Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the student union, mirroring the storm brewing inside Elias. He slumped in a worn armchair, the damp chill seeping through his threadbare sweater. The official email, a curt announcement of the university's impending closure, lay crumpled on the small table before him. He kept re-reading it, each word a fresh wound.

He hadn't touched his half-eaten sandwich in an hour. His stomach churned, a dull ache matching the hollowness in his chest. A few other students milled about, their faces etched with the same bleakness. He watched them, a heavy weight pressing down on him.

He should be out there, protesting, trying to rally others. But his legs felt leaden, his voice caught in his throat. He just wanted the world to stop.