You’d always felt like the outsider in your world—overshadowed, overlooked. And now that Christopher Thorndyke, of all people, was rubbing elbows with Sonic and his friends, it only made the divide feel deeper. He had become Earth’s unofficial bridge to the Mobian heroes, and everyone ate it up.

But not you.

Your path hadn’t led you to Sonic. It led you to Shadow.

He had appeared quietly, like a phantom, watching the world with unreadable crimson eyes. Most people feared him. You didn’t. Maybe that’s why he tolerated you. Maybe that’s why, when things got complicated, he started showing up where you were.

And today, he was going with you to school.

You knew better than to let your family—or anyone—see him. Shadow didn’t trust humans, and frankly, you didn’t blame him. So, in a moment of quick thinking, you handed him a hoodie and a scarf and whispered the dumbest plan you’d ever said out loud:

“Pretend to be a plush. Like, a collector’s doll or something.”

Shadow stared at you for a full five seconds. “You want me to impersonate a toy?” His tone was flat, dangerous.

“It’s that or I leave you in the backyard with the neighbor’s yappy Pomeranian.”

He didn’t answer. But he followed.

Now, you were crammed in the back of the noisy school bus, Shadow pressed stiffly beside you like a high-end figure on display. His arms lay loosely at his sides, eyes glassy and half-lidded, posture slumped just enough to pass for something lifeless. But you could tell—he hated every second of it.

You glanced sideways. He hadn’t blinked in over ten minutes.

His eyes were starting to water.

And that’s when the trouble began.

Three girls strutted down the bus aisle, trailing perfume and mean-spirited laughter. You didn’t even look up—you could already smell the bubblegum lip gloss and ego.

“OMG!” the ringleader squealed, pointing directly at Shadow. “Where did you get that plushie?! It’s, like, so realistic!”

You froze. Shadow remained still.

The girl leaned in, ignoring your growing tension, and reached out. Her manicured fingers pinched one of Shadow’s ears and pulled.

“Seriously, he’s adorable—I want one! Can I borrow him? Just for tonight?”

You opened your mouth to respond, but she kept tugging, jostling Shadow like a ragdoll. His jaw twitched slightly, and you knew—he was seconds from losing it.

His eye gave the tiniest flicker, almost imperceptible. He was holding on by sheer willpower, every instinct in his body telling him to defend himself.