Youth Without Youth

In 1938, 70-year-old professor Dominic Matei travels to Bucharest, where he reunites with Laura, the love of his youth. This meeting stirs feelings of longing and regret for the life he feels he has wasted in pursuit of linguistic origins.

Feeling despondent and contemplating suicide, Dominic is struck by lightning, which unexpectedly rejuvenates him into a much younger version of himself. This shocking event also grants him extraordinary psychic abilities that alter his perception of reality.

As Nazi Germany invades Romania, Dominic finds himself under the scrutiny of Doktor Josef Rudolf, who becomes interested in his newfound abilities. Meanwhile, Dominic struggles with confusing experiences as his powers grow, leading to relationships that blur fantasy and reality.

Dominic begins to converse with an elusive entity known as his 'Other,' which presents concepts beyond his understanding. This being displays supernatural feats, including manifesting roses, further deepening Dominic's astoundingly altered reality.

Having witnessed miraculous occurrences, Professor Stanciulescu encourages Dominic to flee Romania to escape the Nazis. This decision marks the beginning of Dominic's life of subterfuge as he attempts to elude those who wish to exploit his powers.

Towards the close of World War II, Dominic hides out in Switzerland, where he faces Rudolf at gunpoint. Rudolf argues that Dominic represents the Nazis' ideals of a superman, prompting Dominic to refuse and manifest his telekinetic powers to avert danger.

After thwarting Rudolf's attempt on his life, Dominic returns to a semblance of normality, resuming his work studying linguistics. He reflects on how the lightning strike has altered him, and he begins to build a secret language for a future world.

Years later, during a hike in the Alps, Dominic encounters a woman named Veronica, whom the 'Other' reveals to be the reincarnation of Laura. This revelation invigorates Dominic, who feels an intense connection to Veronica, reigniting his lost love.

When a thunderstorm strikes, Dominic rushes to save Veronica, discovering her chanting in Sanskrit. Their connection deepens as she identifies herself as 'Rupini', an ancient disciple of the Buddha, indicating an intertwined past that stretches beyond their lifetimes.

Dominic seeks help from scholars to find Rupini's cave from her past life, which they believe may restore Veronica's health. Funded by the Roman College of Oriental Studies, they hope that the journey to India will reveal crucial links to her former self.

In India, a Boddhisatva recognizes Veronica as 'Rupini' and guides her to the meditation cave. As she reconnects with her past, Veronica regains her identity, stirring profound emotions in Dominic as he witnesses her transformation.

Overwhelmed by their rekindled love, Dominic and Veronica elope to Malta. In an intimate moment, Dominic confesses his eternal love for her while she sleeps, triggering her journey through further past lives.

As Dominic helps Veronica regress into ancient tongues, her health begins to wane from the intensity of the sessions. Realizing his closeness accelerates her aging, Dominic makes the heartbreaking decision to distance himself from her to protect her well-being.

Returning to Piatra Neamț, Dominic is confronted by the 'Other' who reveals the impending future of humanity. He learns that a nuclear apocalypse will create a new species of man, and he is to be the first, a role that he vehemently protests.

In a moment of defiance, Dominic shatters the mirror that reflected the future of mankind, rejecting the sacrificial vision proposed. Tragically, the next morning, he is found lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, clutching the third rose in his hand.