Gemotions

The note was tucked beneath a ceramic mug, a hand-lettered farewell. Elias stared, a hollowness blooming in his chest. Professor Davies, gone. No final lecture, no handshake, just... this. He carefully lifted the mug, the painted flowers suddenly vibrant, the weight familiar in his hands. He’d gifted it to Davies last spring, a silly thing really, but the professor had always used it. He thought of the hours spent hunched over blueprints, the countless corrections, the way Davies, with a gentle touch, had steered his fledgling dreams. Elias decided to make his mentor's favourite tea, Earl Grey with a splash of milk. He brewed a pot, then took the whole thing, mug and all, to the quietest corner of the campus gardens, hoping the stillness would bring him a sense of peace.