Le retour de l'âme

Chapitre 12

"You're finally awake."

Zhao Jun rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I was forced to drink all night again yesterday."

"Hehe, I've been waiting here for you to wake up," I checked my watch, "It's been 5 hours."

"Really? What's so important?"

"You've forgotten so quickly? About the séance."

The words "Séance" seemed to pierce Zhao Jun's sleepy eyes, instantly brightening them. "Wait for me, I'll go brush my teeth first, then I'll take you somewhere." With that, he rolled out of bed.

At 3:50 p.m., led by Zhao Jun, we arrived at the office of the college's Youth League Committee.

Ever since Hu Xiaoli fainted here that night and Lingmin became mentally unstable, I have never returned to this office. Unfortunately, I have not recovered since being dismissed from my post.

"Why did you bring me here? I used to come here every day," I asked.

"I know. I'm just here to get the key to another office." Zhao Jun said as he took out his key and opened the door to the Youth League Committee office.

How did you get the key to this office?

"Hehe, I knew you'd ask that. I'm the vice president of the Psychological Research Association."

"Psychological Research Society? That's strange, I don't know there's such a group under the clubs department?"

"That doesn't belong to your clubs department, it's not an organization of the student union, it's a research organization with professors participating." Zhao Jun said as he opened the cabinet in his office and took out a key.

Following the stairs to the ground floor, in a not-so-obvious corner, there was a sign that read "Psychological Research Association." Zhao Jun opened the door, and I followed him inside.

"That's strange, how come I never noticed this place before?"

"This office wasn't very noticeable to begin with, and many people didn't even know it was there."

Why make it so mysterious?

"Of course it needs to be kept secret. There are many records of patients' psychotherapy here, which cannot be disclosed."

The office was over 100 square meters, with tall filing cabinets lining the walls. Zhao Jun walked familiarly to the filing cabinet in the right corner, unlocked the combination lock, and took out an old file folder.

"This contains information about séances."

The Fourth Campus Psychological Research Association (5)

I reached out to take it, but Zhao Jun pulled the file back. "You must promise not to leak it. This contains the patient's privacy. If it weren't for your special circumstances, I wouldn't have shown it to you at all."

"Okay, I swear I won't reveal a single word to anyone." After saying that, I eagerly snatched the file folder back.

"You can take your time looking around here; I need to finish a report."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing." I plunged headfirst into the pile of files.

After looking at it for a while, I realized that it was all medical records. Just as I was feeling like I was being tricked by Zhao Jun, a familiar name suddenly caught my eye—Nami Ikeda.

Name: Nami Ikeda Gender: Female Age: 22

Symptoms: Severe paranoia

Treatment date: March 18, 1995

Treatment records:

Are you still frequently bothered by her lately?

Nami Ikeda: "Yes."

When did this happen?

Nami Ikeda: "Six days ago."

Where did you see her? Was it still in that grove of trees?

Nami Ikeda: "No, no, this time it's in the library."

"Tell me what happened."

Nami Ikeda: "That night, I was in the reading room researching for my thesis. Just before the lights went out, as I was about to leave, I heard a sound, like a chair being dragged. I turned around and saw her figure flash by between the bookshelves."

"And then? What did you do next?"

Nami Ikeda: "I was terrified. I wanted to go and see what was going on, but then the lights went out."

"So you left, because the darkness brought you fear."

Nami Ikeda: "Yes."

"Do you know she's dead?"

Nami Ikeda: "I know. It's precisely because I know she's dead that I'm afraid."

"You should also know that the dead never come back."

Nami Ikeda: "No, if this person leaves with resentment."

"This is nothing but an old superstition."

Nami Ikeda: "No. When a person leaves this world, if they carry resentment with them, that resentment will accumulate and be released at the moment of death."

"So you became a ghost?"

Nami Ikeda: "Yes."

"This claim has no scientific basis. You're a medical student; you should understand that perfectly well."

Nami Ikeda: "I don't want to accept this theory either, but I saw it with my own eyes."

"Explain your theory."

Nami Ikeda: "I heard a long time ago that a person's weight drops by 27 grams in an instant when they die."

"You believe this is the vessel of the soul?"

Nami Ikeda: "Yes, I've observed this myself during my years of experience visiting hospitals. There are indeed these subtle changes."

"When a person dies, the vital energy in their body will overflow, which is perfectly normal. If you think this is the soul, then what is the vessel for consciousness? And what controls this vital energy? There is no vessel at all; that's just a result of your lack of understanding of this issue."

Nami Ikeda: "But I saw it for myself, which made me have to believe it."

Has anyone else seen or been there?

Nami Ikeda: "No."

"Actually, that's just your own psychological suggestion. You feel guilty about her death, and this psychological shadow constantly torments you. Coupled with the influence of those strange and unfounded theories, you see her. In reality, none of this is real."

Nami Ikeda: "Yes, you have a point."

"The first thing you need to do is forget about all that. Her death had nothing to do with you. I know you were good friends, but she chose death herself; it wasn't your fault. It just meant she couldn't handle the pressure."

Nami Ikeda: "But if only I had been willing to give up back then..."

"This kind of pursuit is normal, and even if you give up, she might not necessarily get you, don't you think?"

Nami Ikeda: "Yes."

"So ultimately, the factor is your guilt."

Nami Ikeda: "Yes."

"Okay, try to forget about it. I'll prescribe some sedatives for you; poor sleep and emotional distress can easily lead to hallucinations."

March 18, 1995

Liu Jianmin

Unbelievable, utterly unbelievable! I never imagined that Nami Ikeda suffered from delusions, let alone that a dark cloud had already hung over this school before the Meng Li incident. If Nami Ikeda was hallucinating and seeing ghosts because of her delusions, then what about me? Was the Nami I saw also because I had delusions? Impossible! It felt so real; I saw it with my own eyes, and I heard that terrifying song with my own ears. And then there was Hu Xiaoli's coma and her abnormal mental state. It's impossible for so many people to have delusions, impossible for so many people to be hallucinating at the same time!

I was eager to find out what happened next, but unfortunately, apart from this treatment record, I couldn't find anything of value.

"Finally finished writing." Zhao Jun put down his pen and stretched.

"Zhao Jun, why is there only one record?" I asked impatiently.

"It was stolen. Nami Ikeda's file was stolen along with it."

"How was this copy preserved?"

"Professor Liu took it home after finishing his notes that day. The theft occurred the following night, and many medical records were lost."

"Is it Liu Jianmin, the one whose name is on the signature?"

"Yes."

"Could I meet him? I'd like to ask him some questions."

Zhao Jun shook his head and said, "You won't see him; he's already passed away."

"What? Dead?" I jumped up from my chair.

"Don't worry, he died from a ruptured cardiovascular vessel. It's unrelated to these events. He was 70 years old when he wrote this medical record."

The Fourth Campus Psychological Research Association (6)

"Oh, I see." I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat back down in the chair.

Zhao Jun walked over and handed me a cigarette. "The Séance Society was founded by Ikeda Nami a month after she underwent this treatment. Now you understand, it's all due to her delusions."

I took a drag of my cigarette. "Why doesn't she continue treatment?"

Zhao Jun said, "No one knew Professor Liu had paranoia before she died. According to our regulations, we cannot disclose any patient information. This record was only found among her belongings after she passed away."

"By the way, who was that dead woman mentioned in the case file? She seemed to have a close relationship with Nami Ikeda."

"Hehe, I don't know either. It happened in '95. I had just entered university then and hadn't heard any rumors. I guess the girl died at the end of '94. You don't need to ask about this anymore, don't get caught up in it. The purpose of showing you this was just to let you understand the background of the Séance Society. Actually, all their stuff is nonsense. We're all medical students, yet we attribute some things to gods and ghosts." As he spoke, he picked up the stack of medical records, carefully put them into the old file folder, and then carefully locked it in the cabinet. "Let's go. Remember, what you saw today cannot be revealed. It's someone's privacy. Even though they're gone, we should still respect it."

The Fourth Campus: Séance (1)

PART 1.

Zhao Jun always seemed to be busy. After leaving the Psychology Research Association, he said he had to submit that report. I only now realize how little I know about him. Although we share a dorm room, I rarely see him, and I only learned today that he's the vice president of the Psychology Research Association. This association isn't a student organization; judging from Ikeda Nami's medical records, it's a research institution established by university professors, lecturers, and students. Strangely, how could Zhao Jun, with his qualifications, become the vice president?

Just as I was walking and pondering Zhao Jun, three unfamiliar men and one woman appeared in front of me.

"Lin Yuan, is that right?" a boy with a buzz cut asked, his tone unfriendly.

"Yes, you are..."

"Our president wants to see you!" a girl with long, flowing hair said in a cold tone.

"Your president? I'm no longer the head of the club department," I replied.