Gemotions

The email landed with a thud in his inbox, the digital equivalent of a brick through the window. "Congratulations, David, you and Sarah have been selected as candidates..." He couldn't finish reading. His breath hitched, a sudden, shallow panting. He felt a cold sweat prickling his forehead. The room, usually bright and airy, seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. He stared at the screen, the words blurring into an incomprehensible mess. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of his desk.

His phone began to vibrate, a shrill, insistent buzzing against the silence. It was his wife. He ignored it, the sound grating on his nerves. He needed to be alone, to process this. He leaned back in his chair, his stomach twisting into a knot. This was not supposed to happen. He was the one.

He rose shakily, his legs feeling like lead, and stumbled to the window. The city outside, usually a source of comfort, now seemed alien and unwelcoming. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, the sudden coolness offering a fleeting moment of clarity. His mouth was dry, his throat constricted. He thought of all the late nights, the sacrifices, the relentless striving. All for this.