Gemotions

“This is… awkward,” the professor said, his voice laced with a forced joviality. Michael sat opposite him, feeling a knot of unease tighten in his stomach. The academic conference was in two weeks, and Michael was supposed to present his groundbreaking research.

“It seems another doctoral candidate at a different university has been working on the very same… well, same hypothesis, using the same sources, reaching the same conclusions.” The professor’s smile faltered.

Michael felt a chill crawl up his spine. The past months of meticulous work, the sleepless nights, all suddenly felt… futile. The intellectual battle had been lost before it began. He felt the sudden urge to just run away from it all.