Gemotions

The notice, a stark white rectangle thumbtacked to the bulletin board, felt like a physical blow. Elias stared at it, the words blurring. His hands, usually steady when sketching architectural designs, trembled. The weight in his chest was a suffocating pressure, each breath a struggle. He’d spent years here, chasing a dream that now crumbled around him like poorly constructed plaster. He slouched, the energy drained from him, and shuffled away, his footsteps echoing in the suddenly silent hall.