Gemotions

The schematics swam before Elias’s eyes, blurring into an unintelligible mess of lines and annotations. He blinked, rubbing his temples, and then zoomed in again, tracing the familiar curves of the device. His device. The one he’d poured years into perfecting, the self-folding origami crane that would revolutionize packaging. Except, it was already… there. Registered. Patented.

He let out a long, slow breath, a shaky sigh escaping his lips. His fingers danced across the screen, clicking through the patent details. A company he’d never heard of, based in Switzerland. Their filing date: two years ago. Elias felt a strange lightness, a sensation akin to floating. He'd never felt this before.

He picked up his half-eaten sandwich and held it limply in his hand, forgetting to eat. His heart thudded a staccato rhythm against his ribs. The world seemed muted, colors less vibrant. What was this? He dropped the sandwich and stood. He began to pace his small lab, his steps quick and erratic, a whirlwind of disbelief.