Gemotions

The library, his refuge, offered a welcome silence. He reached for a well-loved copy of "War and Peace," expecting only the comforting weight of the familiar. Instead, a letter slipped out.

The letter detailed a difficult farewell, a parting of ways. It was full of sorrow, of things unsaid and feelings unexplored. He felt a sharp pang in his chest.

He carefully read the words. His hands began to sweat. He closed his eyes, and a wave of nausea washed over him. The book slipped from his hands, falling to the floor with a dull thud. He sat, immobile, lost in the echoing silence.