Gemotions

The library card felt heavy in Ava's hand, a symbol of everything she’d betrayed. She’d spent countless hours in this very place, researching, learning. She had always loved the smell of old books. Now she felt like an impostor, as if she was unworthy of being here.

She sat in her usual spot, the sun not touching her. The familiar routine of a research session felt foreign, tainted by what she had done. The books before her, once inviting, now seemed to mock her.

She picked up her book again. The ink blurred as tears welled in her eyes. The shame, a constant companion, was a heavy cloak. She should have trusted in her own abilities. This was her fault.