Le 19e cercle de l'Enfer

Chapitre 1

Chapter 1: The Doll Murder Case (1)

(1)

At midnight, a torrential downpour poured down from the dark night sky, instantly enveloping the entire campus in a hazy rain mist. The night-blooming jasmine on the balcony trembled, emitting a damp and strange scent.

Song Xiaomo put down his book, walked to the window, and gently opened it a crack. A gust of cold wind, carrying sparse raindrops, hit him. He shivered and quickly closed the door and window.

The dormitory building across the street stood in the darkness, enveloped by rain and its sound. It was an old building, clearly bearing the design style of Baroque architecture, with intersecting curved surfaces and elliptical spaces. The word Baroque originally means strange and bizarre, and its main architectural characteristic is the pursuit of strange and unusual effects, such as expressing space in a deformed and discordant way, and depicting figures with exaggeratedly slender proportions. Song Xiaomo's father was a well-known architect, so he had a strong interest in architecture from a young age. After graduating from the architecture department of a famous university in China, he went on to study at HY University in South Korea for a master's degree.

Tonight is Song Xiaomo's thirteenth night at HY University. Thirteen is considered a very unlucky number in Western culture. At this hour, most students are already asleep, lulled by the patter of rain. For some reason, Song Xiaomo feels a strange sense of unease and foreboding, and can't fall asleep. He lives in room 520, and something seems to be moving in the room directly opposite his in the building across the street, like a ghost in the dark, always secretly watching him. The tinted windows of that room are always tightly closed, so even during the day, nothing can be seen inside. Song Xiaomo paid special attention; those two windows have never been opened, and the lights have never been turned on at night.

Is no one living inside?

Designers are usually sensitive, and Song Xiaomo's growing curiosity kept her tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

It was past two in the morning when the wind picked up and the lightning flashed, tearing through the darkness. The rumbling thunder outside the window made the room tremble, and an eerie, terrifying atmosphere filled the air.

Song Xiaomo put on her clothes and walked to the window again.

Just as he glanced towards the room opposite, a terrifying clap of thunder exploded, followed by an arc of lightning that streaked across the sky, flashing a blinding, eerie white light that illuminated the dormitory building as if it were daytime. In that brief moment, a large black bird let out a heart-wrenching cry and flew from the balcony of the opposite room into the thick rain. Song Xiaomo was pleasantly surprised to find that the window had suddenly opened, perhaps blown open by the strong wind.

Another blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and Song Xiaomo's pupils dilated. Through the blur, he finally saw something hanging in the room.

To be precise, it looked like the corpse of a child, his flowery clothes fluttering in the wind.

Why don't children have legs and feet?

Song Xiaomo grew bolder and tremblingly opened the window. Suddenly, he froze as if frozen. A black rope dangling in the air caught his eye. My God! There was clearly a child's head hanging from it.

Chapter 2: The Ghost Doll Returns (2)

A human head with no hair, no eyebrows, no ears, and no nose.

Before he could react, the head suddenly turned to look at him, grinned, and revealed a pair of unfathomable dark eyes.

"Who are you?"

He gasped, closing his eyes in terror. He felt a surge of power rushing to his throat. He tried desperately to control himself, but he couldn't stop his body from trembling violently.

"No, no, there's nothing there, it must be a hallucination, a hallucination..." He shook his head vigorously to clear his mind.

Then, mustering his courage, he suddenly opened his eyes. Song Xiaomo wasn't a particularly timid person. In fact, he was fearless and dared to work the night shift at the morgue alone.

The thunder grew more and more distant, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. The room opposite returned to darkness. He could see nothing. Everything had vanished into a vast expanse of rain and mist.

"It might really be a hallucination, damn rainy day..." He took a deep breath and tried to reassure himself.

Song Xiaomo's tense nerves slowly relaxed. He carefully checked the windows and doors, then decided to go back to bed. Just as he left the window, he couldn't help but glance back at the gloomy room across the way.

This time, as if fate were playing a joke on him, another sudden, ghastly white bolt of lightning flashed. In that instant, he felt something fly into his eye again. His heart pounded once more…

What is that?

(2)

The next morning, Song Xiaomo opened her eyes to find the sky already bright, with sunlight streaming onto her bedside like water.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late for class this morning." Song Xiaomo slapped his forehead and quickly sat up in bed. He habitually glanced at the mirror on the bedside table; a sleepless night had left his eyes sunken, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look like he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Who could it be? He was the only Chinese student in this dormitory building, and he always kept to himself, rarely interacting with the other students upstairs. Without thinking too much, Song Xiaomo carefully opened the door.

A young man's pale, gaunt face was revealed.

"Hello, may I come in?" The young man smiled slightly. Seeing that Song Xiaomo was a little confused, he added, "I live next door, in room 521."

"Oh, hello, hello. Please come in." Song Xiaomo's mind instantly cleared. He had seen him a few times in the corridor before. Although they had never spoken, the face was somewhat familiar.

The young man came in, picked up a chair, and sat down. Somewhat reservedly, he asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Song Xiaomo's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively glanced towards the room opposite. Strangely, the open window had closed again. Several white pigeons were flying back and forth on the balcony. He remembered last night, in the light of the lightning, he had seen two strange things: the first was the hanging human head, and the second was a young couple kissing. If the first was a hallucination, how could he explain the second sighting of the young couple? Was that also a hallucination? For a while afterward, Song Xiaomo observed them intently. Unfortunately, the rain gradually stopped, and the lightning never appeared again. He regretted not having seen the young couple more clearly.

Chapter 3: The Return of the Ghost Doll (3)

"What's wrong with you?" the young man asked, looking at him with a strange expression.

"Oh, excuse me, what did you ask?" Song Xiaomo asked awkwardly as she came to her senses.

"Nothing, I was just asking if you slept well last night."

"Last night?" Song Xiaomo immediately became alert, staring intently into the other person's eyes as she asked, "Did you see something?"

"What? I don't understand what you're talking about." The young man looked somewhat bewildered.

Seeing that he didn't react in any particular way, Song Xiaomo quickly swallowed the words that were about to come out and changed her words to, "I slept okay, it's just a bit late. Look, if you hadn't come, I would still be in bed right now."

"Yes, there was a rare heavy rain last night, and the thunder woke me up several times."

Song Xiaomo poured him a glass of water and casually asked, "What brings you here today? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The young man took the cup, took a slow sip, and smiled, "It's nothing. I hear you opening and closing the door at the same time every morning, so I guessed your life must be very regular. But today... I was worried something might have happened to you, so I came to check on you."

"Thank you, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Song Xiaomo looked at the man gratefully, her goodwill towards him growing unconsciously. Especially when you're in a foreign country, it's rare to meet such a considerate foreign friend.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Park Eun-hee, and I study psychology. I've been here for two years..."

"Then you're my senior. My name is Song Xiaomo, I'm from Dalian, China, and I study architecture..."

"China?" Park Eun-hee's eyes lit up, and she said with some longing, "A great country with a long history. I really look forward to visiting it someday. Many great figures were born there, such as Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mencius. Ancient Chinese historical records contain early discussions on the psychology of crime. Mencius believed that all people have a sense of compassion, shame, and right and wrong. Some people do bad things because of the influence of their environment..."

"Hehe, it seems you know a bit about Chinese culture, you're practically a China expert, unlike the friends I met when I first came to Korea. They were only interested in Bruce Lee and kept asking me who was stronger, Bruce Lee or Masuda."

"That's because Koreans are so fascinated by Chinese martial arts, and they are captivated by Bruce Lee's superb martial arts skills. Koreans have never been stingy in admiring the strong."

"Alas, it's a pity I didn't learn nunchaku when I was in China, but I did practice Taekwondo, founded by General Choi Hong-hi, for two years. To be honest, Taekwondo is quite popular in our country recently, especially among young people, everyone likes to practice it."

"Really?" Hearing Song Xiaomo say that, Park Eun-hee smiled proudly.

Chapter 4: The Ghost Doll Returns (4)

“Actually, Chinese and Korean cultures are closely related. For example, in terms of food, we both use chopsticks. It is said that the history of chopsticks can be traced back to at least the Shang Dynasty, before the 11th century BC. Now, more than 1.5 billion people worldwide use chopsticks, which shows that chopsticks, invented by the Chinese, have become an important and unique tableware in the world today…” Park Eun-hee said, staring at the wooden chopsticks on the coffee table with great interest. Those chopsticks were brought from China by Song Xiaomo. Before going abroad, he had heard from a friend who had returned from Korea that you could hardly find wooden chopsticks in Korean restaurants and shops; they were usually long and thin iron chopsticks. Eating cold noodles with those chopsticks would be a painful experience if you didn't have any skill. So Song Xiaomo specially brought several pairs of high-quality mahogany chopsticks, which were made in China.

The two chatted very congenially, and before they knew it, more than an hour had passed. Park Eun-hee glanced at her watch, stood up, and said, "Alright, Xiao Mo, it's been a very pleasant conversation today. You've given me a deeper understanding of China. But I have to go now. If you need anything, you can come find me next door. I'm very happy to have you as a Chinese friend."

"Yes, I will." Song Xiaomo shook his hand in a friendly gesture. His hand was icy cold, as if it had just been pulled from an ice cave. Song Xiaomo shivered involuntarily and glanced back at the room opposite. Suddenly, a strange gust of wind blew from that direction. The water glass on the table trembled, ripples spreading across the clear water inside. What he had seen last night seemed to be haunting him again, like a nightmare.

Park Eun-hee opened the door, turned her head and said, "Goodbye."

"Wait...wait a minute." Song Xiaomo called out to him, her voice a little flustered.

Park Eun-hee stopped and looked at him with a strange expression, as if she had encountered an alien. However, from Song Xiaomo's uneasy gaze, he realized that there might be trouble.

"Is there something you need?"

After hesitating for a while, Song Xiaomo finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Last night... I saw it last night..."

"Xiao Mo, what did you see? Tell me what it is, and I will do my best to help you." Park Eun-hee was a little anxious, staring intently into his eyes.

“There’s someone across the way. I saw someone in the room across the way last night.” Song Xiaomo pointed to the eerie room, her lips trembling, and large beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

The words had barely left his lips when Park Eun-hee froze, as if struck by something, a deep fear flashing in her eyes. This sudden remark had startled even him. Seeing the change in Park Eun-hee's expression, Song Xiaomo immediately asked anxiously, "Did you see it too? Did you?"

“No, that’s impossible. There’s no one living across the street. I looked out the window last night, but I didn’t see anything, I swear,” he answered firmly.

"But... I really saw something." As she spoke, Song Xiaomo recounted everything that had happened last night in one breath.

“That room hasn’t been lived in for two years. You must be seeing things,” Park Eun-hee said, turning her head in a deep and certain tone.

Chapter 5: The Ghost Doll Returns (5)

Song Xiaomo noticed that his gaze was somewhat unfocused and continued to press, "You're lying to me. Tell me quickly, tell me quickly, is there really something? Have you discovered something too?"

Park Eun-hee shook her head helplessly and said, word by word, "If you really saw something, it definitely wouldn't be a person."

If it's not human, then what is it? When faced with mysterious and unknown fears, everyone immediately thinks of it: ghosts!

Could it be a ghost? Song Xiaomo felt a buzzing in his head, and blood rushed to his forehead. He was a sound-minded atheist and absolutely could not believe in ghosts.

Ghosts only exist in people's minds.

He stared at Park Eun-hee's eyes with some suspicion.

Eyes covered by a thin mist.

After a long silence, Park Eun-hee slowly said, "Okay, I'll tell you something now. I hope it won't scare you."

The light in the room suddenly dimmed, and a suffocating atmosphere gradually spread. Song Xiaomo stared at Park Eun-hee's lips, quietly listening to the story that had once taken place in that room.

(3)

Two years ago.

The principal's son, Kim In-hyun, moved into the room across the hall. He was a handsome, tall boy with long, golden hair, fair skin, bright, clear eyes, thick eyelashes, and white, even teeth. He liked to wear white shirts, and his whole demeanor was light and graceful, exuding a unique charm that girls found attractive.

Kim In-hyun was born into a wealthy and scholarly family and received an excellent education from a young age. Her father, Kim Hong-tae, is the chairman of the board of directors and president of HY University, as well as the president of a large corporation. Kim Hong-tae has two sons: the elder son, Kim In-bin, works in the police force; the younger son is Kim In-hyun.

Kim In-hyun majored in painting. He admired the works of Japanese landscape painter Higashiyama Kaii and had studied in Japan before returning to Korea to pursue further studies at HY University. His hobbies included collecting and photography. At school, the handsome Kim In-hyun naturally attracted many beautiful girls, and he was always surrounded by them. However, everyone knew that Kim In-hyun had an exceptionally beautiful girlfriend. Anyone who saw her was astonished by her beauty. It was a natural beauty, indescribable in words.

His girlfriend's name was Shin Mi-hyun, and she grew up in an orphanage. From high school onwards, her life became intertwined with Kim In-hyun's. Their love was smooth sailing, sweet and heartwarming. They vowed to be together forever, until the end of time.

However, after Kim In-hyun returned from studying in Japan, he became much more distant from her. One day, when Shin Mi-hyun opened her bedroom door, she saw a shocking scene: Kim In-hyun was embracing a beautiful girl. It turned out her name was Yuki Ryukyo, a Japanese girl. This girl wasn't as pretty as Shin Mi-hyun, but during her time in Japan, she left the lonely and isolated Kim In-hyun with a deeply unforgettable memory. For him, she had even traveled all the way from Japan to Japan.

Shin Mi-hyun felt despair, and her arguments with Kim In-hyun became more frequent. The distance between them grew wider and wider. They both lived in love, yet their love turned into hate.

Chapter 6: The Ghost Doll Returns (6)

Finally, the terrible thing happened.

That evening, a torrential downpour began, and the students were awakened by the piercing screams emanating from that room. When they pushed open the door, they were all drenched in a cold sweat. One boy even fainted on the spot.

It was a blood-soaked scene: Shen Meixuan, her hair disheveled and her face covered in blood, knelt on the ground, her features distorted and deformed by the trembling of her facial muscles, her body constantly sobbing, and a series of hoarse groans escaping from her throat.

Horrifyingly, a chopstick was stuck in her right eye. Blood was flowing from her eye socket like water.

Kim In-hyun lay on the bed, unresponsive. A bold student walked over, knelt down, and noticed that his pupils were dilated.

He died.

Next, the police intervened, and the autopsy results proved that Kim In-hyun died of poisoning. Later, in Shin Mi-hyun's single dormitory, the police found poison that matched the medication found in Kim In-hyun's stomach. With overwhelming evidence, Shin Mi-hyun became the prime suspect.

Many people, including the police, speculated that Kim In-hyun must have discovered Shin Mi-hyun's conspiracy before he died, and then, with his last breath, he plunged chopsticks into Shin Mi-hyun's right eye, dying with resentment in his heart.

Due to her injuries, Shen Meixuan was first taken to the hospital for treatment and had her right eyeball removed. Even though she became a murder suspect, many classmates and teachers still visited her. Because no one could imagine that such a gentle and kind girl would cruelly murder the person she loved most. She had been such a good girl.

Two weeks later, Shin Mi-hyun was discharged from the hospital. Under repeated questioning by the police, she confessed to killing Kim In-hyun, but did not elaborate on the details. This meant that she would face legal consequences.