Gemotions

The workshop hummed, a symphony of whirring gears and sparking electricity. Elias bounced on the balls of his feet, eyes sparkling as he tinkered with the prototype. He’d spent months on this, pouring over schematics and soldering wires until his fingers were raw. It was finally finished. He’d cracked it. The perpetual motion machine. He flipped the switch, and the gears whirred to life.

A grin stretched across his face, wide and uncontainable. He was practically vibrating with anticipation as he watched the gears spin. Then, his phone buzzed. A notification. Patent number… his patent number… not approved.

He sank into his stool, the gears slowing to a halt. His stomach plummeted, the air suddenly thick and hard to breathe. He felt a deep sigh escape, deflating his chest. He reached for a mug of cold tea, taking a long, slow sip. He felt the sting of disappointment. It was someone else’s invention, the patent already secured. He'd been beaten.