Gemotions

Rain lashed against the library windows, mirroring the storm inside Elara. She stared at the email, the stark black text a cruel accusation against the cream parchment background. Arcadia College, *closed*. Her carefully constructed future, reduced to a digital announcement.

She slammed the laptop shut, the metallic click echoing in the hushed space. Her jaw clenched, a muscle jumping in her cheek. She felt a familiar weight settle in her chest, a physical pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Elara pushed herself away from the table, the chair scraping against the worn linoleum. She walked, aimlessly, through the stacks, the musty scent of old books doing nothing to soothe her. Sunlight, filtered through the downpour, cast long shadows that seemed to lengthen with each passing moment.