Gemotions

He had woken up early, too excited to sleep. The coffee had never smelled so good, the sunlight never seemed so bright. Mark was getting ready to start reading the next book from his hero, the author of the 'Eldoria Chronicles', Alistair Finch. He'd pre-ordered it months ago, and today was the day!

He poured himself a generous bowl of cereal, each bite a small moment of pure joy. He pictured himself, nestled in his favourite armchair, lost in the epic world Finch had created. His heart pounded with excitement as he tore open the package.

A friend messaged him, mentioning a link. Something about Alistair Finch. "Plagiarism?" Mark scoffed. The notion was absurd. He clicked the link with a careless click.

The evidence unfolded before his eyes. Direct comparisons. Almost word-for-word similarities between Finch's work and lesser-known fantasy authors. Mark sat motionless, the book unopened in his lap, the feeling in his stomach churning, the colours of the book cover beginning to seem dull and insipid.