User blog comment:Strife237/A Chaotic Adventure 22/@comment-6576725-20130719132418/@comment-26113388-20130719145423

Quite the opposite actually, Knuckles has it in mid-air, in the open.

Also, wouldn't it make sense to put the Master Emerald in a corner? If it's in the open, enemies could attack from any angle. Knuckles can't be looking in every direction all the time.