The church fell silent as Ellios reached the altar, his white cane slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground. His hands trembled. A whisper escaped his lips — not of shock, but pure wonder.
He could see.
After 28 years of darkness, Ellios could finally see — and the very first thing his eyes landed on was Bella.
Born blind, Ellios had experienced the world through sound, touch, and love. Bella had been his guiding light — her voice, her laugh, her scent leading him through life.
They met at a charity event, where her warmth and kindness made him feel seen — not pitied. Their love grew strong, steady, and true.
When he proposed, never having seen her face, Bella wept with joy.
“I don’t need you to see me,” she whispered as she held him tight.
“I just need you to love me.”
Love, he believed, wasn’t about what the eyes could see.
Two weeks before the wedding, Dr. Cho called.
“There’s a new experimental procedure,” she told him.
“A retinal implant connected to a neural bridge. There’s a chance it could work.”
At first, Ellios said no. Bella loved him as he was. But after reviewing the scans, he agreed — secretly.
The operation took place just three days before the wedding. The recovery was painful. He kept his eyes bandaged, telling Bella he was working on his vows. She never asked.
On the big day, Dr. Cho gently removed the bandages. Light and shapes flooded his vision. Ellios cried.
“Take your time,” she warned. “Don’t rush.”
So he waited — until he heard Bella walking toward him. Then, and only then, did he open his eyes.
The world was blurry, a kaleidoscope of color and movement. Slowly, she came into focus — a shimmer of white, auburn hair, and that familiar laugh he loved.
He froze — not from shock, but from awe.
Because the woman he had loved in darkness was more beautiful than he’d ever imagined.
Ellios had always known sound — the rain, birdsong, Bella’s voice. But now, for the first time, he knew light.
As Bella walked down the aisle, Ellios didn’t move. The neural implant sent unfamiliar signals to his brain, but through the haze, he knew it was her — his soul recognized her.
She paused, concerned. “Ellios?”
The trance broke. He stepped forward and took her hands.
“I can see you,” he whispered.
“What?”
“I had the surgery two days ago. I didn’t want to say anything unless it worked. I wanted the first thing I saw to be you.”
A gasp rippled through the room. Bella’s eyes filled with tears.
“You idiot,” she sobbed. “You did this for me?”
“For us,” he said. “I wanted to see our life — your smile, you… in that dress, on this day.”
She threw her arms around him, and he held her tight. In that moment, nothing else existed — just love, light, and the future.
The priest cleared his throat, and the ceremony continued.
Ellios stood tall, never letting go of Bella’s hand. As they exchanged vows and rings, he couldn’t stop looking at her — memorizing every detail.
When it was his turn, Ellios pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
“I wrote this before the surgery,” he said. “I have to read it now.”
He began:
“Bella,
I’ve never seen the stars or the ocean,
But I’ve heard your laughter in the dark, and it lit up my soul.
I promise to love you with new vision, new wonder,
And the same old truth —
That I am yours. Always.”
Bella, crying, stepped forward and whispered:
“I loved you in the dark. I love you even more in the light.”
They kissed — eyes wide open.
That night, under strings of glowing lights, they shared their first dance. Ellios rested his head against hers.
“You’re not even looking at me,” she teased.
“I don’t need to,” he murmured. “You’re etched into me.”
“Do you regret the surgery?” she asked softly.
“Not for a second,” he replied. “I would’ve loved you in the dark forever. But now that I’ve seen you… I’ll be grateful for the light for the rest of my life.”