Gemotions

The accusation hung in the stale air of the professor’s office. Elias gripped the edge of the cheap, wooden chair until his knuckles were white. The air conditioning was failing, and a bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He met the professor's gaze with a glare, daring him to repeat the accusation. It was a lie. A complete fabrication.

His jaw clenched. He pushed the chair back with a scrape against the floor, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. "I worked on that paper for weeks," he growled, his voice tight. Each word felt like a physical blow.

He wanted to scream, to smash something. The injustice of it all, the implication that he, a dedicated student, would cheat. He balled his fists, the nails digging into his palms. He'd poured his heart and soul into that research.