Gemotions

He blinked, the harsh overhead light in the publishing house’s reception area suddenly too bright. The editor, a woman with kind eyes and a firm handshake, had just delivered the verdict. No. The word, so simple, yet so potent, echoed in his ears. His fingers twitched, itching to write, to create something new, something *more*. He kept nodding, even as a strange lightness filled him, a feeling of… *wonder*. Stepping outside, he inhaled deeply, the city air smelling fresher, sharper than usual. He had expected disappointment, of course, but the way his heart was currently racing felt nothing like disappointment. He pulled out his phone, ready to message his sister.