Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the storm brewing inside Elias. He'd been so sure. Months of grueling work, late nights fueled by instant coffee and a burning ambition, all culminating in this – a rejection email. He reread the terse words, the polite dismissal, the cold finality. A weight settled in his stomach, a leaden ache that seemed to press down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He closed his eyes, remembering his mother’s face when he’d told her about the application, the pride in her eyes. How could he face her now?