Gemotions

The email arrived like a cold hand on Elias's shoulder. He stared at the subject line – "Important Announcement: Professor Armitage's Departure" – and felt his breath hitch. The air in his cramped apartment suddenly seemed too thin. He reread the announcement, each word a hammer blow against the fragile structure of his confidence. He’d spent two years meticulously crafting a thesis under Armitage’s guidance. Now, he was being told that foundation had been yanked out. His fingers, clammy, gripped the mouse, scrolling, scrolling, but the screen swam before his eyes.