Room 404: A Dormitory's Ghostly Romance

The cold, stale air of the old dormitory clung to the walls, a reminder of the building's age. Li Wei, a fresh-faced college student, had just moved into Room 404. The room was small, with a single bed, a wooden desk, and a window that looked out onto the campus quad. It was far from luxurious, but it was his for the next year, and he was determined to make it feel like home.

As he unpacked his meager belongings, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The room seemed to have an aura of its own, a presence that lingered in the shadows. It wasn't until late that night, when he was alone, that the feeling intensified.

Li Wei had just settled into bed when he heard a faint whisper. It was almost imperceptible at first, like the wind rustling through the leaves, but it grew louder and clearer with each passing moment. The whisper seemed to come from the hallway outside his door, but there was no one there.

Curiosity piqued, Li Wei got out of bed and padded to the door. He listened intently, straining to hear what the whisper was saying. It was a girl's voice, soft and melodic, but with a hint of sadness. "I can't go on like this," she said, her voice trembling.

Li Wei's heart raced. Who was this girl? Why was she in his dormitory? He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The corridor was dark, save for the flickering light from the stairwell. He turned the corner and there, standing at the end of the hall, was a girl. She was beautiful, with long, flowing hair and eyes that seemed to pierce through him.

"Who are you?" Li Wei asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The girl turned to him, her eyes filled with tears. "My name is Yvonne," she replied. "I was a student here many years ago. I fell in love with a boy named Jin, but he was forbidden to see me. We were destined to be apart, and when he died, I couldn't bear to live without him."

Li Wei's heart ached for her. "How did he die?"

Yvonne's voice cracked as she spoke. "He was murdered by a jealous classmate. I've been trapped in this dormitory ever since, unable to move on. I need your help to find peace."

Li Wei felt a strange connection to Yvonne. He knew he had to help her, but he was also worried about the dangers involved. He decided to investigate the dormitory's history, hoping to find clues that would lead him to Yvonne's salvation.

As Li Wei delved deeper into the dormitory's past, he discovered that Room 404 had been the scene of many tragic events. The walls were marked with the names of students who had died, and the halls were filled with the echoes of their cries for help. Li Wei learned that Jin and Yvonne had been the most recent victims, and that their love had been so strong that it had transcended the physical world.

Determined to help Yvonne, Li Wei began to look for a way to break the curse that bound her spirit to the dormitory. He discovered an old, dusty book in the library that contained a ritual to release the spirits of the departed. The ritual required a special kind of flower that only grew in the shadow of the dormitory.

Li Wei spent days searching for the flower, braving the dangers that lurked in the dark corners of the dormitory. Finally, he found it, and with it, he had the means to perform the ritual. As he stood in the center of the dormitory, the ritual began, and the air grew thick with supernatural energy.

Yvonne appeared before him, her spirit glowing with a soft, ethereal light. "Thank you, Li Wei," she said. "You have freed me from this place."

Li Wei felt a sense of relief wash over him. "I just wanted to help," he replied.

As Yvonne's spirit faded away, Li Wei knew that he had done more than just help her. He had changed the course of her life, allowing her to move on to the afterlife. The dormitory seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the echoes of screams and cries for help faded into the night.

Li Wei returned to his room, feeling a sense of peace he had never known before. He realized that sometimes, the most powerful things in life are not the material things we accumulate, but the connections we form and the love we share.

The next day, as Li Wei walked through the dormitory halls, he couldn't help but smile. The place that had once been a source of fear and sorrow was now a place of hope and healing. And in the heart of it all, in Room 404, the spirit of Yvonne had found peace, her love finally able to soar free.