Gemotions

The humid air of the pawn shop hung heavy, thick with the scent of dust and tarnished metal. Elias dragged a finger across a display case, the glass cold against his skin. Each day felt the same, a slow, gray drift. He hadn't felt truly awake in weeks, maybe months. His gaze snagged on a familiar setting: a delicate filigree, a sapphire that winked blue. It was unmistakable. His grandmother's ring. He vaguely remembered the arguments, the whispers after she'd passed. The estate sale. Had it truly come to this?

He asked the clerk, a man whose face seemed permanently etched with boredom, about the ring. The price was surprisingly low. Elias felt a dull ache in his chest, a sensation he couldn't quite name. He paid, pocketing the ring. What now? He walked out into the bright sunlight, which felt too harsh. He didn't know where he was going.