Alex Forbes attends a boarding school where his father is principal. A new student, Nigel Colbie, is placed in Alex's room. Nigel has a father who is in the same secret society as Alex's father. Nigel, however, is unusual, and in Alex's words "had this morbid fascination with all things dead." Nigel keeps animals preserved in jars, and dissects them. Alex complains to his father, and Nigel is moved. But Alex can't seem to stop thinking about him. He does, however, start to flirt with a girl named Susan, whom Nigel kills. Later on, Nigel explained that there are a series of things that must happen for them to gain "eternity." <ref name=Variety></ref>