A story about a provincial theater, where the main character is trying to understand his relationships with his wife, colleagues and his own life.

In contemporary Russia there exists a hidden world - a world of magic and enchantment. Magicians have to hide from the nonmag society surrounding them, a society they are disdainful of, some even hostile towards. The Master of the Guard of the Supreme Council of Magic and Enchantment, Bakhrushin, loses his magic abilities and must not only avoid revealing this, but also prevent the war brewing between the magicians and the nonmagi.

34-year-old Moscow writer Igor Angelevskiy for the third time failed to win Russia's main literary prize. After the award ceremony, the hero's wallet is stolen, which contains the only memory of his mother. Hearing the news about the theft, 20-year-old pickpocket Aldar decides to read Angelevskiy's books and is so fascinated by them that he becomes Igor's student. The writer sees in the young man a brilliant storyteller with rich life experience. After a while, Angelevskiy and Aldar become friends.