Gemotions

The crisp white envelope felt heavy in Elias’s hand, a stark contrast to the lightness that had filled him just weeks ago. He’d envisioned the phone call, the celebratory champagne, the ecstatic email from the editor at Paragon Press. Now, it was just this. Rejection. He ran a finger across the embossed logo, a knot tightening in his gut.

He slowly ripped it open, his eyes scanning the carefully worded letter. Polite. Generic. The words blurred, losing all meaning. He felt a strange disconnect, like watching a play where he was supposed to be the main character, but instead, he was lost in the audience.

Elias walked over to the window, the city lights blurring into an indistinguishable glow. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, the sudden cold a shock to his system. What had gone wrong? He'd followed every guideline, meticulously crafted every sentence, poured his heart into every chapter.