The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost Read online

  Dovian scoffed. “If that ever occurs, that is far on the timeline.”

  Gaius folded his arms behind his back. “Ah, yes. But important nevertheless. Only in certain circumstances would it be otherwise.”

  “What do you mean?” Dovian questioned.

  Gaius’ sight fell on an invisible source far into the distance. He seldom fell into that expression, but Dovian had noticed it before during gatherings with the Elders. When asked about it, Sir Gaius often smiled and joked about getting lost in thoughts of candy rather than speak of the possible timelines his mind interpreted based on every minute decision he made. As an Elder, life and its infinite possibilities could cause one to be overly cautious.

  “Ah, it’s nothing to worry about right now, Dovian. That’s something far off in the future.” Sir Gaius walked around his desk, gently guiding his great-grandson toward the towering doors. “We’ll discuss it another time. For now, I do have a meeting with another.”

  “Of course.”

  “A rather beautiful young lady.”

  Dovian gave him a half-hearted smile. “I reckon it’s someone I know, or you wouldn’t mention it.”

  “I like her, Dovian. She can only bring goodness to you.”

  Dovian sighed, tapping his scroll against the palm of his hand. “As long as I have your blessing.”

  “I will endlessly bless you to find happiness, boy.” Gaius pulled open the door. “And I hope you spend your leave wisely.” He gestured to the paperwork. “Good speaking with you today.”

  Dovian pounded his fist against his chest and bowed. “Thank you.”

  Sir Gaius bowed his head. “The least I can do.”

  The Elder watched the young man traverse the stretching hall. Sadness overtook him, his cheerful demeanor fading.

  “The least I can do….” He closed his office door.

  Dovian took a left at the end of the hall; his gaze on a set of doors as he passed. He hung his head as they pulled open, and a flurry of Azure warriors stepped out. One man moved away from the group, grabbing Dovian’s shoulder.

  “Dovian! You weren’t at the meeting earlier,” Euclid said. His cerulean sight immediately locked onto the curled paper in Dovian’s hand. He recognized the colorful seal. “So, the rumors were true.”

  “Rumors already?” Dovian scoffed. They continued further down the hall.

  “Yes. I’ll admit I did not believe them. Perhaps I was foolish.”

  “Foolish? How?”

  “To think that you and I would fight side by side forever.”

  Dovian halted, pulling Euclid to a stop.

  “Euclid, please. Don’t take this personally. This has nothing to do with you. That last mission was….”

  “Difficult? Believe me, I understand. Maybe not in the exact way that you do, but I know. It’s hard going out there, living with those…men for extended periods of time.”

  “It’s not just living with them. It’s the children. It’s the innocent ones that I fight so hard to protect, that I save, just to watch them die. My efforts are…wasted. And my second life goes on without me.” Dovian sighed. It was impossible to explain it without sounding selfish.

  “I may not feed and clothe the innocent, Dovian, but I live on the other side. I infiltrate bases, political offices. I work incognito to gather intelligence. I don’t get to see the side of light. I only see darkness, day after day. I watch as these men burn villages, destroy hospitals. So, understand that I also know of your pain.” Euclid’s flickering glare softened, his irises swirling like ocean waves. “But you don’t see me running away.”

  “I’m not running away,” Dovian quickly sputtered.

  “Oh? Then why are you taking a leave of absence then? Did you not just tell me that you’re tired of working hard to protect a humanity that always loses?” The raven-haired man shook his head. “If you’re so concerned about losing them, then why aren’t you fighting harder to protect them?”

  “Euclid, I….”

  “Instead you’re leaving them. You’re one of the best, Dovian. If you can’t keep them alive, no one can! Not Karter, not Quentin, not even Orin nor me. So, with your leave, you’ll forsake them all.”

  “Don’t do this to me, Euclid. Their souls…” his voice softened, “I hear them screaming, crying. I just need a break from it all. And to say that only I can save them is not enough. Because if I fail them, I do not want to accept they were fated to go out that way.” Dovian’s expression toughened.

  “If the Council of Elders would do things my way—” Euclid quickly silenced himself.

  Dovian groaned. “Your way would be to destroy anyone you deemed a bad guy, Euclid. You can’t hide in the shadows manipulating and killing those you deem unworthy.”

  Euclid leaned in with a sly smirk. “You’re telling me that eliminating the man who ordered the destruction of your village wouldn’t give you some closure? That if I had taken him out before the order was complete, and saved all those children, that you and thousands of others wouldn’t be happier and healthier today?”

  “Nobody knew those orders were given until it was too late.”

  “No, not this time. But if I was given permission to get closer, to persuade their minds.” Euclid poked the side of his head.

  “That’s abusing your power. We can’t control humanity. In the end, it’s still their decision. Unless under extreme circumstances, we are not meant to interfere but mediate.”

  “A lot of good that’s done us,” Euclid harshly whispered.

  The Azure looked over his shoulder. The hall was empty. He promptly raised his arm, pulling up a news report on his armband. The name and image of a prominent political figure projected into the air. The man had died in an explosion mere hours ago.

  “Who is that?” Dovian asked.

  Euclid’s face twisted into an expression that left Dovian covered in goosebumps.

  “That…that’s him?!” Dovian gasped.

  Euclid nodded.

  “My village?” Dovian leaned in, taking in the man’s face. He had seen him before but never would have guessed he was directly involved.

  “I did some digging through my father’s files. He oversaw that district. Apparently, my father had been keeping a careful eye on the man. Despite his better judgment, he refused to make any moves,” Euclid made a sour face.

  “Someone got to him,” Dovian whispered.

  Euclid gave a short chuckle. “Someone surely did.”

  Dovian didn’t like his friend’s tone of voice.

  “Euclid!” Dovian stepped away. “Did…did you?”

  “Hello, boys!” I’Lanthe’s voice interrupted them.

  Euclid and Dovian quickly faced her, their expressions obvious of their secretive meeting.

  “Am I interrupting something?” she curiously asked.

  Euclid roughly slung an arm over Dovian’s shoulder. “Nothing of importance!”

  I’Lanthe approached them. “I’d love to chat, but I’m running a bit late. I have a meeting with Sir Gaius.” She recognized the papers in Dovian’s hand. “Dovian! Did you?”

  Dovian winced. “I…uh, yes. I did.”

  I’Lanthe’s smile spread into a large grin. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll discuss it later. I’m glad you are getting some much-deserved time off.” Her expression gave her away. She was greatly pleased by this revelation. Turning to Euclid, she gave a short bow of her head. “Euclid.”

  “Lanthe,” he returned.

  The woman passed them, seeking Gaius’ office.

  “That is why.” Euclid shook his head, laughing in amazement. “A woman! Really? You’re taking leave for your superior!”

  “Hey, you know she’s more than that.” Dovian glared.

  “I’ve taken the backseat to your lust.” He pinched Dovian’s cheek.

  Dovian quickly slapped Euclid’s hand away. “You’re hard to deal with, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told,” he replied
with a shrug.

  A loud boom sounded at the edge of the hall. Euclid and Dovian matched fearful glances and moved back to where I’Lanthe had just traveled. As they turned the corner, they found a group of children and teenagers. It was instant pandemonium–crying, screaming, frantic talking. In the center of it all was Lita. Blood soaked a dress sleeve. A teen boy latched onto her, his brown eyes wide with fear. Electric sparks flew in all directions, scorching the rug. The shield quickly dissipated to nothing.

  “Lita!” Dovian bellowed, dashing toward her.

  I’Lanthe had backtracked, checking on the children to make sure the teleportation didn’t harm any of them. It was a risky move, but detrimental to their survival.

  Lita’s green eyes met Dovian’s, and her face fell. “Dovian! The church! They had guns! Martelle!”

  “Martelle?!” I’Lanthe gasped.

  “The church?” Dovian asked, grabbing his tuner.

  Lita frantically nodded. “We need to hurry! We have to go back!”

  “You stay here!” Dovian pointed at her. “Watch over them. I mean it!”

  Lita knew when to take an order. She gave a quick nod, and the other Sorcēarians promptly teleported.

  Dovian, Euclid, and I’Lanthe all materialized outside Lita’s church. Their reality faded from the peaceful silence of Ives to a tumultuous rumble of screams and shouts. A massive riot had broken out; people looted the neighboring businesses. Molotov cocktails crashed against the beautiful stone church. There came a loud chop followed by the sound of something heavy impacting the concrete. The crowd was a mixture of cheers and horrified screams. On a nearby traffic light, a rope slung over the top. Dovian pushed through the crowd with I’Lanthe and Euclid following. As they neared, he noticed a body tugged higher into the air, the head wrapped in a noose.

  “Move!” Dovian bellowed.

  As they struggled to get through, I’Lanthe made a terrible noise. Dovian glanced behind him, seeing her desperation.

  “I said, move!” he hollered again. This time he pushed his hands out, sending a force to clear a path. Dozens of people flew to the side, allowing them through. This action only made them targets. Somewhere, a gun fired. Half the crowd went down.

  Euclid shoved Dovian to the side, casting a shield of light. “Bastards!” he growled. He began to pull his dark energy when Dovian lunged forward, casting a brilliant light that blinded the humans.

  Together the Sorcēarians pressed forward, entering a clearing beneath the traffic light. Dovian soared toward the masked human who pulled the rope and slammed his fist into the man’s face. It was a little harder than intended; the person released the noose as he folded back onto the concrete with a sickening crack.

  “Martelle!” I’Lanthe shrieked.

  Dovian turned, his eyes widening at the sight of the pale corpse in I’Lanthe’s arms. Ragged holes riddled Martelle’s body. His once emerald uniform was now a mess of muted red. The rope was wound tightly around his neck. Dovian’s eyes narrowed. Gunfire killed Martelle, yet the extremists continued to mutilate his body. A trail of blood led to a pair of blood-soaked wings, a gore-covered saw lying nearby. A large military-grade knife pinned a piece of paper to his chest. Written in blood were the words, “Filthy Fallen.”

  A series of booms alerted Dovian to Euclid who was busy deterring the crowd from attacking. If anyone so much as moved in their direction, he sent a shockwave toward them. The Azure man was losing control of himself, his attacks growing more ferocious with each thrust of his palm.

  “Martelle!” I’Lanthe screamed. It was a terrible, earth-shattering noise. Her shaky hands palmed his face and chest.

  Dovian dropped to his knees, shielding her from the view of her mutilated brother. He glimpsed back. Luckily, Martelle’s face had been left alone, only having splatters of blood.

  “Fix him, Dovian. Fix him, please!” The woman’s sob shook her body. “SAVE HIM!”

  Dovian held her tightly. “I can’t. I can’t, Lanthe. He’s gone.”

  She shook her head, refusing to believe.

  “He’s gone,” he whispered.

  The woman tried to speak, but a tortured wail was the only noise she could make.

  Dovian’s senses flooded with the sound of his love’s broken heart, the barraging thoughts of fear and hate that poured from the surrounding humans. The force of Euclid’s invisible blows quivered his body; the heat of the flaming stone cathedral added to the sense of danger. The sight of Martelle’s butchered wings in the street and the scent of his blood saturating the earth, it was all too much.

  Another gunshot pierced the air. Euclid spiraled to his knees and immediately palmed his side, pressing light into the wound. He wasn’t as proficient as Dovian, but he could avoid death for much longer than most. As he healed, another man kicked Euclid, knocking him over. Euclid reached for his tuner, but the item scattered to the ground. Another human rushed forward, snatching it.

  “And what does this do?” the man asked with an ignorant tone. He was careful to avoid touching the spec of Euclid’s blood on the device.

  “Looks like one of their teleporters,” another called out.

  The man laughed, shaking the tuner back and forth. “Teleporter? Sounds fancy. Think I can teleport to that whatever it’s called? Ives? Get me some nice Sorcēarian wine and bread. Snatch me up a pretty angel to make my own?” He spat a pile of chewing tobacco on the ground as he poked the tuner’s dial.

  Euclid watched carefully, his blue eyes igniting with light. “Oh, no. Please don’t. It’s dangerous,” he sarcastically droned.

  The man scoffed, feeding Euclid a rotten, condescending grin. “Ain’t nothing too dangerous for me.”

  Euclid forced a gentle smile. “Then give it a try.”

  The man proudly twisted the dial, a portal opening around him. Only, the man didn’t disappear. Instead, the portal ruptured around him, pulling his body apart in every direction. Blood and all matters of human debris scattered to the edges of the street. Euclid’s tuner clattered toward a street drain. The screams rose tenfold.

  Dovian motioned to his feet, pulling I’Lanthe with him, mortified by Euclid’s behavior.

  “Euclid! What have you done?”

  Euclid glared at Dovian, his face wrinkling into an expression most fierce. “Would you still side with these beasts?!” He pointed to Martelle and then the severed wings. “Find one spec of light in this darkness, and I will possibly spare them!”

  “Euclid, you can’t do this.”

  “No? But they can do this to Martelle?! I’Lanthe’s kin!” Euclid’s eyes held a feral look. “They don’t deserve to live.”

  “There are innocents!” Dovian shouted.

  “Those who witness a crime such as this and make no move to put an end are just as guilty as those committing the crime!” Euclid snarled. “There are mothers here with children!”

  “Right, there are children involved,” Dovian calmly stated, warily eyeing the crowd. At any moment, they could attack again.

  “Mothers…are allowing their children to see this. Condoning it! Murder!” Euclid shook his head, his fists clenching. “Would you side with them, Dovian? They must be stopped. If not today, then their crimes will occur tomorrow or the next day.”

  “And what about your crimes?!” someone shouted in the crowd.

  “I’ll kill you all!” Euclid growled.

  “EUCLID!” I’Lanthe suddenly screamed.

  She pushed away from Dovian, violet light consuming her irises. With a stomp, she cracked the earth. The woman held her hands out to the side, tugging up rock and dirt. Her skills grew greater by the day.

  “Stand down!” she ordered.

  Screaming, she pulled up more concrete. Euclid’s blood-covered tuner rattled against the cracking earth, falling into the sewer drain. Euclid snarled, turning his attention toward the irate woman.

  “Euclid,” Dovian joined I’Lanthe’s side, his sight set firmly on Euclid’s hands.

  The Az
ure man’s countenance fluctuated between a look of hurt and murderous hate.

  “Dovian…after everything,” he said behind closed teeth.

  With a growl, the Azure man spun, his fists igniting with darkness. I’Lanthe motioned forward, lugging her arsenal of broken concrete at the other Sorcēarian. As soon as both powers ignited, time slowed. Euclid’s power barely moved. I’Lanthe’s debris remained still in the air. A blue dome appeared. A stream of light wiped away Euclid’s energy. Another crushed I’Lanthe’s attack to dust. Like bolts of lightning, the two streams formed into Gaius II and Gaius III.

  “ENOUGH!” a boisterous voice called out. The Elder Gaius emerged last, his hands saluting to form a wall of light between them and the humans. He flicked his wrist and opened his hand, holding Euclid in his place. His electric eyes glared at I’Lanthe and Dovian. Upon his shoulder perched Kitara, her eyes swirling as she recorded the events. “Dovian, it’s not been ten minutes since your leave of absence was accepted.”

  “I had to come,” Dovian started.

  “What are they saying?” One human whispered to another.

  “Uh,” the other listened closely to the Sorcēarian language, unable to make out a single word. “How the hell should I know?”

  Gaius II marched toward the church, his eyes narrowing. “Do you know whose church this is?” the burly man questioned the crowd in English.

  The humans cowered at the sight of these large beings. Not one person reached the bulky man’s ribcage.

  “They are of the Gaius lineage,” a murmur repeated throughout the crowd.

  Gaius II inhaled deeply, slamming the handle of his battle-ax into the concrete. “My daughter’s!”

  “Father,” Gaius III grumbled.

  “QUIET!” Elder Gaius shouted.

  Gaius III fed his boisterous father a glare and then looked expectantly toward Sir Gaius. With a quick motion of his hands, he took control over the Elder’s shield.

  Sir Gaius clapped his hands together.

  “Euclid, you are to return to my office. You will await a meeting with the council,” Sir Gaius sternly stated in Legacy. Before another word exchanged, the Elder transported Euclid back to Ives. “I’Lanthe.” The woman straightened her posture, swallowing hard. “Return home. I’ll return Martelle as well.”