In Darkness and Shadow

Before the War of Chaos, the world was covered with vast constructions stretching across much of the planet’s surface and even beneath its ground, illuminated at night by artificial light.

Although darkness and shadow had somewhat disappeared from their sight, this had, in turn, allowed each Esper’s own Shadow to grow even stronger.

The use of magic had made life so easy for the Espers that many of them no longer cared to understand how the system worked: food had become just another convenience, and the energy they all needed seemed to flow directly from the walls of their homes.

Far too few Espers understood the reality of the situation, or the way magic was slowly consuming the life of the planet. Not only had nature been disfigured, but Aether, the very life source of Esperia itself, was gradually disappearing.

In a state of collective unconsciousness that, from an outside perspective, would have resembled mass hysteria, the use of magic continued to accelerate, while the ideas of freedom and individualism became ever more extreme, all at the expense of the environment and the little trust that remained between the different elements.

A general instability had taken hold.

Was that small amount of extra material comfort truly worth the price?

Sadly, only future generations will be able to answer that question…