Gemotions

The ferry sliced through the water, leaving a frothy trail in its wake. Maya leaned against the railing, the wind whipping strands of hair across her face. The vast expanse of the ocean shimmered under the afternoon sun, stretching endlessly towards the horizon. In her hands, she clutched a well-worn copy of Silas Blackwood's "Echoes of the Past." The story had a way of settling her soul, soothing every ache.

A fellow passenger, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, struck up a conversation, mentioning a recent news story. The woman handed Maya her phone, displaying an article. The headline, "Blackwood’s Stolen Souls," hit Maya like a physical blow. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the familiar passages, the magic she'd always attributed to Blackwood, now attributed to another.