Markku Moor is a young daredevil from Basel. He lives with Apollon Holmström, his fairy-tale prince. The two are a happy couple and also the best of friends. Everything could be perfect if it weren't for the recurring nightmares in which Markku tries to separate madness from wisdom. Every morning, he feels like just a shadow of his former self. All of his lover's reassurances do nothing; Markku senses something bad is coming his way. To distract himself, Markku trains regularly. While jogging along the Rhine, he overhears Molpe, whom he knows from the past. Molpe has always been strange, as the little guy swims in the Rhine year-round and loves to sing while sitting on bridge pillars. From then on, seductive songs and sounds lure Markku into nightmares where he is dragged into the depths by sirens. Shortly thereafter, he nearly drowns for real.