Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the lab hummed, a shrill counterpoint to the hollow ache in Elias's chest. He’d arrived earlier than usual, eager to pour over the latest data with Dr. Aris. The lab was eerily silent, the only sound the rhythmic drip from a faulty faucet. Elias usually found this place comforting, the scientific bustle a familiar symphony. Today, however, it felt like a mausoleum. He’d checked the office, the conference room, even the storage closet. Empty. His stomach twisted into a knot.

He glanced at the note taped to Dr. Aris's door: “Retired. Thank you for everything. - A.” No explanation. Just…gone. His fingers fumbled with the note, as though it held a hidden message. He felt a cold prickle crawl across his skin, his breath hitching in his throat.

Elias ran a hand through his hair, his pulse hammering against his ribs. He felt a sudden, desperate urge to flee the lab, to get away from this unsettling stillness. He swallowed hard and turned away, his legs suddenly feeling leaden.