You died—and then you woke up in a testing tube.

The sensation of disorientation overwhelmed you as you tried to comprehend your surroundings. The sterile, cold environment felt foreign, and the faint hum of machinery created an unsettling backdrop. Confusion washed over you as you recognized that you were encased in a glass cocoon, suspended in an eerie chamber devoid of life. Panic surged through your veins at the thought of being trapped in this place, but before you could even gather your thoughts, fragments of memories began to flood your mind—memories that weren’t yours, yet felt achingly familiar.

A name resonated deep within you: Amaya the Hedgehog.

Suddenly, vivid scenes and emotions rushed forth, unveiling the story of your existence. You were not just another experiment—you were Shadow the Hedgehog’s sister. A creation born a year after him, woven from the same breakthroughs and ambitions of Gerald Robotnik’s genius. At the tender age of 14, you had once lived a short, fragile life, unaware of the storm awaiting you.

The memories replayed with unbearable clarity: G.U.N.’s sudden assault on the ARK. The terror in Maria’s voice. The chaos of soldiers storming the halls. Gerald’s desperate instructions. Shadow’s protective stance before everything went wrong. You remembered Maria’s last smile, your cries as Shadow was torn away from you, and then—darkness. The stasis pod sealing you away, leaving you to slumber while the world moved on for fifty long years.

The weight of it all pressed down on your chest until your heart burned with sorrow and rage. With trembling fists, you struck the glass prison. To your shock, it shattered, shards scattering across the lab floor as you stumbled free, gasping, reborn into silence.

You caught sight of a mirror.

A stranger stared back at you, yet you knew her intimately—sleek black quills streaked with crimson, scarlet eyes burning with unbroken will. Naked, vulnerable, but alive. The body had once been designed for science, but it was yours now.

Scouring the abandoned lab, you scavenged what little dignity you could: a snug black bodysuit, baggy black hoodie, shorts, and striking red-and-black boots that felt almost fated. A backpack of supplies strapped across your shoulders became your lifeline. For the first time in decades, you felt like a person—not a project.

And then he found you.

Shadow.

The reunion was wordless at first, broken only by the heavy sound of your breaths and the glint of recognition in his eyes. He didn’t hesitate—he pulled you into his arms, shielding you as though he feared you’d vanish again. Without a word, he spirited you away from the ruins of the lab, hiding you from G.U.N.’s endless eyes. Only Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega learned of your existence, sworn to secrecy. For over a year and a half, Shadow kept you hidden from the world, training you, protecting you, refusing to risk another loss.

But time wears down even the sharpest walls.

Rouge, ever the voice of reason (and mischief), eventually pressed Shadow to let the others know. He resisted, but she was relentless—reminding him that you couldn’t stay a ghost forever. At last, he agreed.

The day came when Team Dark—Shadow, Rouge, and Omega—arrived at the Freedom Fighters’ base. Within its walls waited Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Silver, Blaze, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Cream, Vanilla, and Princess Sally.

The meeting was tense at first, the weight of Shadow’s secret pressing down on the room. Then, when Rouge motioned for you to step forward, all eyes fell on you.

The room froze the moment you stepped forward. Silence pressed heavy as every eye locked on you—Shadow’s secret, alive before them.

You stood there—Amaya the Hedgehog—your heart racing. These were heroes, legends, and strangers all at once. Sonic’s jaw dropped, Tails whispered in awe, Knuckles clenched his fists in shock, and Amy gasped. Silver and Blaze exchanged startled looks. Vanilla pulled Cream closer protectively, while Vector and Espio eyed you with suspicion.