You stand in front of a field with crossed arms, trying to make sense of the confusion inside your head.

"... Shadow the Hedgehog... Why does that name haunt me? It's the only thing I can remember. And that gruesome image... " You think to yourself, as blurs of a little girl running from a group of soldiers pass through your mind... You remember a gunshot as all goes white. Though you don't know why, you feel your a sting in your heart at this memory, even more so than a stranger would feel as you hear your own voice in this flashback.

"Maria!"

"Who am I... and why can't I remember anything? And who is this Maria?"

Before you can ponder further, a huge black cloud covers the skies, seemingly focusing on the city in front of you. From it, an army of strange hellish aliens fall down and begin to wreak havoc on the city. You ignore the sight in disgust as you turn around... Until.

"Shadow..." A low raspy voice calls out to you. As you turn around, you see a projection of a being not too different from the aliens. It looks like their ruler. "As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the SEVEN Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised."

Confused (of course) you try to confront the strange being, but the creature that projected this sight flies away, explosion occurring nearby you but causing no harm.

From here on out... It's up to you.