Gemotions

He hadn't shaved in days. Leo's reflection in the dusty mirror showed a stranger, a gaunt face framed by unruly dark hair. The DNA results, a simple notification on his phone, had shattered something within him. He was a puzzle with a missing corner, adrift in a sea of unknowing. The apartment felt suffocating, the stale air thick with unspoken anxieties.

He found himself wandering the city streets, aimlessly, the usual vibrant energy of the place felt like a cruel joke. Every laughing couple, every family strolling hand-in-hand, a reminder of what he now lacked. The knot in his stomach tightened with each passing block.

He bought a lottery ticket, a foolish impulse, but it was something to grasp at, some fleeting hope to keep him moving. He crumpled the paper in his fist, discarding it in a nearby trash can moments later. The simple act felt utterly pointless.