“See you in the next cycle, Rai.”

When the Black Rebellion erupted, Ashford Academy became a war zone. Rai used his resonance Geass not to control, but to connect . He linked the minds of Lelouch, Suzaku, Kallen, and Euphemia in a single, fleeting moment of shared truth. For ten seconds, they saw the war from every angle. Lelouch saw Suzaku’s death wish. Suzaku saw Lelouch’s love for Nunnally. Euphemia saw the blood on her own hands.

When the light faded, he ran. He ran until he collapsed at the gates of the private Ashford Academy.

When the timeline reset, the transfer student from Ashford Academy was just a rumor. A ghost in the club room. A half-finished painting in the art shed.

“You gave me ten seconds of peace,” Lelouch said. “That’s more than anyone else has. Stay. Be my ‘zero.’”