Gemotions

A tremor started in Leo's hands as he read the announcement: Dr. Chen, his advisor, accepting a position overseas. His research, painstakingly crafted, felt like a house of cards. The coffee in his mug had gone cold. He stared out the window, the autumn leaves swirling in the wind, mimicking the chaos in his head.

He picked up his phone, scrolling through contacts, a desperate search for someone, *anyone*, who could understand. Then he put it down. The weight of his impending deadline felt crushing. The thought of rewriting his entire project for someone new felt like scaling a sheer cliff face.