He really needs to stop being surprised that something will always happen to him. Especially when he doesn't expect it. Sonic sighed, shaking his head as he looked around.

This White Space was… strange. That was the first thing Sonic noticed as he drifted into it, an endless expanse of glowing, milky light that seemed both vast and claustrophobic. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten here—just a blink, a beat of silence, and then... here. He felt suspended, like he was walking through fog, yet nothing touched him.

“Sonic?” The voice was soft, like a memory half-forgotten. Sonic spun around, eyes narrowing as he tried to make out a figure standing in the hazy glow. A girl. She was barely there, just a shimmer of gold hair and a kind smile that seemed etched in sorrow.

He took a cautious step forward. “Uh… do I know you?”