The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost

by A. R. Crebs

  Euclid wasn’t much to speak aloud like some did when they visited their passed relatives. Instead, he kept his thoughts to himself. His mother had died when he was only eight. Still, every memory of her was fresh. The pain of losing her left him raw. Sorcēarian memories rarely dulled. They replayed true to life, missing no details; no feelings, smells, or sounds were left out. His last memory was of his mother telling him goodbye before leaving to treat some patients. She soon was murdered by humans. She had promised to return home for dinner. Euclid went without food that night and refused to eat the following week. Food never really tasted the same after that.

  As he peered at the stone engraving of her name, he heard a strange pounding of footsteps followed by a voice he often found all too familiar and annoying.

  “Careful, Petey! Don’t step on the flowers!” A loud gasp followed. “Don’t EAT the flowers!”

  Euclid leaned back, eyeing the path further ahead. Lita was guiding—only God knows why—her giant beast of a pet through the cemetery. She tugged on the creature’s reigns, groaning as she pulled him away from the plants. She yelled something about being allergic to the vegetation. After calming Petey, the lavender-haired girl noticed Euclid. Her vibrant eyes widened, her smile twisting into a large grin. Euclid sneered.

  “Hello!” she exclaimed. Lita always acted too cheerful—another reason why Euclid found her so obnoxious.

  He ignored her, his eyes falling on his mother’s grave.

  “Sorry!” she whispered.

  “Lita, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to bring your monster here?” Euclid grumbled.

  “He wouldn’t stay put outside the gate! So, I brought him with me, and I’m,” she groaned, trying to pull Petey away from a vase full of honeysuckle and lilacs, “trying to teach him how to…control…himself!”

  Lita struggled as the lizard pulled her to the side. She had the reigns tied around one wrist, which was incredibly stupid on her part. If for any reason Petey decided to take off in a full sprint, he’d very well dislocate the girl’s shoulder or worse. Euclid harshly sighed and reached across her, roughly tugging the straps. Petey made a quick yelp, his golden eyes locking on Euclid’s.

  “If you don’t calm down, I will end you right here and now, understand?” Euclid snarled.

  Petey growled, to which Lita hushed him. However, the beast finally stopped trying to pull his owner across the lawn.

  “Wow. He certainly responds well to deep voices. Maybe I should try that.” Lita eyed her lizard and then glared. “Petey, sit!” she shouted in a deep voice similar to Dovian’s.

  Petey whimpered and quickly sat back on his haunches. Lita laughed and motioned for Euclid to give her a high-five. He ignored her.

  “Or not,” Lita softly giggled, high-fiving herself.

  She looked at the somber man, recognizing that one of his golden bracelets was missing. It seemed he had recently been granted permission to leave the island. However, his powers remained diluted. Lita almost pitied the man at this point. His spirit seemed broken. At least he was participating in positive duties for a change. Euclid had even helped at multiple churches in a few American cities. Most often than not, he meditated in the small church near his home.

  Trying to find a way to end the awkward silence, Lita noticed the flowers in the man’s hands. Her eyes brightened.

  “Those are beautiful!”

  The daffodils were an unusual shade of blue, an oddity. Of course, Euclid would like blue flowers. Everything about the man was blue–his eyes, his robes, his personality.

  Euclid made a small noise in recognition.

  She sniffed the air. “Do I smell cinnamon?”

  Euclid, to her surprise, responded with a sniff of his own. “Indeed.”

  “One of my favorites.” She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent. Was it his cologne? Flowers certainly didn’t smell that way.

  “As is mine,” Euclid added.

  The statement nearly floored her. Euclid rarely indulged in his private life, let alone something as intimate as his favorite scent. The only personal things she knew about Euclid was he enjoyed fishing, he liked steak, and sometimes overindulged in wine or whiskey.

  “It was my mother’s favorite,” he added.

  Lita looked to his mother’s crypt. Euclid had not ventured into the tomb to see her preserved body. Sometimes Sorcēarians preferred not to see the dead. Others thrived on it. Like photographs, it was a reassurance of their memory and being on this plane. Lita had never visited Euclid’s mother before. She had never known the woman. But, like usual, her curiosity got the best of her. Euclid caught her trying to catch a glimpse of the room inside. He motioned with his hand toward the steps.

  “I’m sorry! I’m not trying to be rude!” Lita fumbled for words.

  “You can go down if you’d like. I won’t follow.” He paused. “She’s beautiful.”

  Lita carefully plucked one of the blue flowers from Euclid’s hands. She commanded Petey to stay and then glided down the stairwell into the tomb. Sure enough, the room smelled like cinnamon and honey. Flames of pale orange and blue lined the walls. Old plants enchanted with a preservation spell covered the corners of the room. They had a shiny, waxy look but remained fresh. Rows of water lined either side of the walkway; tiny fountains trickled near both ends of the glass casket. Euclid’s mother stood upright. Flowers of all kinds and colors surrounded her. Hair of midnight black trailed to her waist. It was partially pulled into sections and braided with beads. A golden crown sat atop her head; a scarlet cross covered her chest over her white silken robes. A silver corset and armbands held the cloth in place. She was a wonderful medic back in her time. She had saved many lives.

  Lita felt a pang of guilt in her heart. This woman was gorgeous. Carefully, she set the flower at the woman’s feet. She thought of a small Euclid, the boy crying before of his dead mother inside this tomb. It was very clear that he had never gotten over her sudden and violent death.

  “How does she look?” Euclid’s voice interrupted Lita’s thoughts.

  “Uh,” Lita cleared her throat. “She looks stunning.” Even as a Sorcēarian, she was one of the most beautiful women Lita had ever seen.

  “Hair like black waterfalls tied back by colorful beads. Soft porcelain skin. Long lashes. Robes of…white and red. A contradiction of colors,” Euclid spoke.

  “Yes,” Lita replied.

  “A ring on each finger,” Euclid whispered.

  Lita searched the woman’s hands. “Yes.”

  “Her eyes were blue. Like mine.”

  Lita couldn’t tell as the woman’s eyes were closed.

  “She looks peaceful?”

  Lita lowered her head, nodding slowly. “Yes.”

  “And the locket. Mother always wore a locket.”

  Lita looked at the woman’s neck. An ornate golden piece covered her collar and trickled over her entire chest with gold chains and tiny rubies.

  “She…I don’t see one,” Lita whispered.

  “What do you mean?” Euclid’s voice suddenly appeared right beside Lita’s ear.

  Lita jumped, making a small noise of surprise. Euclid appeared panicked.

  “The…the locket. With my picture in it. She wore it every day. She…I know she had it. She always wore it.” Euclid searched the glass case, trying to find the piece of jewelry. “Did it fall off?”

  Lita took a step back, watching the man with slight fear. “Perhaps your father has it…as a memento.”

  Euclid looked over at her, gasping. “Why would he? It was her favorite….” He quickly calmed himself. “You’re right,” he said with a quiet laugh. “My memory had served me wrong. I’m sure…father has it…somewhere.” He searched his mother’s form. “I mean, surely she didn’t lose it the day she….”

  Lita could sense a change in the air. A rare type of darkness exuded from the man. For some reason, the thought of his mother’s locket gone missing traumatized him.

  “What was her name
?” Lita asked. “I never knew.”

  She pulled Euclid’s thoughts away from the trinket.

  “Iophiel.”

  Lita’s blood ran cold. “Iophiel. You mean….”

  “She certainly was an angel of beauty, don’t you think?” Euclid smirked. “One of those who fell with the Elders. She had dealings with humans before, in the past.”

  “In the Garden,” Lita whispered. She had no idea. Very few Sorcēarians came from those rankings within Heaven.

  “She had her heavenly duties. She loved humans, despite their sinful ways.” Euclid traced his fingers over the glass. “And look what they did to her.”

  “I’m so sorry, Euclid,” Lita whispered.

  A deep hum resonated within the chamber. Lita shivered, not sure of its source. The light seemed to dim. After a few seconds, everything quieted down, the fire growing a bit brighter. She watched Euclid’s back, holding her breath.

  “Ah, it was a long time ago, Lita.” Euclid turned and smiled.

  Euclid never smiled. The situation was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

  “Anyway, I should be going. I am late for dinner,” Lita said, giving a strange type of curtsy.

  Euclid held his hand out toward the stairs, letting her go up first.

  “I thank you for your time to visit my mother. I may seem cold and callous at times; I certainly do not get that from her. In fact, she would most likely be charmed by you,” Euclid said as he followed.

  Lita gathered Petey’s reigns, a nervous smile crossing her face. What a strangely kind thing for him to say.

  “Heavens knows why, but I know she would,” he followed.

  Lita rolled her eyes. There it was. Euclid was back.

  “Well, you have a nice evening, Euclid.”

  “Yes, you too,” he whispered absentmindedly, his eyes on the crypt.

  Lita twisted her lips. Taking a deep breath, she left the cemetery with Petey in tow. Euclid needed some alone time with his mother.

  Once they passed the gates, Petey snorted and kicked and hopped about like a crazed lunatic. Lita tied back his reigns and then lifted into the air. The poor thing needed to burn off some energy or he’d end up chewing up the garden again. Lita shook her head. She had found Petey countless times scouring the garden for fresh veggies. One morning, she noticed the creature had broken free of his cage and destroyed her mother’s plot. Lita found him eating the onions, giant tears streaming from his golden eyes. Yet, the idiot kept eating the overgrown stinking bulbs. Petey smelled atrocious for days with onion on his breath and his terrible passing of gas.

  “Petey! Home!” Lita waved toward the Gaius compound.

  Petey gave an atrocious call and tore off. Lita watched him, having a hard time keeping up with his speed. She frowned. Petey was growing too large. Luckily, he hadn’t hurt anyone yet, but he had done some damage throughout Ives. Mainly the forest, the training grounds a couple of times, people’s gardens, and another time where he had plowed over a small restaurant because he was chasing a butterfly.

  Once home, Lita rushed toward the dining area, her father already roaring at her.

  “Lita! It’s too late! I already ate your share!” the burly man shouted.

  Lita huffed and puffed, rushing to her seat in the dining area. “No, you didn’t!”

  “I did,” he replied, scarfing the last bit of potatoes on his plate. He sipped his ale after.

  Lita scowled. She eyed her mother. Cyerys merely shook her head and nudged toward the kitchen area. Her mother had kept her dinner warm next to the fire.

  “Perhaps if you didn’t spend your evenings frolicking around with boys, you’d be on time for dinner,” Gaius mumbled, wiping his chin with a white cloth.

  “Frolicking with boys? Are you spying on me?” She placed her hands on her hips.

  “And what if I am?” he questioned.

  “I was merely taking Petey for a walk when I ran into Euclid,” Lita sighed.

  “Euclid?” Gaius coughed. It was worse than he feared. Of all the boys in all of Ives, Euclid was the one Lita was seeing?

  Lita shrugged, not understanding her father’s worry. “Yeah, Euclid. So, what?”

  “Is he the one who gave you the flower?” the man roughly questioned.

  “Flower? What flower?” Lita asked.

  “The one in your room!” he shouted in a voice louder than intended.

  “Gaius, lower your tone, please,” Cyerys calmly interjected.

  “In my room?” Lita was genuinely confused. “Daddy! Are you going through my things while I’m gone?!” She was mortified.

  “No! I…I was checking on you to call you for dinner. You weren’t in there,” he tried to explain.

  Lita made a groan of protest and spun on her heels, dashing out of the room.

  “Lita!” her mother called. “Your dinner!”

  “In a minute!” Lita hollered. Petey honked in excitement and chased after her.

  What flower was he talking about? How on earth were there flowers in her room?

  Lita rushed into her quarters, slamming the door against the stone wall. A chill air came in through her window, carrying the scent of cinnamon her way. She sniffed.

  “Cinnamon? No…apple cider?”

  The sun had mostly set, casting her room in dark shadows and orange light. A pulsating glow turned her attention toward her bed.

  “What in the…?”

  A dim light shimmered on her pillow. Lita noticed her favorite teddy bear clutching a beautiful flower. She hopped onto the mattress, snatching up the item. It felt warm to the touch; the light contained within it cast blue hues against her face. Lita smiled, it was the most stunning thing she had ever seen. Another breeze came through, and she smelt apple cider once again.

  “Genetically modified!” Lita gasped.

  Untying the ribbon, Lita questioned the bear as to who delivered the precious gift. She unfolded the paper and read the sparkling ink.

  ‘My dearest Lita, I request your company in attendance to the masquerade. Please accept this gift. Something so rare and meticulously created pales in comparison to your beauty, but I hope it suits you well enough for this invitation. I expect no rush in your decision and will respect your choice, whatever it may be.’

  “Aw!” Lita sighed. It was her favorite color and her favorite smell.

  A frown set on her face as she flipped the card. There was no signature. How was she supposed to know who sent her this? And how did it get in her bedroom?

  A howling wind from her open window told her that was most likely her admirer’s entry point. It still told her nothing. Who knew her this well and wanted her to join them at the ball?

  She eyed the blue flower, sniffing the item once again. It seemed familiar–blue daffodils along with the scent of cinnamon.

  “Oh my God!” Lita exclaimed. “Euclid?”

  Euclid had flowers identical to this one at the cemetery. Never in her life would she have thought Euclid held any interest in her, let alone masquerades. In fact, she was pretty sure he found her completely and utterly annoying. Then again, he was acting quite strange at the cemetery. Perhaps he was only nervous.

  “Euclid wants me to go to the ball with him?” she gasped.

  Petey reached forward, his tongue touching the petals. Lita screamed and smacked his snout. Petey’s eyes welled a little, and she sighed.

  “We’ve got to do something about you.”

  Then, she eyed the flower. Petey continued licking his lips. Timidly, Lita flipped the flower and licked the opposite side. It tasted like cider.

  “This is simply the strangest thing I’ve ever seen!” Lita laughed. “I love it!”

  Okay, so Euclid was a bit creepy. In fact, she was pretty sure he had murdered some people in the past. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Perhaps her visions were silly dreams caused by her insecurities and fears about the man. Euclid was just a troubled soul—one with severe mommy issues. He was going through a rough patch
in his life. Sure, he often seemed cold-hearted and sarcastic if not a bit sadistic, but there were times when he joked around and harassed her. Maybe that was his way of flirting? Euclid never really had any relationships. It was possible he had no idea how to handle women.

  “Just a shy, broken, scared man who needs someone to help cheer him up,” Lita whispered, twirling the flower between her fingertips. Petey snorted after her. After a moment’s thought, she grinned. “Sure! Why not?”

  She looked to the open bedroom window. That meant Euclid had snuck into her room. How mysterious and naughty. Lita chewed on her lip. Things just got a lot more interesting. She giggled and leaned back onto her pillow, holding her bear in the air.

  “Euclid?” she asked, still surprised. “Never would have thought!”

  She gasped. “Does that mean he thinks I’m attractive?”

  She had caught him staring at her quite a few times, but then again, a lot of men did that, human and Sorcēarian alike. Shaking the thoughts away, Lita giggled, wondering what it would be like to dance with a man like Euclid.

  Dark, mysterious, brooding. Euclid held an immense amount of dark energy, as did she. Their personalities clashed greatly, but maybe they’d be a good match. Lita’s head spiraled at the prospect. Like any intrigued young woman, her thoughts traveled the rest of the night about what she and Euclid could be in the future. No matter that it was only a dance.

  “Oh, what if he tries to kiss me?” A bright blush colored her cheeks. “I can’t think about these things right now!”

  She quickly set the flower on her nightstand and then hopped to her feet. Dinner was awaiting her, and she was famished.

  “Target Practice”

  Chapter 18

  Lita was having a great day. She awoke rejuvenated and more energized than normal. The fresh scent of apple cider greeted her nose. For breakfast, her mother had made blueberry pancakes. Today there was no training or any classes. She had the entire day to herself. Later that afternoon she and I’Lanthe had plans of getting their new gowns fitted for the ball and to decorate their masks. But until then, Lita had no idea what to do.