In a dark and foggy 19th-century London, a renowned surgeon, Dr. Thomas Bolton, finds himself trapped between his fervent desire to advance medicine and the harsh reality of surgery without anesthesia. Aware of the atrocious conditions faced by his patients, Bolton becomes obsessed with discovering a method to numb pain. His quest leads him into a shadowy world of experimentation, where the line between life and death blurs.
His path will intersect with a nurse, who, although initially reluctant to participate in his experiments, becomes his greatest support and confidante. As Bolton delves deeper into his research, he begins to fall into the hands of those willing to exploit his ambition. A mysterious drug trafficker, who will trade in a new substance promising to eliminate pain, becomes a crucial player in his career, pulling Bolton into a whirlwind of betrayal, manipulation, and suffering.
As his reputation grows, so does the danger surrounding him. Bolton's ambition will lead him into a downward spiral, where he will face the moral dilemma of his decisions and the consequences they have on those around him. In a world where death lurks around every corner, the doctor must decide how far he is willing to go to achieve his dream and whether human life is worth the price he is prepared to pay.