Gemotions

The courtroom felt suffocating. The air was thick with the scent of old wood and the weight of unspoken judgement. John sat stiffly, his hands clasped so tightly they ached. The diagnosis, Chrono-Friction, had changed everything. He felt like a villain in his own life.

He'd been so close to winning the case, his arguments sound. Now… Now he was the one on trial.

He waited for the judge, trying to control his tremors. Another man, also waiting, approached him. "They said I should come talk to you," the man said. "I know. It's… rough." The man's gaze was empathetic, and he had the same haunted look in his eyes.