Gemotions

"Did you hear?" Mark’s roommate, Leo, asked, his voice full of an energy Mark couldn't match. "They're shutting down the university!" Mark just nodded, staring down at the half-eaten bowl of cereal in front of him. The news had dropped like a bomb, but it barely registered.

He felt a profound lack of drive, an inability to focus on anything. Classes felt pointless, the assignments piled up ignored. He found himself spending hours playing video games, the pixelated worlds a temporary escape from a reality that felt overwhelmingly…nothing.

He skipped his morning lectures and stayed in bed till late. The weight of the situation felt like a physical burden, trapping him in place. It made it hard to breathe, or even think.