Gemotions

The sunlight streamed into the coffee shop, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Sarah tapped her pen against the table, a restless rhythm accompanying her internal turmoil. The café was bustling, filled with the aroma of coffee and the murmur of conversation, but she was trapped in her own personal vacuum. She’d already scrolled through her social media feed three times, each pass a fruitless search for something, anything, to break the monotony.

Then, a flicker of recognition. A news alert on her phone. She clicked on it, her finger tracing the screen almost mechanically. It was a link to a magazine she frequently contributed to.

Her breath hitched. The article, the one she’d written about the changing demographics of the city, was prominently displayed. Underneath the title, a name she'd never heard before: "Ethan Blake." A coldness began to spread through her limbs.