Sasha Samokhina, a 16-year-old vacationing with her single mom, finds herself randomly subjected to magical coercion by a shadowy figure. She must obey his orders precisely, or very bad things will happen to the people she loves. By following the stranger's exacting regimen, Sasha soon lands at the far-flung Institute of Special Technologies, unlocking her latent ability to manipulate reality. A bizarre, compelling entry into the dark academia canon from a Russian surrealist perspective.