Note: For anyone re-reading this chapter, please note that this is the updated version (March 14, 2020)! Thanks!

Solaris' dying flames lit up the heavens like shooting stars, fading away into the dark abyss. We had defeated it, once and for all.

Neither Sonic Shadow, or I said a word as we landed weightlessly on the ground, our Super forms casting brilliant beams of gold on the stone. The last remnants of the once-powerful god, Solaris, exploded in a supernova of white.

Whether or not I had fulfilled my purpose, I did not know. I like to think that I did.

But in those last few moments, as I faded into oblivion, a single thought entered my mind.

"This is my absolution."

Prologue - An Incomplete Absolution

Waves. Soft, gentle motions pulling me in and back out again. My end...an endless sea; my mind...finally...at peace.

Slipping in and out of consciousness, I lay prone, letting the water wash over me. It was...almost ironic; having spent my whole life surrounded by flames, to exist in death surrounded by the currents of the ocean.

I inhaled the salty mist, listening as the water crashed lightly on the shore. In that moment, it felt almost as if the water started to cool, icy tendrils of liquid clawing at my body. The serenity of my infinite sea...tainted. Vague wonder entered my mind. The shore...the mist...the coldness...

Golden eyes shot open, my breathing sharp and panicked.

I was alive.

xxx

"...CHAOS..."

I sat up in the shallow water, hand reaching for my forehead. My muscles were stiff and my head throbbed. The dull, aching pain shuddered through my body as I let out a series of quick, gasping breaths.

As my vision adjusted to the darkness, I noticed a light drizzle of rain coming from the night sky overhead; the end of a storm. I was alone, cold ocean water brushing against my fur as a tidal wave of thoughts burst into my mind, drowning out the rest of the world. They all revolved around a single question.

How am I not...dead?

Memories blurred together into meaningless noise; the ringing in my ears was deafening. I couldn't focus. I couldn't think. Silent questions bombarded my head, only to be left unanswered.

Fists clenched, I willed myself to stand. I tried to brush the sandy water off, but it didn't do much. Shells crunched as I dragged my feet along the sandy shore, and palm leaves rustled in the wind overhead. The clouds shifted, moonlight finally breaking through and covering the beach in a ghostly glow. As the last few raindrops fell, I shivered.

I stopped, finally registering what I was doing. "Where am I even going?"

A grimace formed on my face, and I squeezed my eyes shut. The question lingered. What am I doing? What am I even supposed to do?

Just like everything else, I didn't know.

I just didn't know.

The night crawled on as I lay under one of the palm trees at the edge of the beach, my back resting on the soft, pale sand. Past the leaves overhead, I could see the stars. Their lights twinkled down at me, smiling. They were just the way I had remembered, which for some reason, made me feel a little safer. The stars, of all things, were unchanging.

I spread my arms to the side, feeling the cool dunes under my gloves. The light breeze smelled of salt, and I listened to the soft sounds of the sea. I relaxed as my mind started to clear, the voices in my head quieting themselves. The questions I had, however, weren't any closer to being answered. This world, this time, what was it? Surely it couldn't be mine, right?

Then, did that mean I failed?

The gentle tug of exhaustion clouded my thoughts. Sighing, I promised myself that I would figure things out in the morning. My eyelids drooped and the shadows blurred together. The darkness closed in, and I fell into an empty, dreamless slumber.

xxx

Prologue (Bonus) - Mission: Chaos

The light mist of early morning enveloped the concrete jungle that was Central City. It was a metropolis that never slept; flashing lights and the noise of vehicles on the busy streets were a constant in a place like this. One quickly learns to tune out the cacophony, as he had done.

Lost in his thoughts, Shadow barely noticed the subtle movement of his shoe on the gas pedal or the way he shifted his weight as he turned. He'd traveled these streets so often that it had become automatic, instinctual even. Glancing up at the now-green traffic light, he eased his motorcycle forward, following the lethargic flow of cars.

Past the light, he noticed the beginnings of daylight slowly stealing the few visible stars from the sky. It illuminated the wet puddles of last night's rain, the burning colors of sunrise reflecting off of them. The air warmed ever so slightly, the small drops of dew soon to disappear in the heat of the day. The hedgehog liked to take time to notice the small things like that. As crowded and noisy as the world could be, it was sometimes just so beautiful.

A ringing beep from his bike interrupted his musings. The projection screen opened up at the top of his motorcycle's console; it was a call from the Commander. Shadow hesitated for a moment, the Commander almost never called him directly. Looking at the screen for a moment, he clicked the 'accept' option and pulled over into a dimly lit alleyway off the main road. His drive to work could wait.

"Agent Shadow, I apologize for the sudden call, but I have an urgent matter that I need to speak with you about."

His voice was steady, but he could see the panic in his boss' eyes. It made him tense up, the quills on his back stiffening ever so slightly.

"Last night, there was a short thunderstorm. It had seemed fairly ordinary, despite its abrupt appearance. However, around midnight there was a strange...er...well, I'm not entirely sure what it was. From what I do know, the object collided with the Earth somewhere on the west outskirts of Soleana. Extremely high and unusual chaos energy readings were tracked as it came in contact with the planet, but even using that as a lead, our agents couldn't find any trace of a meteor."

The dark hedgehog looked down at the gold rings on his wrists. There were only three things he knew of that could emit enough chaos energy to worry the G.U.N.: the chaos emeralds, the master emerald, and powerful chaos control. The government was in possession of the first two, and chaos control to that extent was banned years ago. Something was very wrong.

"Due to your connection with chaos energies, I'm assigning you to track down whatever caused the crash. I already sent you the general coordinates and information I have on the object, and your other missions have been put on hold until this is found. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Permission to access the chaos and master emeralds?"

"Granted," the Commander paused for a moment before he lowered his voice, his tone slightly warmer. "...thank you Shadow."

The G.U.N. agent shook his head ever so slightly before ending the video-call. There was no need for thanks. Whatever caused the energy outburst had to be stopped, and he was the G.U.N.'s best bet at doing so. Still, his gratitude was appreciated, especially with Shadow's own...questionable history.

He looked around the run-down street for a minute, watching as the rays of the sun began to make the alleyway almost glow. A sense of dread washed over him as he stood alone in the growing light. Of course, it had to be in Soleana. And it had been so long since he had last dealt with chaos-powered threats. Years. Maybe even decades. A vision of a smirking Sonic holding a green chaos emerald popped its way into his head. He pushed it away, grimacing. Other, more faded memories threatened to drown out his thoughts, but the agent forced them back too. Emotions were such delicate things; this was neither the time nor the place to try to make sense of his.

Raising the kickstand, he let out a small sigh. "Soleana, here I come."

xxx

Note: Expect longer chapters to come; as stated above, this was mainly just a prologue of sorts. Any feedback or suggestions are greatly appreciated!