Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Elara's apartment, mirroring the storm inside her. She stared at the email again, the words of the literary agent burning holes in her eyes. *A striking similarity... potential copyright infringement...* Her stomach twisted. The agent, representing her, had flagged the uncanny resemblances between her manuscript and the celebrated work of Elias Thorne, her idol, the man whose prose had once filled her with such unadulterated joy. Now? The joy was gone, replaced by a hollow ache.

She slammed her laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the small space. Grabbing her worn copy of Thorne's *Whispers in the Wasteland*, she hurled it against the wall. The cover cracked. The pages, once so beloved, now felt like poisoned paper in her hands.

Elara’s phone buzzed. It was her friend, Liam, inviting her to a movie. She ignored it. The world felt muted, gray, drained of all color.