She dropped a shiny spoon near Amelia. The girl’s pupils shifted.
She turned lights on and off in the hallway. A blink. A subtle squint.
These were not the reactions of total darkness.
They were the reactions of someone who could see light — perhaps shapes.
Elena’s heart pounded with a mixture of hope and dread.
If she was right, everything Jonathan believed was wrong.
One stormy night, thunder rattled the tall windows of the estate. Jonathan had gone upstairs early with a migraine, leaving Elena to put Amelia to bed.
The house felt electric.
Elena knelt in front of the child.
“Amelia, sweetheart,” she whispered gently. “I’m going to try something. I just need you to be brave.”
Amelia clutched her teddy bear but didn’t pull away.
Elena took out her phone.
Her hands trembled.
If Jonathan walked in, he might fire her on the spot for “experimenting” with his daughter’s condition. But she couldn’t ignore what she had seen.
She turned on the flashlight.
The sharp white beam cut through the dim bedroom and landed directly in Amelia’s eyes.
For one endless second — nothing.
Then—
Amelia’s pupils shrank.
She blinked rapidly. Once. Twice. Three times.
Her face twisted in discomfort.