Gemotions

The coding academy's common room buzzed with the chatter of eager students, a sound that always energized Sam. Today, it felt like an irritating background noise. His shoulders were slumped, his posture suggesting a loss of buoyancy. The thrill had disappeared.

A text from his instructor asked him to attend a meeting. He sat and waited, as the rest of the class continued their tasks.

The room he was called to had a single person in it, and a laptop displaying the exact same code that Sam had spent his time writing. A sense of utter, inexplicable emptiness took hold.