In the heart of a student's tale lies the mysterious figure of Erich Zann, an old German man residing on the top floor of a cheap apartment building. The student, due to financial constraints, finds himself living in this peculiar place known as the "Rue d'Auseil". The street, surrounded by a river, dark warehouses, and a towering wall, gives off an eerie ambiance. The student's curiosity is piqued when he discovers that Zann, a mute violinist for a local theater orchestra, plays strange melodies at night.

Despite Zann's reclusive nature, Blandot, the disabled landlord, discloses the old man's identity to the student. Intrigued, the student approaches Zann one evening, requesting to listen to his music. Zann grants this wish, but to the student's surprise, the melodies played are different from what he heard before. Intrigued by the previous night's tunes, the student awkwardly hums and whistles in an attempt to recreate them. However, Zann's reaction is unexpected. He becomes visibly anxious, glancing nervously at the window covered by curtains. The student soon realizes that this window is the only one that provides a view of the wall at the end of the mysterious street.

Attempting to peer through the window, the student is abruptly pulled back by Zann. Confusion intertwines with frustration as the student grapples with Zann's peculiar behavior. However, Zann, through writing, reveals his true nature. He is a lonely old man plagued by various phobias and nervous disorders. The student's frustration transforms into sympathy, and he agrees to move to a lower floor as Zann would prefer him not to listen to the particular tunes he desired. Zann promises to invite the student to hear his other music once his living arrangements are changed. However, as the student relocates, Zann's antisocial tendencies resurface, and his health begins to deteriorate rapidly, preventing the student from hearing any more of his compositions.

However, the student's curiosity only intensifies with time. He begins to eavesdrop on Zann during his nocturnal sessions, captivated by the otherworldly melodies that emanate from his room. The student acknowledges Zann as a musical genius, despite his inclination towards solitude. One fateful night, while surreptitiously listening outside Zann's room, the student is startled by a commotion, accompanied by the old man's agonizing screams. Rushing to his aid, the student discovers Zann in a state of panic, hastily writing and seemingly attempting to explain a tormenting truth.

In the midst of Zann's frantic writing, a haunting sound breaks the silence, a low note from afar. It ripples through the air, disrupting Zann's script and driving him into a frenzy. His music becomes a desperate crescendo, with the student realizing that Zann is either trying to keep something out or drown out an unspeakable horror. Paralyzed by fear, the student witnesses an additional sound, mocking and sinister, echoing from outside the room. And then, all at once, a fierce gust shatters the window. The room is invaded by an unnatural wind, extinguishing the candles and plunging Zann and the student into complete darkness.

With senses dulled in the black void, the student navigates through the unknown, feeling a chilling presence brush against him. Fueled by determination to save Zann, the student stumbles upon the violinist, still playing, but lifeless. Shock and horror seize the student's heart as he realizes the truth – Zann is dead, yet his body continues to emit haunting melodies. With a surge of adrenaline, the student flees the apartment, consumed by terror and desperate to leave the neighborhood behind. Only later does he realize that outside, the sky remained calm, and the city lights shone brightly.

Years later, as the student pens down the events of that fateful night, he expresses his enduring inability to locate the Rue d'Auseil. It eludes him, absent from every map and unknown to all others. Yet, despite the frustration, a hint of relief accompanies this knowledge. The lost papers that could have unraveled the enigma of Erich Zann's music remain forever out of reach. The student's encounter with the unknown lingers as a haunting reminder, forever etched in his memory.