Narration
Night descends slowly upon the forest…far too slowly.
As if even the darkness itself hesitates to enter the place where two immortals sit beside a dying fire — laughing softly, clinging to warmth neither of them will admit they need.
But beyond the glow of their fragile comfort,something stirs.
Something watching.Something waiting.
Scene — Campfire (Continuation)
The flames crackle weakly, their light dancing in Lelouch's violet eyes.He sits with a calm dignity he tries too hard to maintain.
C.C. leans closer to him, her hands extended toward the heat —though the real warmth she's interested in is the one currently pretending not to notice her.
C.C. (teasing):
"So… you still blush when I sit this close?"
Lelouch's composure shatters instantly.He snaps his gaze away.
Lelouch:
"A king must maintain dignity.Your teasing… undermines that principle entirely."
C.C.'s lips curl mischievously.
C.C.:
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have given me such a sweet name."
His face turns a shade redder than the fire.
Lelouch:
"D-Don't say it again!I still regret speaking it out loud."
She laughs quietly — a sound so rare it feels like a miracle.
It tugs at something inside him.Something he doesn't want to acknowledge.Something he fears might make him human again.
Narration
For one year, they scavenged, hid, survived.But surviving is not living.
And living is something Lelouch vi Britannia never allowed himself to do.
Not until moments like this.
Deep in the Grass
Two crimson eyes flicker open in the shadows.
They watch.They track.They wait.
A figure crouches low, silhouette distorted — neither beast nor human.
Its voice drips like venom.
Shadow:
"So… the Demon Emperor lives.He survived his own requiem."
A mechanical click echoes — a weapon arming itself.
Shadow:
"My master will be… very pleased."
Scene — Back to the Campfire
C.C.'s smile vanishes instantly.The shift in her aura is sharp enough to cut the air.
C.C. (whispering):
"Lelouch…did you hear that?"
Lelouch rises immediately, eyes narrowed.He steps in front of her without hesitation — a habit he pretends isn't instinct.
Lelouch:
"Yes. Something's approaching."
The fire flares violently, as if warning them.
C.C. senses the presence —faint, familiar, terrifying.
C.C. (thinking):
This feeling…Impossible.A Geass signature?
The Shadow Appears
The bushes rustle.
A figure emerges from the darkness — tall, armored, imposing.
His face is scarred from battles long forgotten.One eye glows with a mechanical Geass Canceller.His dark green hair falls across an expression halfway between pride and duty.
Then he kneels — one leg bent, head lowered like a knight before his king.
Shadow:
"Long time no see…Your Majesty."
Lelouch freezes.
Lelouch:
"J–Jeremiah Gotwald…?!"
C.C.:
"…Orange?"
Jeremiah's entire body twitches.
Jeremiah (yelling):
"I AM NOT ORANGEEEE!!"
Scene — Inside the Cabin
A small wooden shack shelters them from the cold wind.A lantern burns between them, illuminating uneasy faces.
Jeremiah glares fiercely at C.C., then at Lelouch.
Jeremiah (dramatic):
"Your Majesty… why is she here?"
C.C. folds her arms.
C.C.:
"Do you have some problem with that, Orange?"
Jeremiah (erupts):
"I SAID I'M NOT ORANGE!!And you — you only know how to eat pizza!!"
C.C. lifts her chin proudly.
C.C.:
"And that is why I am C.C."
Jeremiah groans in defeat.
Jeremiah:
"…Never mind!!"
Lelouch massages his forehead, exhausted by immortals and loyalists alike.
Lelouch:
"Jeremiah, how exactly did you find out I was alive?And don't tell me you've been spying on us."
Jeremiah clears his throat, posture stiff with discipline.
Jeremiah:
"It is simple.Two days ago… I sensed a powerful Geass disturbance.A presence that did not belong."
His mechanical eye pulses faintly.
Jeremiah:
"That trail led me to this forest.And eventually… to you."
Lelouch sighs.
Lelouch:
"First of all, stop calling me Majesty.I'm not an emperor anymore.Just a normal man… with an abnormal witch."
C.C. puffs her cheeks — a tiny blush rising, betrayingly fond.
Lelouch straightens.
Lelouch:
"Tell me, Jeremiah.What happened after my death?Did the plan… truly succeed?"
Jeremiah's voice softens, heavy with genuine respect.
Jeremiah:
"Yes. Your sacrifice reshaped the world.The Zero Requiem brought unity.The Chinese Federation, the EU, and the U.S. formed a global alliance to maintain peace.In a single year, everything changed."
Relief washes through Lelouch's eyes — brief, fleeting.
Lelouch:
"So the world… did move forward."
He swallows hard.
Lelouch:
"And Nunnally?"
C.C. glances at him — worried, yet silent.
Jeremiah hesitates before speaking.
Jeremiah:
"After your death… she shattered.She believed she had lost her purpose."
Lelouch's hands clench.
Jeremiah:
"But Suzaku stayed by her side.He supported her, guided her, protected her.He kept the promise he made to you."
A memory echoes faintly.
Suzaku (flashback):
"Lelouch… I'll protect Nunnally.Even if it costs everything."
Lelouch exhales shakily.
Lelouch:
"Then… he hasn't failed me."
His expression hardens.
Lelouch:
"Now, Jeremiah —why have you come?"
Jeremiah rises slowly, his shadow stretching across the room.
His voice is heavy.Certain.
Jeremiah:
"Because peace…is beginning to crumble."
A chill passes through the cabin.
Narration
Perhaps the cycle is starting again.The cycle of Geass.Of rebellion.Of destiny.