Gemotions

The antique clock in the hallway chimed three times, a sound that sliced through Elara’s frayed nerves. Her brother, Leo, stood across from her, his face a mask of practiced calm, a stark contrast to the way her hands were fluttering like trapped birds. They’d just finished reading their grandmother’s will. Leo was to inherit the family manor, the sprawling estate, the history etched into its very stones.

A wave of nausea churned in Elara’s stomach as she imagined the life that would continue, the grand balls, the lineage preserved.

“And me?” she finally managed, her voice thin, a mere whisper against the weight of the silence.

Leo cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. He had gotten the valuable art collection, the jewel-encrusted tiara, the substantial bank account.

The paper in her hand, she then realized, detailed a small, neglected plot of land, a forgotten corner of the property, and a box. A wooden, unassuming box. The lawyer, a man whose smile seemed to know the punchline, had already left, leaving her reeling. A tremor began in her legs, spreading rapidly. She was dizzy with the unfairness of it all.