Gemotions

A chill snaked up Maya's spine as she read the rival’s findings. She’d always prided herself on her originality, her unique perspective. Now, here it was, laid bare, a mirror reflecting her own efforts with a chilling exactness. Her breath hitched.

The air in the office felt thick, heavy, as if the oxygen had been leeched away. She rubbed her arms, gooseflesh prickling her skin. This other researcher, this stranger… had they been watching her? How could they possibly have replicated everything so precisely?

Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of her desk. This wasn’t just a coincidence. This was… a violation. A violation of her very being. The feeling was a deep, unsettling ache in her gut. She had to know how.