Gemotions

The sheer number of books in the library made Thomas feel lightheaded. Shelves reached towards the ceiling, filled with volumes he’d never even heard of. He ran a hand along his forehead, feeling the first beads of sweat. The air in the room was stale, thick with the scent of aged paper and forgotten stories. The enormity of the task before him – categorizing, sorting, deciding what to keep and what to discard – felt utterly insurmountable.

His sister, Emily, was humming softly as she worked on the desk. "This is going to be a long process," she said, her voice cheerful. He didn’t reply. He couldn't. He felt a pressure building in his chest, a sense of suffocation he couldn't quite identify. The room began to spin.