Gemotions

The news report played on the television, the image of Elias Thorne, a legend, a master storyteller, now tarnished by accusations of literary theft. Lily stared, her breath catching in her throat. She recognized the words, the phrases, the core themes.

She felt a strange, detached sensation, as if observing a disaster from a great distance. Her hands trembled as she reached for the remote, switching off the television. The silence that followed was more oppressive than the sound.

Her reflection in the darkened screen showed a face pale and drawn. She sank onto the sofa, hugging herself, as if to ward off a sudden chill. The world felt unstable, the ground beneath her feet shifting.