1569. The height of the oprichnina. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich burns out treason and heresies with a hot iron. Metropolitan Philip fell into disgrace and was exiled to a distant monastery - the last who dared to contradict the Terrible Tsar, exposing his sins and cruelty. And unknown to Ivan, that the rebellious metropolitan was his main defense from a terrible misfortune, that the demon, summoned by the famous astrologer and necromancer John Dee, had already broken free to take possession of the soul of the sovereign, deprive him of his reason and drown his kingdom in blood... Who will stand up? on the path of Evil? Who dares to challenge the enemies of Rus' and the Evil One himself? Who is ready to give not only his life, but also his immortal soul for the Fatherland? Who will become the secret eye of the King and remove the curse of the damned from his heart?