The cascade of glitching pixels sparked to life right beside the Red's mannequin. The system struggled to render the missing variable within the perfect spatial geometry, resulting in a localized error.
A burst of static dissolved into a corrupted audio playback.
The sanctuary echoed with the ambient noise of a high school reunion. The clinking of glasses and overlapping chatter filled the digital space. Rubedo listened to his own voice from a decade ago.
"You have barely touched your drink," the recorded voice of the younger Rubedo said over the noise. "The music they chose for this event is terrible. We can leave early if you want."
A female voice replied with a clear, comfortable tone. "I actually like the music. It reminds me of that arcade we went to last month. Besides, you promised me we would stay for the entire night."
