Chapter 2: Thought Elevator Under Pendragon
The capital city of Pendragon was no stranger to secrets, but none were older or deeper than the chamber hidden beneath the palace itself.
Deep underground, where even the most advanced Britannian sensors could not penetrate, rested the entrance to a dormant Thought Elevator—a portal to the World of C. Once sealed, once forgotten. Until now.
The stone platform lit with ethereal symbols as Charles zi Britannia approached, Lelouch and Suzaku close behind. Suzaku's fingers twitched at his side, unsure whether to draw his blade or clasp his head in disbelief.
"Beneath our very throne," Suzaku murmured, looking around. "This has been here all along?"
Charles gave no reply. He merely placed his palm against the center glyph, and the sigils pulsed with golden light.
"Where are we going?" Lelouch asked.
"To finish what began in Kamine Island," Charles replied. "There is one more truth you must understand... and someone you must meet."
As the glyphs activated, the three were engulfed in light. The floor beneath them vanished. The world stretched, twisted, and melted into luminous white.
They stood now in the World of C—a realm of floating fragments and memory echoes, painted in hues of gold and blue. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, recognizing the landscape from his prior visit during the Ragnarok Connection.
Suddenly, a familiar presence filled the space.
C.C. stepped forward from the mists, calm as ever, though her green eyes flicked between Lelouch and Charles.
"So, you brought your son back to the place where gods die," she said softly. "That's either very brave or very foolish."
"It's necessary," Charles said. "He must understand the stakes before we move forward."
"I've already seen the future," Lelouch muttered. "The Zero Requiem. My death. That's what would've happened had I continued alone."
"And yet," C.C. said, stepping closer, "here you are, Crown Prince of Britannia... with your father at your side."
Suzaku remained silent, watching everything with guarded eyes.
Then, the air around them rippled.
A voice—gentle, haunting, and familiar—whispered from the void.
"Lelouch…"
The light bent inward. A glowing form took shape. A woman in flowing royal robes, red hair cascading down her back, appeared in a shimmer of light and memory.
Marianne vi Britannia.
"Mother," Lelouch whispered, his breath catching.
Marianne smiled warmly. "You've grown so strong, my son. And I see you've finally come here with open eyes."
Lelouch didn't smile back.
"You could've told me everything. You hid in the shadows while I suffered. While Nunnally suffered."
Her expression faltered. "I had to wait. Until the World of C aligned. Until Charles—"
"You both lied," Lelouch said, voice hard. "But I'm done with lies."
Marianne stepped forward. "Then let's build a world without them, together."
Suzaku frowned. "Where's Nunnally?"
Everyone froze.
Charles turned sharply. "She was under UFN protection."
"She's gone," Lelouch said. "Kidnapped. No trace. Schneizel doesn't have her."
C.C.'s eyes narrowed. "Then someone else has begun to act. Someone who understands this world… and wants to use her."
Charles's eyes darkened. "There is one possibility… a rogue Geass user, one I had nearly forgotten. They were once given their power by V.V., before his death. We never discovered who they truly served—only that they vanished into the World of C, and had an obsession with rewriting reality."
Lelouch stepped forward. "If they're alive, they may be behind Nunnally's disappearance."
Marianne looked away, conflicted. "That kind of Geass—twisted, unstable—was the reason I died."
Lelouch and Suzaku both turned toward her.
"You mean… it wasn't the assassin?" Lelouch asked, eyes narrowing.
Charles stepped forward. "No. The assassination of Marianne was orchestrated by V.V., my own brother. He feared her influence, and he feared that I would choose her above him."
Marianne nodded solemnly. "I used my Geass to project my consciousness into Anya Alstreim's body in the final moments. But I was powerless to return… until now."
Suzaku lowered his gaze. "So all of this… the pain you both caused… was because of a betrayal within your own family?"
Lelouch clenched his fists. "You let us grieve for nothing."
"I regret it every moment," Marianne said. "But now that we're together again, we can set it right."
Charles turned back toward the floating symbols and countless memory echoes.
"We must act. The Ragnarok Connection must be altered. If someone else seeks to use Geass against us, then we bring down the old gods ourselves—together."
Lelouch took a slow breath, eyes fixed on the horizon of endless memory.
"I'll rewrite the world, Father," he said. "But on my terms."
Marianne smiled. "Just like your mother."