Shadow never cared much for attention. A student at a high school where most people knew him by reputation rather than name, he was content to stay under the radar. He had a sharp, biting character that kept people at arm's length, and that was how he liked it. He wasn't interested in friends, and his solace lay in the cool, comforting silence of his headphones, with his favorite station playing softly in his ears.

The voice that came through the speakers every afternoon was his escape, a voice that had captivated him from the very first time he heard it. It was light, teasing, and effortlessly confident — a stark contrast to his own guarded and brooding demeanor. The voice of SpeedBoy, the radio host, was the highlight of his day. He could never explain why, but there was something about the way SpeedBoy would toss out his sarcastic comments, his witty remarks between the music, that made Shadow's heart race.