The terrible battle has already ended, but over Petersburg clouds continue to thicken. The city is struck by a new disaster: darkness from the Other Side takes hold of people’s minds, and through their voices ominous prophecies are spoken—prophecies about the death of Emperor Paul. Alexey is ready to shield the sovereign with his own body, but duty demands more: the rift between the emperor and the heir grows ever sharper, and loyalty will inevitably have to be given to only one side.
The turn of the century is approaching—when the boundary between the world of people and the world of darkness is thinned to the limit. Can Alexey stop what seems inevitable? And, most importantly, will he be able to do so without losing himself?