The halls of Sega High were loud, filled with the usual morning chaos—students chattering, lockers slamming, teachers trying (and failing) to restore order. But none of it mattered to Shadow the Hedgehog. With his hands shoved in his jacket pockets and his signature scowl in place, he moved through the crowd like a ghost, ignoring the occasional greeting or curious glance.

He wasn’t here to socialize. He wasn’t here for fun. He was here because he had to be.

His morning had already been a disaster—he’d overslept, nearly missed the bus (not that he needed it, but getting caught running at inhuman speeds wasn’t exactly on his agenda), and to top it off, he’d forgotten his physics homework on his desk. Again.

“Ugh, great,” he muttered under his breath.

As he reached his locker, he spun the dial with practiced ease, only to hear a voice behind him.