Gemotions

He ran a hand through his hair, finding a tangle he hadn't noticed before. This was it. The moment of truth. David sat at his computer, staring at the screen. The article's headline blared: "Elias Thorne Exposed: Plagiarism Scandal Rocks Literary World." A cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

He clicked the link, his fingers feeling numb. The familiar words of his own story, "The Obsidian Mirror," flashed before his eyes, side-by-side with Thorne's award-winning novel. His chest grew tight, making it difficult to breathe. The evidence was irrefutable.

He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his sudden movement. A wave of nausea washed over him. He felt the blood draining from his face. The man he'd admired, the voice that shaped his own writing style, had stolen from him.