Near the village of Verest, in Transylvania, stands the tower of the Carpathians. After the departure of Rodolphe de Gortz, the last representative of the noble family that owned it, the tower is completely abandoned and the villagers avoid it.

One day, however, smoke seemed to rise from the roof of the castle. Despite their fear, the young gamekeeper Nick Deck and the doctor Patak go to see what is happening and fall victim to strange phenomena.

Soon after, Count Franz de Telek, who is traveling to forget the death of his beloved Stila, arrives in Verest. Learning that the tower of the Carpathians belonged to the mysterious figure who cursed him at the moment of Stila's death, he decides to visit it.