress him with his appearance and personality. Brother Narcissus, on his part, who believes he has the power to read people's destinies, will see that he has a beautiful and talented boy in front of him, whose destiny is definitely not to renounce worldly things and generally follow the ascetic life of the monks.
Thus, with the friendship and sympathy that develops between them, he tries to help his young protégé find his way and fulfill his dreams. While he himself devotes himself to his philosophical meditations and fasting and prayer, secluded in Mariabronn, Chrysostomos leaves the monastery and, without hesitation, literally "dives" into a sea of blood and lust. Following the path that his destiny has laid out for him, he will go through fire and iron, engaging in the most unspeakable acts, but everywhere and always, relentlessly pursuing the vision of artistic perfection that, alas, is so fleeting.