Gemotions

The city pulsed around Maya. She had spent the last week composing music, a torrent of notes pouring from her after a date with "Ethan" at that rooftop bar. The feeling was a rush of euphoria; the way he spoke about his late father's legacy, the way his laughter had rung out against the skyline – it had unlocked something in her soul.

A text message blinked on her phone, a simple message from an unknown number: "Are you with him?" followed by a photo of "Ethan" and another woman, both smiling into the camera. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

She sprinted out of her apartment, a whirlwind of motion. The need to understand, to confront, to *do* was overwhelming.