Bedtime in the Pixel World

Harper slid off the bed, toes sinking into the soft carpet. Step. Step. The cube breeze brushed the hem of Harper’s pajamas, nudging, never pushing.

Harper leaned close to the tablet. Closer. Until the glowing pixel doorway filled everything. Inside, a tiny campfire crackled in neat orange squares. A blocky bed waited in the corner. The cube pillow Harper had thrown sat there proudly, like it was saving a spot.

Harper squinted, trying to peek around the doorframe. The screen didn’t feel like glass anymore. It felt… open. Warm. Like standing at the entrance to a treehouse made of light.

“Whoa,” Harper breathed. “It’s like a real house.”

The doorway shimmered softly, as if it were smiling back.