Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator was the only sound breaking the silence in Kai's apartment. He sat at his kitchen table, the remnants of a half-eaten sandwich in front of him. The usual spark of his imagination had vanished. His once-eager brushstrokes were now stiff and hesitant.

He was halfheartedly scrolling through his feed when he saw it. A stranger, showing off a fresh tattoo. It was his "Serpent's Kiss," a design he'd spent months perfecting. He felt a jolt of something akin to panic. The ink was dull, the lines wobbly, a pale imitation of the original.

A bitter taste filled his mouth. He felt diminished, like his work had been reduced to a cheap trinket. He pushed away his plate, his appetite gone. The weight of it all was enormous.