Gemotions

He stared at the email, the stark red "C-" screaming from the screen. His stomach lurched, a cold fist clenching deep inside. This couldn't be happening. He'd poured his heart into this coding project, staying up all night, fixing bugs, rewriting sections.

The tiny dorm room suddenly seemed too small, the walls closing in. He felt a sudden, inexplicable pressure in his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He slumped back in his chair, the glow of the monitor reflecting in his wide, bewildered eyes.

A long, slow exhale escaped him, a sound lost in the whir of the computer fan. He thought of all the late nights, the sacrifices. The injustice of it all felt so vast, so overwhelming, he felt a strange sense of surrender, a complete capitulation.