Feeling the Impermanence of Time

If there was one thing the Espers were not made for, it was to feel the impermanence of time.

Whether it concerned the past or the future, everything that is not the present or close to it quickly becomes abstract, taking shape through stories.

These stories are then shaped by their experience, lived or learned, by the stories of other individuals, and by their beliefs and customs.

It is no longer the feeling of the past or the present, but rather a mental image that, over time, becomes more and more coherent.

The end of the Chaos War had brought something precious to the Espers, despite the destruction it caused.

The presence of the Forme of Time, Shala, had revealed itself to all, and now allowed them to remind themselves daily of the impermanence of time.

Not only did this help them appreciate the present moment more, but it also allowed them to consider the future from a more thoughtful perspective: the damage to Esperia’s ecosystem had been done, and nothing could change that reality.

They now had to think about the future in the long term, where the senses of the Espers were of no use to them. Even if, for many, the logical understanding that action had to be taken over decades, even centuries, seemed coherent, acting in the present for a future that remained abstract to them was difficult.

Want to share?


Comments

Leave a Reply


Our latest tales

  • Finding Yourself Through Love

    Finding Yourself Through Love

    Does this title sound cliché? I guess so. But is it true? Absolutely. Of course, the word love carries as many meanings as there are human beings on our shared planet. For most of us, the first love we experience is that of our mother, who carries us for months and cares for us by…

    Read more

  • The “Modern World”

    The “Modern World”

    Cha Cha, our platypus friend, was thinking about what the “Modern World” had become—and how paradoxical it was. Thanks to new technologies that turned machines into the world’s new servants, life had become easier for some of the richest countries. But this comfort came at the cost of irreversible damage to the environment—damage that was…

    Read more

  • Moderation

    Moderation

    Before the end of the Chaos War, the concept of moderation scarcely existed among the Espers. They preferred to spend their time wielding magic and battling one another, unaware of the consequences. The birth of Atma, the Shape of Balance, transformed life in Esperia. The Seven Shapes placed moderation as a core principle in the…

    Read more

  • Slowing Down

    Slowing Down

    Esperia was built and envisioned so that harmony and peace would be its foundations. Nature and all the creatures living within it created a virtuous circle, and the Espers — the magical beings — finally understood that the restriction on their use of magic served a greater purpose on their interconnected and limited planet. This…

    Read more

  • Values

    Values

    What we come to see as “good” values and the proper behaviors to follow are learned throughout our lives. As children, we naturally mimic the actions and thoughts we observe — through the words and gestures of our parents, siblings, teachers, or friends we play with. When we are still very young, we hold no…

    Read more

  • A Limit to Willpower

    A Limit to Willpower

    Faya, the Shape of Willpower, often used comparisons to explain the principles she had to teach. For willpower, her element of fire offered an easy image to grasp—one that clearly showed how willpower has its limits. To keep a fire alive, you need the right amount of fuel. If the fire burns too fiercely, it…

    Read more

  • A Pillar for Life

    A Pillar for Life

    Since the collective consciousness of all Espers had finally been reached, health as a pillar of life was naturally embraced as the path to follow. The realization of the existence of both the StarDust and the Shadow within each of them brought about a profound and lasting change across Esperia. Health now stood at the…

    Read more

  • Collective Consciousness

    Collective Consciousness

    Eklea was reflecting on how Esperia had radically changed since the end of the Chaos War and the discovery of StarDust. “This created a collective consciousness,” she whispered. Indeed, the different elemental Espers had never thought of Esperia as a whole before this event. She believed that even if a few Espers were aware of…

    Read more