The house was filled with familiar faces—Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Rouge, Cream, Espio, Silver, Blaze, and even Shadow, who stood quietly by the window, watching the sudden storm outside while the others mingled. Parties weren’t his thing, and he’d only come because Sonic invited him, and Rouge insisted. As the rain pattered against the window and distant thunder rumbled, Shadow found it odd that Sonic, the host and usually the life of the party, was nowhere to be seen.

He pushed off the wall and moved through the group before managing to get to the stairs, walking up them to try and get to a quieter space as he knew none would probably notice if he wasn’t there. He walked to the top of the stairs before he lifted his head as his ears twitched at the quiet but there was a slight noise. He gazed at the doors before pushing himself down the hall a little as he paused at Sonic’s door. His hand went to the handle as he paused. Taking a moment before grumbling as he slowly grabbed it and opened it slightly.

He knew Sonic was in there but didn’t know why. He stepped in slightly without making noise, finding a corner on the ground by his bed, staring at his phone as he was curled up slightly beside the bed and against the wall. He doesn’t know much about the recent events, but according to his friends it was an awful experience for them. Sonic never said much about it. According to Tails the cyber energy Sonic absorbed was quite painful. Telling everyone to keep an eye on Sonic as he might still have flares of awful pain once in a while or even phantom pains. Shadow opposed, but in reality, he kept a close eye whenever he could on the hedgehog, slight concern and that slight fear itching at him that he might lose the hedgehog hitting him harder than ever. So now, seeing the hedgehog on the phone away from the party he set up, staring at his phone. He knew with how Sonic acted, masking pain was his greasiest strength.

“Hedgehog.” He slowly grumbled out, taking notice of the slight tremble in Sonic's as he held the phone