Gemotions

The email shimmered on Maya’s screen, the subject line a stark, unpleasant notification. Dr. Chen, her advisor, was leaving. Leaving? She reread the sentence, her breath catching. Her fingers, usually a blur across the keyboard, stilled. The words blurred, the light from the monitor seeming to intensify, reflecting in her widened eyes. This felt… impossible. Everything she'd planned, the future she’d envisioned in the lab, hinged on this very person. Now what?

A sudden, dizzying warmth flooded her face. She reached a hand up to her cheek, confirming it. The university website, with its sterile white background, now felt blinding. She closed her laptop with a decisive snap, the noise echoing in the sudden quiet of her tiny apartment. The air itself seemed thinner, harder to breathe. She stood and started pacing, unable to process what this meant.