When a frustrated sociologist helps the Police investigate the murders of a renegade swordsman who belongs to a Christian sect, she finds out he was her childhood crush.

SYNOPSIS:

11-year-old CLARA BELLINI is devastated, when she is not admitted to the martial arts master class held by her crush ALESSANDRO and his superior, the master student EAGLE. When she overhears a conversation of the two, she learns they belong to a secret society whose teachings focus on becoming one with nature again.

20 years later the Police are at a loss when they are alerted to a gruesome murder in the 50th floor of a Roman office tower belonging to a famous law firm. An important scientist working for a big oil company still sits in his chair. His hands and half of his head have been cut off. The Police ask Clara Bellini for help, who today is a troubled single sociologist and hobby martial artist who has written a thesis about secret societies of past times that no one is interested in. When Clara studies the crime scene pictures, she finds that the perpetrator left a clue meant only for her. Her fascination grows even more when she arrives at the second crime scene. In a decadent mansion 14 people were killed with extraordinary skill and relentless brutality. Among them the (split) head of the law firm which helped the oil company to cover up their environmental crimes.

Now she’s sure that the murders were committed by a renegade fighter of a Christian secret society believed to no longer exist - The VIA DEI VIGOROSI, prosecuted by the Church, known for supernatural skills born from mastering the four elements of nature. Clara suggests asking CARDINAL LOMBARDI for access to the Vatican secret archives but is turned down by the Police. When she learns the Police actually approve the killer doing a little dirty work for them and plan to just gun him down when the chance arises, she freaks out, quits and continues investigating on her own. In an anonymous letter, Eagle eventually tells Clara about Alessandro’s hideout. It comes to a passionate fight that reveals they have actually been in love from the very beginning, but Alessandro flees before he loses his will to finish his revenge mission. Today he is a heartbroken sword fighter who lives to avenge the death of his sister who died as a child of poisoning by toxic waste.

The Cardinal, who kept an eye on Clara and Alessandro, now personally invites Clara to a celebration held at the Vatican. He reveals to her that he is a grandmaster of the Vigorosi, who are successors of the once famous Mithras-Cult. He wants Clara to rewrite the history of Christianity with the help of ancient records thought to be lost to help the Mithras-Cult come back to power. The Cardinal has also invited EX-MINISTER BIANCHI to the Vatican Celebration, the man responsible for the death of Alessandro’s sister. Alessandro takes the bait, fights his way into the Apostolic Palace and cuts out Bianchi’s heart before Clara’s eyes. The Cardinal lets his acolytes take Clara hostage to make Alessandro fight on and fuel the flame. When Clara tries to break free, she is severely injured and taken to hospital while Special Forces arrive at the Vatican, seal off the Apostolic Palace and prepare to storm the building.

Meanwhile Eagle is enlightened by his and Alessandro’s MASTER that the Cardinal actually plans to unleash Alessandro’s full potential and turn him into Sol Invictus, the sun personified and eternal flame. Eagle is given the task to prevent this from happening, even if it means killing Alessandro.

The Cardinal reveals to Alessandro that he plans to unite the religions of the world with his help and rule over the believers for eternal peace. Eagle appears to help Alessandro but has no chance against the Cardinal who shatters his very soul with a forbidden technique. Clara fears for Alessandro’s life and runs away from the hospital back to the Vatican. With her last strength she fights her way through security guards into the Apostolic Palace, stumbles into the room where Alessandro outgrows himself while fighting the Cardinal and breaks down. When Alessandro turns to look at Clara, he is knocked out. Clara and Alessandro break down at the same time and lie unconscious on the floor, almost touching. When the Police storm the room, they only find Clara who is barely alive.

A month later Alessandro wakes up in the custody of the Cardinal and accepts to be trained by him without knowing that he shall become Sol Invictus. Alessandro’s Master finds Clara in a mental hospital, where she’s working like a maniac to rewrite the history of Christianity, hoping to one day find Alessandro again. The master tells her that he wants to train her to be a Vigoroso.