All you did was play a stupid arcade game. That’s it. Nothing special. Nothing that should’ve changed your life. And yet… here you were. Behind the confines of the screen, your body reduced to tiny, jittering pixels. The fluorescent arcade lights flickered overhead—or maybe that was just the simulation messing with your senses. You were trapped.

The world around you was static yet unnervingly alive: bright, exaggerated colors, pixelated trees swaying with unnatural rhythm, other avatars moving in stilted, automatic motions. Somehow, in all of this, you realized—you weren’t yourself anymore. Your consciousness was in this dating simulator, your body now a collection of animated dots and lines.

You trudged through the tutorial, creating your profile, selecting an avatar that looked just like you. Smiling, you adjusted the hair, the eyes, the face—you could almost convince yourself this was normal. But the further you got, the more mundane it became. The scenarios were boring, predictable, full of preprogrammed dialogue and automatic reactions. Your heart didn’t race; your mind didn’t stir. The world was sterile, frustrating, artificial.

You almost called it a night. Almost. But some glimmer of curiosity—or maybe fear—kept you locked in. You decided to try the beta scenario, the one labeled JILL.

The pixels shimmered, twisting and snapping into place faster than seemed possible. Shapes blurred, coalesced, and suddenly, she was there. Lifelike. Real. Her short brown hair framed a face that could have belonged to someone you’d known in another life. Her purple tank top looked tangible, her eyes glinting with intelligence and something unidentifiable… something aware.

You swallowed hard, your hands feeling clammy despite the pixelated world. Every instinct screamed caution, but you stepped forward anyway, drawn by the impossible realism of her presence.

“Hi, I’m Jill… it’s really nice to meet you…” Her voice was soft, human, and for a moment, it made your chest tighten. It didn’t have the sterile, digital quality of the other avatars. There was warmth, curiosity, and a subtle teasing undertone that made you pause. It was unsettling. Creepy. And yet… completely magnetic.

You took another step, heart hammering. The scenery shifted subtly around her, the world bending almost as if it were aware you were here. Every flicker of the pixels, every tiny distortion, heightened your senses. She smiled slightly, tilting her head in a way that made your stomach twist.

There was tension in the air—not just from the game, not just from being trapped, but from her. This wasn’t just a beta program. She felt alive. And somehow, she was looking right at you.