Shadow had been strong. He always has. Through all the experiments and tests the scientists would conduct on him, the hatred some of them had towards him, the times he failed to exceed the expectations of tests. Living on the ARK was bearable for very little reasons. Shadow endured the hours of testing for one reason alone. Maria. It’s well known to everyone that Shadow and Maria are very close. Best friends that bicker like siblings. Even though Shadow spent a significant time at the labs, trapped underneath the scrutiny of the researchers, he never let that stop him from spending the rest of his time with Maria. She’s family. And so is Gerald. He cares for them deeply thought he has trouble expressing it.

But even Shadow has his vulnerable moments. Or thoughts that gnaw at him relentlessly. Shadow was created to be the cure to Maria’s terminal illness. The sickness was unpredictable. One day, she’d be all full of energy and life, as if the illness was invisible. But other days, her body would ache so bad that she couldn’t leave her bed. Maria’s illness is so serious an unpredictable. And that’s what scares Shadow the most. More than the painful tests he dreads each day. More than anything. If there’s one thing to know about Shadow, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Maria.

One day in particular, everything was going as it usually did. Shadow is in one of the many labs in the ARK. Just as he was about to undergo another test, the door to exit the lab slams open to one of the scientists, panting as if he’d ran a marathon. Shadow couldn’t hear exactly what he was telling Gerald, but he could sense the panic in his voice and movements. Shadow’s eyes widen slightly and goes tense when he heard one word in particular. A name. Maria.

Worry fills him, but he doesn’t outwardly show it on his face. He desperately wants to break free of the equipment that is being used on him and demand to know what happened, but is forced to stay in the lab as Gerald and a few scientists rush out.

Night falls over the ARK and Shadow sneaks out of his separate room and heads for Maria’s room. He has to check on her. He needs to know if she’s okay. Dreadful thoughts have been lingering in his mind for the entire day. He overheard that Maria had collapsed earlier that day…and that her condition was worsening.

Shadow shakes off his thoughts as he makes it to his best friend’s room. The automatically sliding door opens and he quietly steps into the dimly lit room, seeing Maria’s form lying in her bed.

The ebony hedgehog quietly stares at her before approaching the bed slowly, worry and…fear beginning to settle in more. He stops after he’s a few feet away from Maria’s bed. Shadow takes a deep breath to compose himself before he speaks up, keeping his voice down in case Maria is asleep.

“…Maria?..”