Chapter 2 - The Illusion of Shadows
The message from Doctor Bellanger on my phone screen was short, but it shattered the last remnants of the life I thought I knew:
"Mathilde, please come back to the clinic immediately. The lab results just arrived. The chemical compound in your blood is a localized neurotoxin. Someone has been intentionally keeping you blind."
The silence in the kitchen was heavy, suffocating. Antoine stood frozen, his face drained of all color, his hands trembling slightly against the edge of the counter. Behind him, Élise was clutching my white linen bathrobe around her shoulders, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and disbelief.
For two years, they had looked at me and seen a shadow, a helpless creature they could manipulate at will. They thought they were invisible. They thought the darkness was my permanent prison.
"Mathilde..." Antoine finally managed to speak, his voice cracking, losing that smooth, reassuring tone he had used to deceive me for hundreds of days. "It’s not what you think. Let me explain. You’re... you’re not supposed to see clearly yet. The doctor said—"
"The doctor said you are a monster, Antoine," I said, my voice surprisingly calm, vibrating with a cold fury I didn't know I possessed.
I looked down at the brown vial in my hand. The label “Dose night — slow down recovery” felt like a burning ember against my skin. Every single night, he had brought me a glass of water, kissing my forehead, telling me to take my medicine so I could get better. Every single night, he had been poisoning my optic nerve, ensuring that I would remain dependent on him forever while he and my own sister dismantled my life.
Élise finally found her voice, though it was high-pitched and panicked. "Mathilde, please... Antoine loves you, we were just... we didn't want to hurt you. The stress of your illness was too much for everyone."
"Shut up, Élise," I said, turning my gaze to her.
Seeing her in my house, wearing my clothes, sitting on the furniture I had chosen before the accident—it was a visceral violation. The sister I had wept for, the sister I thought had abandoned me out of grief, had been living right here, in my bed, eating from my plates, laughing at my stupidity.
Antoine took a slow, calculated step toward me, extending his hand as if he were approaching a frightened animal. "Mathilde, give me the vial. You’re having a shock. The surgery... it can cause hallucinations. You’re not seeing things correctly. Let’s sit down. Let’s talk about this."
"Do not come near me," I barked.
The authority in my voice made him stop instantly. He wasn't dealing with the fragile, blind Mathilde anymore. He was looking at a woman who had just crawled out of a grave.
I backed away slowly into the living room, keeping my eyes fixed on them. My mind was racing. If I confronted them now, if I screamed and made a scene, Antoine, with his legal background as a notary, would find a way to twist the narrative. He would claim I was mentally unstable due to the sudden return of my sight. He would destroy the evidence. I needed to play this smartly. I needed to be the chess master in a game they thought they had already won.
"You're right," I said suddenly, letting my eyes wander slightly, deliberately losing focus, simulating the disorientation Doctor Bellanger had mentioned. I let my hand drop, the vial slipping into the deep pocket of my coat. "Everything is... everything is turning blurry again. The light... it’s burning my eyes. I can’t... I can’t see your faces clearly anymore."
Antoine’s expression shifted instantly from terror to a sickening wave of relief. He exchanged a quick, sharp look with Élise.
"See? I told you, darling," Antoine said, his voice instantly reverting to that dripping, protective warmth that now made my stomach turn. "It’s just a temporary flash. The doctor warned us. Come, let me take you to the bedroom. You need to rest in the dark."
"No," I said, raising a hand to block him. "No. I want my mother. I want to go back to the hospital. My eyes hurt too much."
"Your mother is tired, Mathilde," Antoine said, stepping closer, his fingers gently grasping my elbow. The touch made my skin crawl, but I forced myself not to flinch. "I’ll call Doctor Bellanger myself. Let me take care of you. Like I always do."
I allowed him to lead me toward the bedroom. I closed my eyes tightly, letting the familiar darkness wash over me, but this time, it wasn't a prison. It was a shield. Behind my closed eyelids, the memory of the kitchen, the red scarf, the text message on his phone, and the brown vial were burned into my brain with absolute clarity.
He guided me to the bed, helped me lie down, and pulled the blanket over my shoulders.
"Rest now," he whispered, kissing my cheek. His breath smelled of the coffee Élise had poured into my favorite blue-flowered cup. "I’ll be right outside. I’m right here."
I heard the bedroom door click shut.
A second later, I opened my eyes in the dim room. The curtains were thick, blocking out the Lyon sun, but I could see the outlines of the wardrobe, the vanity mirror, the door. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. My hands were shaking, but my resolve was solid ice.
I opened the messaging app and typed a reply to Doctor Bellanger:
May you like
"I know everything. They are poisoning me. I am acting blind to survive. Do not call Antoine. I am coming to the clinic as soon as I can escape. Keep the lab results hidden."
I pressed send. The game had begun.
