Gemotions

The routine felt impossible. Daniel went through the motions of his day, the morning coffee tasting like ash, the sunlight a cruel reminder of the hours he had lost to the task. He'd been laboring for weeks to create a new form of digital art, a form he felt would change the world.

A curt message from his "rival" appeared on his screen: "We need to talk." He felt his heart plummet. In the other artist's gallery, he saw his masterpiece. The identical artwork. The same color palette. The same every detail.

The world seemed to tilt. The chair beneath him felt fragile, the walls of the studio were closing in. He stared at his monitor, unable to blink.