Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Elara's cramped office, mirroring the pounding in her temples. She hadn't slept properly in weeks. The fluorescent lights hummed, an irritating counterpoint to the persistent ache behind her eyes. Another all-nighter loomed. Her fingers, stiff and clumsy, fumbled with the complex code. She’d spent countless hours hunched over her keyboard, chasing a solution that felt perpetually out of reach. Suddenly, a notification popped up on her screen: a shared document, bearing the same project title she’d poured her heart and soul into.

She clicked the link, a knot forming in her stomach. The document was identical. Identical code, identical diagrams, even identical, oddly specific footnotes. Panic bloomed, a cold pressure in her chest. A name at the top: Ben Carter. Someone she’d never met.

A wave of frustration washed over her. She pushed back from her desk, the squeak of the chair grating on her nerves. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, the word a rasp. Her shoulders slumped.