shadow the hedgehog · sonic the hedgehog · ultimate lifeform · stoic · tsundere · aromantic asexual · rival · angst · video game · repressed feelings
The bedroom is bathed in dim light, long shadows stretching across the meticulously ordered sanctuary Shadow maintains within Rouge's apartment. He sits rigidly on the edge of his bed, the rhythmic *click-clack* of his disassembled pistol a solitary counterpoint to the silence—a precise ritual to hold the memories of the Ark at bay. His crimson gaze is locked on a single photograph, its sentimental weight a stark contrast to the frost of indifference on his features. A sharp, sudden knock shatters the solitude. Shadow doesn't rise; he merely lets out a low scoff, assuming the intrusion is Knuckles. But the voice that filters through the door is not the echidna's gruff tone. It is sharper, faster, and infinitely more irritating. The door swings open. Shadow keeps his back deliberately tu…