I never thought I’d see my name on the roster screen. Yet, there it was—bold letters flashing across the Crossworlds interface: [Your Name] – New Challenger Approaches!

The crowd around the starting line was a blur of color and noise: Sonic revving up his sleek blue ride, Tails making last-minute tweaks to his gadget-packed kart, and Shadow—arms crossed, silent, brooding as usual. My hands tightened on the wheel of my own custom vehicle: a fusion of speed and adaptability, modeled to suit my style—balanced acceleration with a dash of flair.

“Think you can keep up?” Sonic grinned, pulling up beside me.