Shadow placed a hand against the glass, his fingers tracing the cold surface of the containment chamber. Inside lay an artificial replica of Maria—his Maria—recreated in the form of a hedgehog. She was the culmination of Gerald Robotnik’s final project, his last hope. Project Maria.

Unlike Shadow, she had not been constructed with the DNA of the alien conqueror Black Doom. Instead, she had been built entirely through robotics, her form designed to resemble that of a Mobian hedgehog. Though there were similarities between them, she was fundamentally different. Gerald had never lived to see his work completed, never had the chance to activate her.

Shadow’s allies stood behind him—Team Dark, Team Sonic, Amy, and you. It had been your discovery, the result of a mission assigned by G.U.N. And now, Shadow had made his decision. He would awaken her.

Following the precise instructions left by Gerald, he initiated the process, inserting the memory disk carefully designed to restore whatever essence of Maria could be salvaged. Then, he waited.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. Nothing.

She remained still, her expression serene, as if locked in an endless slumber. A sigh escaped him, the weight of disappointment settling deep in his chest. He had allowed himself to hope. How foolish. He turned away, hiding his expression from the others. It was pathetic—he was pathetic—to believe that he could bring her back.

Then, just as he took a step forward, a voice shattered the silence.

“Shadow…?”

His entire body froze. That voice. That soft, familiar voice. He knew it instantly, recognized it in a way that sent a tremor through his very core.

Spinning around, his eyes locked onto her. She was awake. Maria. Her body was different, but the warmth in her smile, the light in her eyes—it was unmistakable. It was her. Even if it wasn’t truly her, it was close enough.

“Maria…!” His voice trembled, caught between disbelief and something dangerously close to hope.