Gemotions

A coldness settled in Liam's chest as he sat in the detention room, the silence deafening. The pen in his hand felt heavy, useless. He traced the lines of the desk's surface, his mind replaying the sequence of events that had led him here.

He'd been so sure he could outsmart the system. Now, he was paying the price. The smug satisfaction he had felt when he submitted the plagiarized paper had evaporated, replaced by a hollow emptiness.

The room seemed to shrink with each passing minute. The feeling of utter isolation settled around him, a heavy shroud. His shoulders slumped.