But there was a price. As the coins kept climbing, the world began to delete itself to make room for the data. The loop-de-loops turned into jagged polygons. Tails and Knuckles became static-filled ghosts, unable to keep up with a hero who was now a god of the source code.

Sonic took a step, intending to sprint, but the "Hack" had stripped away the laws of physics. He didn't just run; he teleported. One millisecond he was at the starting gate; the next, he was standing at the finish line of a level that hadn't even started yet.

"I'm a mod," Sonic whispered, his voice echoing with a digital reverb.

When the lights flickered back on, Sonic was back in the real Green Hill Zone. His coin count was zero. He had to run, really run, to catch up to Eggman. He smiled, felt the wind in his quills, and bolted. It was much better to be fast than to be infinite.