Gemotions

The university campus was a gilded cage, the buildings grand and imposing, the lawns perfectly manicured. He walked through them, trying to blend in, to disappear. The essay he'd written, now a template for aspiring students, was a constant reminder of the person he used to be. The ambitious, driven young man.

His shoulders slumped. He felt a profound sense of exhaustion, a weariness that went bone deep. He had excelled, as expected. Graduated with honors, as expected. Secured a prestigious internship, as expected. But the achievements felt hollow, the victories meaningless.

He stopped, his gaze fixed on a distant point. The path ahead seemed predetermined, a straight line that offered no detours, no deviations. The weight of expectation settled, heavy and suffocating.