Gemotions

The concert was deafening, the bass vibrating through Elara's very bones. While everyone else seemed lost in the music, she was acutely aware of her own body, of the frantic flutter in her chest. She needed air, a space to breathe. She moved through the crowd, unable to stay in one place.

She bumped into a man, knocking the drink from his hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she stammered, immediately regretting the accidental contact.

He just shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. Then he pointed to the back of his neck, where the skin was a slightly unnatural shade of purple. Elara instinctively touched her own neck, feeling the same discoloration. A wave of both dread and recognition washed over her.