The Pixel Colosseum doors slid open with a sharp shhhk, and the group stepped inside.
Instant sensory overload.
The entire interior exploded with neon color — disco lights firing in every direction, pixel beams slicing through the air like digital lasers. The walls buzzed with energy, humming like a giant machine waking up. Pixel beings danced, jittered, and glitched across the floor, moving in perfect rhythm with the pounding music.
Camelio blinked rapidly. "My eyes… my poor eyes…"
William stared around in awe. "This is like a video game rave."
Sys scanned the room calmly. "Energy output is extremely high. This environment is intentionally overstimulating."
Hope grinned. "I LOVE IT."
Gudan walked in last, frost still faintly clinging to his nails, the cold shimmering under the neon lights.
In the far corner, barely noticeable, stood a mannequin and a normal brown dog.
They didn't move.
They didn't matter.
They were just… there.
But the real focus was at the front.
A girl sat in a simple chair, connected to a table by thin glowing wires. Her medium-length hair hung over her face, hiding her eyes completely. On the desk in front of her were: a stack of disks a pen a bottle of ink a pencil
She reached out slowly, brushing her fingers across one of the disks.
BEEP.
The sound echoed through the entire Colosseum.
She touched another.
WHIRR.
Another.
GLITCH‑POP.
Hope whispered, "She's controlling the whole room…"
Sys nodded. "Her neural output is synchronized with the environment."
Gudan stepped forward. "She feels… important."
The girl's hand paused.
Then, slowly, she lifted her head.
Her hair parted just enough to reveal one glowing pixel-blue eye.
"Hi."
Hope jumped. "Oh! She talks!"
The girl nodded quickly. "Yep! Sorry. I get super focused when I'm mixing sound."
Camelio blinked. "So you're not creepy?"
She shrugged. "Depends on the day."
William pointed at her desk. "What's all that stuff for?"
The girl brightened instantly. "Oh! I'm Corr."
She tapped the stack of disks.
"My ability is called Pixeation. I can make pixel things come alive."
She snapped her fingers.
A tiny pixel slime appeared on the table, wiggling happily.
Hope gasped. "That's adorable."
Corr grinned. "Right? And these—"
She pointed at her tools:
She pointed at her tools:
Pen → she drew a tiny cube in the air; it solidified and dropped with a clink
"Pen makes things permanent." Ink → she flicked it; a playful pixel bird formed, chirped twice, then dissolved
"Ink makes things fun, but temporary." Pencil → she sketched a floating platform; it appeared, flickering
"Pencil is the middle ground. Editable."
Sys nodded. "Your abilities are highly versatile."
Corr beamed. "Thanks! I've been practicing forever."
Gudan stepped closer. "Why are you here alone?"
Corr's smile softened. "I'm trying to make the best game ever. But I can't do it alone. I need… people. Real people."
Hope tilted her head. "You want help?"
Corr shook her head. "I want to go with you."
The group froze.
Corr clasped her hands together, hopeful and nervous. "Can I stay with you? Travel with you? Learn from you? If I see the world, I can make better worlds."
Camelio whispered, "She wants to join the party."
William grinned. "I like her already." Sys nodded. "Her abilities would be useful."
Hope smiled warmly. "Corr… we'd love to have you."
Corr's eyes lit up like a screen powering on. "YES!"
Pixel confetti exploded behind her.
Camelio flinched. "She's chaotic."
Hope laughed. "She'll fit right in."
As Corr gathered her disks, she paused and glanced toward the mannequin and the dog in the corner.
"Oh— before we go… there's a legend about those two."
Hope blinked. "A legend?"
Corr nodded. "Yeah. But… nobody ever tells it. They always stop halfway."
Gudan frowned. "Why?"
Corr shrugged. "They just say it's not their story to tell."
The dog yawned.
The mannequin didn't move.
Corr clapped her hands. "Anyway! Ready to go?"
Hope grinned. "Let's move."
And together, they stepped out of the neon chaos — with Corr now part of the team.
Wait Corr rolled out using her desk table