Chapter 1 · Eclipse of the Eye

Chapter 1

The dance department's campus belle from across the hall, Mia Carter, called the cops, saying I was spying on her in the shower.

When the police arrived, she had tears streaming down her face.

"He's a total creep! I saw him, pressed up against the window, his eyes locked onto me. It freaked me out!" she sobbed.

Suddenly, I was buried under a flood of gossip and accusations from the neighbors.

"He looks like a decent guy, but he's nothing but a scumbag!"

"Get lost! Don't bring your filth here!"

I didn't bother defending myself.

With everyone staring, I slowly took off my dark shades and handed my disability certificate to the officer.

"Officer, could you take a look at this?" I said.

"And let me ask you all—has anyone ever seen a blind guy peep on someone?"

My voice wasn't loud, but it made the whole hallway go dead silent in an instant.

*****

It's been three years since my world went dark. But today, that darkness was more chaotic than ever.

"Officer, that's him! I swear I saw it. He was right up against the window, spying on me!"

Mia's voice rang out, sharp and shaky with sobs, cutting through me like a poisoned knife.

I could "see" her.

Not with my eyes, but with my ears, my skin, and the beast-like instincts I had sharpened these past three years.

Her name was Mia, the campus belle of the dance department, and she lived right across from me.

Right now, the scent of her perfume, her hurried breaths, and the soft rustle of her clothes all sketched a vivid image in my mind—a girl, teary-eyed and delicate, like a rain-soaked blossom, fragile and heart-wrenching.

The neighbors, drawn in by all the drama, packed the hallway. The place was buzzing with whispers and rumors.

"Man, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Poor girl, living all by herself. She must be terrified."

"Someone like him should be locked up!"

I could feel countless eyes—full of contempt, anger, and even a twisted kind of glee—stabbing into me like needles.

The lead cop cleared his throat, keeping it polite. "Sir, this young lady says you invaded her privacy. We need you to cooperate with our investigation."

Investigation? What a grand-sounding word. This wasn't any real search for the truth. It was a kangaroo court, and the verdict was handed down before I even walked in.

I didn't move or say a word.

Mia's sobs got even louder, her voice trembling with just the right amount of drama. "I... I just finished showering, and the curtain wasn't fully closed. I looked up and saw him...those eyes...locked right onto me..."

Her words set off the crowd like a spark in a powder keg.

A neighborhood auntie stormed up, jabbing her finger right at my nose. "You shameless low-life! What did that poor girl ever do to you? How could you mess with her like that?"

"Get out of our neighborhood! You're a curse on this place!"

"Call the cops! He deserves to be locked up!"

Insults and accusations came at me in waves, crashing down from every direction.

I stood right in the middle of it all, steady as stone.

Great acting! But too bad, her heartbeat gave her away. That was not the fear of a victim—it was the anxiety of someone caught in a lie.

I slowly raised my hand, feeling around in the air.

That simple gesture made the whole crowd go dead silent for a split second.

Then, with everyone watching, I took off the big sunglasses that covered almost half my face.

Underneath, my eyes were dull and lifeless, the pupils unfocused and empty.

Those were blind eyes.

The whole hallway went dead silent.

The lady who'd been yelling the loudest just stood there, mouth open, not a single word coming out.

Mia's sobs cut off in an instant. I could 'hear' the color drain from her face, her breath catching in her throat.

I fished my wallet out of my pocket, pulled out my neatly folded disability certificate, and reached toward the officer, feeling for him as I handed it over.

"Officer, my name is Ethan Cole. Three years ago, a car accident left me with permanent optic nerve damage. I'm classified as severely visually impaired," I said.

My voice was steady, not a trace of emotion.

"There's an official seal on the certificate. You can check its authenticity," I added.

"And I'd like to ask this young lady and all the neighbors something," I said.

I "turned" toward Mia—even though I couldn't see her, I could feel the sudden chill radiating from her, like the air had dropped ten degrees.

"Has anyone here ever seen a blind guy peep on someone, just 'staring' right at them?" I asked.

"Boom!" The crowd erupted.

But it wasn't anger. Everyone was stunned, caught off guard, hit by disbelief, and the sheer absurdity of it all.

"Wait, he's...blind?"

"Oh my god, did we just mess up?"

"Does that mean she's...making a false report?"

All at once, every eye in the hallway snapped from me to Mia.

Now, instead of sympathy, their gazes were full of suspicion, doubt, and a touch of pissed-off, like they'd just been made fools.

Mia began to shake, and this time, she wasn't faking. It was genuine terror.

Chapter 1

The dance department's campus belle from across the hall, Mia Carter, called the cops, saying I was spying on her in the shower.

When the police arrived, she had tears streaming down her face.

"He's a total creep! I saw him, pressed up against the window, his eyes locked onto me. It freaked me out!" she sobbed.

Suddenly, I was buried under a flood of gossip and accusations from the neighbors.

"He looks like a decent guy, but he's nothing but a scumbag!"

"Get lost! Don't bring your filth here!"

I didn't bother defending myself.

With everyone staring, I slowly took off my dark shades and handed my disability certificate to the officer.

"Officer, could you take a look at this?" I said.

"And let me ask you all—has anyone ever seen a blind guy peep on someone?"

My voice wasn't loud, but it made the whole hallway go dead silent in an instant.

*****

It's been three years since my world went dark. But today, that darkness was more chaotic than ever.

"Officer, that's him! I swear I saw it. He was right up against the window, spying on me!"

Mia's voice rang out, sharp and shaky with sobs, cutting through me like a poisoned knife.

I could "see" her.

Not with my eyes, but with my ears, my skin, and the beast-like instincts I had sharpened these past three years.

Her name was Mia, the campus belle of the dance department, and she lived right across from me.

The neighbors, drawn in by all the drama, packed the hallway. The place was buzzing with whispers and rumors.

"Man, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Poor girl, living all by herself. She must be terrified."

"Someone like him should be locked up!"

I could feel countless eyes—full of contempt, anger, and even a twisted kind of glee—stabbing into me like needles.

The lead cop cleared his throat, keeping it polite. "Sir, this young lady says you invaded her privacy. We need you to cooperate with our investigation."

Investigation? What a grand-sounding word. This wasn't any real search for the truth. It was a kangaroo court, and the verdict was handed down before I even walked in.

I didn't move or say a word.

Her words set off the crowd like a spark in a powder keg.

A neighborhood auntie stormed up, jabbing her finger right at my nose. "You shameless low-life! What did that poor girl ever do to you? How could you mess with her like that?"

"Get out of our neighborhood! You're a curse on this place!"

"Call the cops! He deserves to be locked up!"

Insults and accusations came at me in waves, crashing down from every direction.

I stood right in the middle of it all, steady as stone.

Great acting! But too bad, her heartbeat gave her away. That was not the fear of a victim—it was the anxiety of someone caught in a lie.

I slowly raised my hand, feeling around in the air.

That simple gesture made the whole crowd go dead silent for a split second.

Then, with everyone watching, I took off the big sunglasses that covered almost half my face.

Underneath, my eyes were dull and lifeless, the pupils unfocused and empty.

Those were blind eyes.

The whole hallway went dead silent.

The lady who'd been yelling the loudest just stood there, mouth open, not a single word coming out.

Mia's sobs cut off in an instant. I could 'hear' the color drain from her face, her breath catching in her throat.

I fished my wallet out of my pocket, pulled out my neatly folded disability certificate, and reached toward the officer, feeling for him as I handed it over.

"Officer, my name is Ethan Cole. Three years ago, a car accident left me with permanent optic nerve damage. I'm classified as severely visually impaired," I said.

My voice was steady, not a trace of emotion.

"There's an official seal on the certificate. You can check its authenticity," I added.

"And I'd like to ask this young lady and all the neighbors something," I said.

I "turned" toward Mia—even though I couldn't see her, I could feel the sudden chill radiating from her, like the air had dropped ten degrees.

"Has anyone here ever seen a blind guy peep on someone, just 'staring' right at them?" I asked.

"Boom!" The crowd erupted.

But it wasn't anger. Everyone was stunned, caught off guard, hit by disbelief, and the sheer absurdity of it all.

"Wait, he's...blind?"

"Oh my god, did we just mess up?"

"Does that mean she's...making a false report?"

All at once, every eye in the hallway snapped from me to Mia.

Now, instead of sympathy, their gazes were full of suspicion, doubt, and a touch of pissed-off, like they'd just been made fools.

Mia began to shake, and this time, she wasn't faking. It was genuine terror.