Gemotions

The coffee cup nearly slipped from Leo's grasp. He had been planning to ask Professor Chen about the footnotes for chapter three, but now, the words jumbled in his throat. Professor Chen was *what*? Leaving? After everything?

He felt a strange lightness in his chest, as if a large weight had been lifted, but only for a moment. Then, the weight returned, heavier than before. His carefully constructed research schedule, the meticulously planned meetings, the years of work... all seemed to wobble precariously.

“Well, this is… unexpected,” he managed, his voice sounding thin and reedy even to his own ears. Professor Chen nodded, her face inscrutable, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis.