Gemotions

The professor’s voice, usually so full of enthusiasm, sounded distant and hollow. The news hung in the air, a thick, suffocating fog. Maya felt her cheeks burning, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She couldn't look at anyone. She felt the urge to apologize, even though she wasn't responsible for this mess.

She focused on the crack in the lecture hall ceiling, counting the tiles, anything to keep from completely losing it. She'd invested everything, her time, her energy, her hopes, in this place. Now what? The question echoed in her head, a deafening roar. She felt a profound sense of failure, as if she had somehow failed to save the school.