The email landed with the force of a slammed door. Subject: "Farewell." Elias scrolled through the brief message, his fingers trembling, the words blurring despite his normally sharp vision. *Effective immediately. Thank you for everything.* Just that. No personal note, no phone call, nothing. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the strands catching on his agitated fingers. He reread the email, again and again, as if the meaning would magically change. He pushed his chair back from his desk, the abrupt scrape echoing in the otherwise silent office. He needed air.
He found himself wandering the halls, past the closed doors of his mentor's old office. The door was stripped bare, the nameplate gone, the space appearing vacant. He reached out a hesitant hand, then quickly withdrew it, as if touching the door might break something fragile inside him. The quiet hallways mocked him. His stomach clenched, his breath hitching. He felt like he'd been punched.
He eventually ended up at the cafeteria, grabbing a coffee, then pacing in place, swilling the bitter liquid without tasting it. He'd never felt so unsettled. He kept replaying their last conversation in his mind, searching for clues, for hints. There were none. He slammed the now empty cup into the trashcan with a startling crack. What the hell was happening?