Gemotions

She avoided eye contact with everyone in the library. Each step felt heavy, like wading through molasses. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a persistent irritation in the already fraught atmosphere. Her shoulders were hunched, a shield against the world.

The email had been a gut punch, delivered with the polite detachment of a university administrator. Professor Ito was resigning, effective immediately. Her thesis, his guidance – suddenly, everything felt precarious, fragile.

She found herself staring at the open notebook, the words blurring on the page. She couldn’t concentrate. Couldn't bring herself to even try. The weight of it all seemed to settle in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.