Gemotions

The familiar scent of old books in Leo's study usually brought a sense of comfort. But this evening, it felt oppressive, suffocating. Across the continent. The words of Ben, his lifelong friend, still rang in his ears. Leo slumped into his worn armchair.

His eyelids felt weighted, as if made of lead. He closed them for a moment, the silence of the room amplifying the drumming in his ears. He had been planning to work on his thesis, but the very idea of opening his laptop was impossible.

He just wanted to be still, to escape the churning in his stomach and the growing certainty that everything was about to shift. He felt a deep desire to simply cease existing, but that wasn’t an option.