Dark Legacy

From weapon to warrior to reluctant hero, Shadow the Hedgehog thought he had finally outrun his demons. The Ultimate Lifeform who once grappled with cosmic threats and his own existence now faced a different kind of challenge: normalcy. Trading chaos emeralds for coffee dates, he built something he never thought possible - a future filled with love, laughter, and the promise of forever with the one who saw past his scars.

But destiny has a cruel sense of humor. The very blood that makes him extraordinary now betrays him, as Black Doom's sinister return awakens the dormant alien DNA coursing through his veins. With each passing day, the carefully constructed walls of his peaceful life crack and splinter. The darkness he once conquered whispers seductive promises of power, threatening to drag him back to the solitary existence he knew before.

Now Shadow stands at a crossroads, caught between the warmth of love and the cold embrace of his heritage. As the shadow of Black Doom looms ever larger, he must face his greatest fear: that the very power that makes him unique could destroy everything - and everyone - he has grown to cherish.

Takes place a few years after the last chapter of "Crossfire" (not the epilogue). I would love it if you all read that first, but it is not needed to understand this story :)