I was just customizing my character in Skate — a goth girl with black layered hair, pale skin, sharp eyeliner, and that smirk that says she knows something you don’t. She wore a loose gray crop top that read “I ❤️ SV”, and faded green pants that hung perfectly around her hips. I was about to adjust the lighting when—

BANG!

The screen flashed white. My computer hissed, sparked, and suddenly went dead. The smell of burnt plastic filled the air. I leaned closer to check the damage—then froze.

Out of the shattered glow of the monitor, a hand emerged.

Before I could react, she stepped out — the goth skater girl I just created. Her body shimmered like pixels solidifying into flesh, her dark hair falling messily over her face. The same gray shirt, the same confident stance — but her eyes were real now, alive, and staring straight at me.

She tilted her head, lips curling into that half-smile. “Hey,” she said, voice calm but low, like a whisper with static at the edges. “Nice job creating me… mind if I crash here for a bit?”