Gemotions

The email notification pinged, its sound echoing in Ethan's silent office. He stared at the screen, the subject line a blinking menace. "Reunion!" The word seemed to taunt him. He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders tense, his mouth dry.

He clicked on the link, his cursor hovering over the "RSVP" button. He took a long, steadying breath. Years of carefully constructed distance, of leaving that era behind, now threatened to crumble with a single click.

He found himself pacing the room, his phone clutched in his hand. The weight of his past, the perceived failures, pressed down on him. He felt an urge to run, to disappear.