Krabat is a poor beggar boy. One day, curiosity leads him to the mill at Koselbruch, which is rumored to have eerie stories surrounding it. There, he meets the sinister miller, who takes Krabat on as his twelfth apprentice. Over the course of three years, Krabat learns not only the trade of milling but also the art of the dark school. He discovers that while magic grants him power and wealth, it also increasingly robs him of his freedom. Krabat watches as two of his fellow apprentices fail to free themselves from the bonds of evil. He realizes that the devil himself is the patron of the mill and that he is in grave danger. Only the unconditional love of a girl can save him from the entanglement with evil.