As the energy of the Chaos Emeralds coursed through him, and the glowing form of Super Sonic shimmered brighter than ever before, he hovered above the Earth one final time. His communicator crackled, and despite the static, he heard the familiar voices of his friends—panicked, pleading, afraid.

Sonic took a deep breath, the weight of the moment pressing in, but his voice remained calm. Steady. Brave.

“Hey guys…” he began softly, his tone filled with warmth and sadness. “Looks like this is it for me.”

There was silence on the other end, until Tails’ voice broke through, choked with emotion. “Sonic, please, there has to be another way! We can fix this, together!”

Sonic smiled faintly. “You always believed in finding another way, little buddy. That’s what makes you you. But this time... I gotta be the one to make the hard call.”

“Knuckles, take care of the others. You’ve got the strength for it. And Amy... thanks for always having my back, even when I was too stubborn to say how much that meant.”

He glanced toward Earth below, its blue-green beauty shining against the void. “I’ve had a good run. Saved the world a bunch of times, made some great friends... and ran faster than anyone ever could.”

His voice softened to a whisper. “But now... I’ve gotta run one last lap. Just... don’t forget me, okay?”

The communicator buzzed with static, but Sonic’s final words carried across the stars:

“This is goodbye… but don’t be sad. Keep running. Keep living. And never stop believing in tomorrow.”

And with that, Super Sonic surged forward, a streak of golden light vanishing into the heart of the Eclipse Cannon’s core—brilliant, bold, and gone.