Count Ludwig Karnstein hires historian Friedrich Klaus to investigate a family curse after his daughter Laura Karnstein suffers horrific premonitions. When a carriage accident stranded Lyuba at the estate, the newcomer provides vital emotional relief to the fragile Laura. Their rapid, intimate bond overshadows all other relationships within the castle, escalating to a tense excursion into a nearby ruined village. Local horrors mount when a peddler is found hanged, and a desperate ritual by a housekeeper reveals deep Satanic ties. Discovery of an ancient portrait links the visitor directly to the curse, speeding up a frantic escape.