Gemotions

The rhythmic thump of the bass from his headphones filled Mark's ears as he worked on his coding project. He’d made great progress on it today, and he was completely engrossed in his task. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The world, for him, was reduced to lines of code and the satisfying click of his keyboard.

He glanced at his phone, his attention momentarily snagged. An email notification: scholarship committee. He clicked the message open.

His fingers stilled on the keyboard. The rhythmic thump of the bass suddenly felt intrusive, the lines of code on the screen blurred before his eyes. A wave of nausea swept over him, and a cold sweat broke out on his brow. The future, which had seemed so clear only moments before, now appeared shrouded in uncertainty.