A Final Gift

Dorian twisted the Rubik's cube behind his back as he paced across the room. He unconsciously sucked on the back of his labret as his mind raced with a million thoughts. His mouth muttered random phrases in various languages. He finished the cube and placed it onto the coffee table by the time Sharice came downstairs. She watched in silence as he picked up another cube, twisted it behind his back, and placed it onto the table ten seconds later. Five solved cubes in all were set on the table.

"Dorian, what's wrong?" His only response was something in Japanese, followed by something else in Welsh, then something in Greek, then Spanish, then German, then Mandarin, then Cherokee. Sharice walked towards him. "Dorian, stop. You'll drive yourself insane."

He continued his pacing, mumbling, and puzzle solving. Every ten to twelve seconds, another solved cube appeared on the table. When he walked back her way, Sharice grabbed him by his shoulders. "Dorian! Snap out of it!"

Dorian didn't look up at her. Sharice felt him tremble until he started sobbing. "Dorian? What's wrong?"

Sharice heard the next puzzle turning behind Dorian's back. Sharice snatched it from him and threw it across the room. Then she grabbed Dorian by his shoulders again. "What's happened?" she asked. "Has something happened?"

Dorian still didn't answer, except with more sobbing. Sharice cradled him against her chest and abdomen. Dorian looked over at the couch, towards what was bothering him so much. In the center, he saw the image of whom he knew was his great-grandfather Sparda, the patriarch of the dynasty he would one day take over. On Sparda's left was whom Dorian knew to be Vergil, his mother's uncle who died as a slave of the Underworld. On Sparda's right was a third figure, Vergil's twin image in different clothes. He looked back at Dorian with forlorn eyes, then closed them and bowed his head.

(X)

Koromos rubbed his hands together as he approached the Mithras Tower. The crystal barrier was melting away like ice. Most of it was flowing down the side of the building or into the street. A few pieces still clung to the building like parasites clutching to dear life. Two soldiers, one man and one woman, in black and blue uniform stepped to Koromos's side. The woman held up her arm and pressed a button on a metal arm brace. An image of the building's blueprints appeared in midair above her wrist.

"There is no sign of life from inside," she reported, "but it's possible that the crystal substance is interfering with our sensors."

"On top of that," the male soldier added, "it appears that the internal architecture has been altered."

Koromos sighed. "I don't doubt either claim. Rally your teams and follow me in. I'm going to the top floor. I want the rest of you to search the other floors in an alternating pattern."

"Understood," they answered in unison.

Koromos ignored them as he walked towards the building. With a single touch, the crystal covering the entrance instantly melted and splattered over his boots and clothes. He pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

The building was pitch black. Koromos held his hand up and summoned a flame into his palm. He walked straight for the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. When the doors opened, a black watery substance splashed into the elevator. Koromos stepped into what used to be the main office and surveyed what was left of it. The flame in his hand popped as he fed it more energy. It flared up in his palm. In the sudden burst of light, he noticed two figures lying on the floor.

"Lilith! Dante!" He ran to their side and looked down at them. Dante was lying on his back with his eyes closed. His face, neck, and chest were covered in blood. Lilith was lying on her left side with her head resting on his abdomen. Her right hand was clasped in his right one. "What?" Koromos asked when she mumbled something. He dropped to one knee beside her.

"He's not breathing," she said weakly but louder than before. "He was fine at first, just a few hours ago. Then his breaths began to slow, until they finally stopped all together."

She sounded as if she were speaking from a distance. Koromos leaned over and placed a hand against her back. "We have to go now. Dorian is waiting for us."

Lilith made no move, but Koromos was reluctant to coerce her. He simply sat on the floor and rubbed her back in sympathy. "He went through great pains to save you and our child. I'm so sorry it had to be this way."

Koromos closed his hand to extinguish the flame. "He told me something," Lilith said. "I mean, I think he did. But I'm not sure if he actually said it, or if it were just in my head. We were mentally linked for a moment, and all of his thoughts rushed into my head."

"What did he say?"

"In a matter of seconds, he told me about the day I was born. Then he told me, or showed me, about everything he experienced when he disappeared 250 years ago. Everything. And I saw the universe. For that single moment, he was a true god."

Koromos was silent as he tried to think of a response. "How did he do that?" he finally asked.

Lilith slightly raised her head. "He has a piece of the universe in his brain."

"And?"

"Now, so do I. From his own hand."

Lilith and Koromos sat in silence for nearly another hour before the elevator opened again. One of the search teams stepped into the room. Several flashlights filled the room with blinding light. When they realized there was no threat, they all lowered the beams towards the floor. The team leader approached Koromos and saluted.

"There's nothing here, sir. The entire building is empty. Of everything."

"Then we'd better leave as soon as possible." Koromos forced Lilith's hand free of Dante's and pulled her into a sitting position. "Take the body."

"No!" Lilith broke free and threw herself over Dante. "I can't let you do that."

"Lilith," Koromos said, "we have to prepare the body for cremation. It is what the people expect."

"To hell with the people, and their religion."

"Lilith, please."

"I can't let you do this. I won't make the same mistake I made with Vergil's body. I won't let them fight over his cremains like a pack of vultures. It's degrading."

Koromos waved his hand at the soldiers. "Get out of here. I'll deal with this myself."

All of the soldiers stared at both of them as if they were insane, then backed into the elevator. The one next to Koromos nodded before turning to leave. When they were alone, Koromos sighed. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Like I told you, he ascended into true godhood. He should be treated as such."

"And what will we tell the people of the empire? They will expect something spectacular for the ascension of a god in flesh."

"That's their problem." Though he couldn't see it, Koromos sensed Lilith shrug. "It was his decision. It's too late to argue."

"What do you want to do with him?"

"He gave me instructions. He wants to be buried beside my mother."

"Where is that?"

"The spot where I was born. Or what's left of it."

(X)

"You knew about this, didn't you?"

Dorian sighed as he watched his parents leave the burial site. Sharice had asked the question, but he seemed to be completely oblivious to her. "Dorian?"

"Hmm?" He gazed up at her. "What did you say?"

Sharice shook her head. "Nothing." She dropped to one knee and placed a bouquet of roses onto the freshly made grave. "You couldn't have picked a worse time to abandon me," she said to the ground. She glanced at the older grave beside it and shivered as if it were her own. In a way, it was.

"What will you do now?" Dorian asked as Sharice stood. "Are you leaving us?"

"I don't know. I will take a little vacation, but I don't know for how long. I don't really have a reason to stay."

"Yes, you do. At least, if what Grampa said about you was true." Dorian took her hand. "And I'm sure it is. If you leave anyway, you can come back to us at anytime."

Sharice's eyes betrayed her surprise. "You're too bright, or creepy, to be a twelve-year-old. But thank you anyway."

Dorian took no offense at her comment. He placed his head against her elbow. "We need to leave, while we still have the mental capacity to do so. It is not wise to tread upon the graves of gods."

(X)

The Second Goddess Kali Sparda looked left and right as she considered which way to go. She sat back on her heels and drooled onto the carpet. A platinum white haired man was lying on his stomach in one corner of the room, while his twin was lying in the opposite corner. Both men were vying for her attention. The infant looked back and forth as she considered her options.

"Dorian!" Lilith's voice called from another room. "Get your sister!"

Both men tapped against the carpet to keep her focused on them. She continued to look back and forth as if in confusion. "Kali!" Dorian called as he walked into the room. He placed a solved Rubik's cube onto a nearby shelf. "Seven seconds. A personal best."

Kali rolled over and turned, as best an infant could, to look at Dorian. He glanced at the men lying in both corners before leaning over to pick up Kali. She left a wet spot on his shoulder as she rested her head against it.

"You're not even a year old, and you're already seeing them?" He was preparing to leave the room when one of the men whistled for his attention. Dorian glanced back at him.

"It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" the man asked.

"It sure does, Grampa."