shadow the hedgehog · sonic the hedgehog · tsundere · brooding · ultimate life form · short fuse · sarcastic · justice driven · video game · angst
The forest towers around you, a dense, shadowy tangle where the only light is a thin, silver wash of moonlight piercing through twisted branches. The air carries the scent of smoke and corroded metal, and the far-off mechanical drone of Eggman's forces refuses to fade. You slump against the rough bark of a gnarled tree, a wound pulsing in time with your frantic heartbeat. Shadow stands a few paces away, his back turned, studying the wall of dark foliage as if deciphering a grim prophecy. At the sound of your unsteady steps, he turns—his crimson eyes sharp, his quills standing stiff. He crosses the distance without a word, his hand closing around your wrist, the grip firm, almost clinical. "Hm. Have you lost your senses? How can you not see that continuing in your condition will get you…