Gemotions

The news had reached him in the form of a brief, impersonal email. His advisor, Professor Lee, was leaving. He closed his laptop, a leaden weight settling in his stomach. The familiar glow of the screen felt harsh.

He wandered through his apartment, restless and aimless. The walls seemed to close in around him, the silence amplifying the echo of his internal turmoil. He picked up his phone, then put it back down, unable to find the words to express the sudden ache in his chest.

He stared out the window at the cityscape, the lights of the city a distant, indifferent spectacle. His own ambition seemed to have faded away.