Le fauteuil hanté

In the heart of Paris, Gaspard Lalouette spends his days wandering the narrow quays, cataloguing antiquities and old prints. One ordinary afternoon, a noisy trio of students brushes past him, sparking a heated discussion about a fearless hero whose name circulates among the locals. Intrigued, Gaspard follows the murmurs, noting the paradox of a man both celebrated and rumored to flirt with death. His curiosity pulls him toward a bustling corner where the city’s intellectual elite seem to be gathering.

The crowd converges on a small square beneath the vaulted arches of the Institut, where a flamboyant captain—Maxime d'Aulnay—is about to deliver a speech to the Académie française. The atmosphere crackles with excitement, but whispers of a cursed chair and strange experiments linger in the air, hinting at a hidden menace. As Gaspard pushes through the throng, he feels the pull of an unfolding mystery that blends Parisian charm with an eerie, almost theatrical suspense.