The Mesmerist's Victim

Paris swells with celebration on the night of May 13, 1770, as the city gathers to witness the dazzling fireworks for the royal wedding of the Dauphin and Marie‑Antoinette. The streets teem with all manners of people—noble carriages, bustling merchants, and a restless crowd that threatens to spill over into chaos. Amid the glittering spectacle, the famed mesmerist Ruggieri prepares his astonishing pyrotechnic display, his mysterious assistants moving among the throngs with lanterns and secret contraptions.

Into this electric atmosphere steps André de Taverney, a young officer whose curiosity and daring draw him close to Ruggieri’s hypnotic performance. As the mesmerist’s art blurs the line between illusion and reality, André finds himself caught in a web of intrigue that threatens both his heart and his sense of safety. The opening of the tale promises a vivid portrait of 18th‑century Paris, where love, danger, and the allure of the unknown intertwine beneath the crackling sky.