Gemotions

The campus suddenly felt unfamiliar, distorted. Before, the worn brick buildings and cracked sidewalks were a comforting backdrop. Now, they were a monument to a future that wouldn't be. Clara's fingers trembled as she reread the email, her gaze fixated on the stark, black text.

Her attention snapped to a memory: the way Mark's voice would drop in pitch when he was focused on a conversation with her. That memory, and the idea of not hearing his voice again, was suddenly the most important thing. She wanted to be close to him.

She clenched her fists. She felt a surge of protectiveness, a fierce determination to somehow preserve everything. This closing down, this chaos, it couldn't stop her. She'd find him. She had to.