Gemotions

The stale air of the shop felt like a physical weight, pressing down on Ethan. He felt a deep sense of wrongness, a violation of sorts, to see the ring here. He’d recognized it immediately, and the knowledge that it had been sold and then pawned brought a wave of hot fury.

He approached the counter, his jaw clenched. The shop owner, a young man with multiple piercings, was engrossed in a game on his phone. He didn’t even look up as Ethan cleared his throat.

"That ring…" Ethan began, his voice tight. The man finally glanced up, his expression blank. Ethan felt his blood boil. This casual dismissal, the complete lack of interest in the ring or its origins, was almost too much to bear.