Sonic froze, waiting for penetration.

But... nothing happened.

And a second later Shadow pulled back and let go of his mouth.

“I can't,” he breathed out. Sonic ventured to look at him and saw how the black hedgehog, closing his eyes, lowered his head and covered his face with his hand. “I can't do this for real.”

Sonic licked his lips nervously, not understanding what was happening.

”Shad?” he asked cautiously.

The black hedgehog raised his head at the sound of his voice, and Sonic bit his lip, belatedly realizing that, despite the prohibition, he had called him by name. But Shadow, it seemed, didn’t even notice it - meeting his gaze, he painfully contorted his face in obvious despair, and the blue hero let out a stunned breath, not expecting such a reaction.

“Sonic, I…” the black hedgehog began, but was interrupted by the familiar hiss, from which Sonic flinched and looked at the ceiling.

From above, covering them both with a thousand sparkling snowflakes, translucent crystals fell.

Diamond Dust.

Shadow didn’t even raise his head and only watched doomly as the flakes of dangerous powder, almost snow-white against his black fur, slowly dissolved, going under the skin. Through the fog that began to rapidly envelop his consciousness Sonic saw how the dark hedgehog swayed, leaned on the bed to prevent himself from falling, and again covered his face with his hand.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

In the last moment before sinking into oblivion, Sonic noticed tears flowing down the cheeks of his rival and only then realized that all the masks had been thrown off and he saw the real Shadow.

But it was too late.