Gemotions

The weight of the dissertation suddenly felt like a physical burden, a lead blanket crushing Elias. The news about Professor Bell's departure hung in the air, a phantom presence in the already stuffy lab. He stared at the complex equations scrawled across his whiteboard, the symbols blurring before his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat. He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to physically wipe away the feeling of being closed in. He hadn't seen the sun in days, lost in the relentless pursuit of his research. He wished he could simply vanish.