Making Choices

The civilization of the Espers had changed greatly. For millennia, they had influenced nature, the soil, mountains, rivers, seas, and all the surrounding ecosystems.

Access to more food, one of their fundamental needs, had profoundly changed their ways of life, which, little by little, had transformed their civilization into the one we now knew.

The use of magic may have been nothing more than the catalyst for a transformation of their society that had begun thousands of years earlier.

But if survival had been at the heart of everyday life for the Espers of ancient times, leaving them no choice, the development of their society had brought with it a problem that had never arisen before.

Making choices.

Caught in the ever-unbroken and ever-accelerating flow of society as a whole, this problem then seemed trivial, even nonexistent.

If it was no longer survival that left them with no choice, it was the immeasurable force of the Shadow of society that pushed all the Espers to act without thinking, without making the choices they now had the possibility of making.

Choosing to act for future generations. To do everything they could to leave them a world in which they could live and continue to have choices, rather than simply having to survive.

Choosing to act for harmony between the different elements, despite their differences. And choosing to understand that these differences were a strength, and that together, the different elements were capable of creating a glimmer of hope far stronger than all the elements taken separately.

Choosing to act, therefore, to develop one’s StarDust…


Our latest tales

  • Wake up

    Wake up

    Eklea, the Shape of Awareness, pondered where to begin if a civilization had no knowledge of the Seven Shapes. Surely, neither harmony nor peace could exist in such a world. There was so much to unpack—especially for the youngest ones, who would have to absorb so much and try to discern what truly makes sense…

    Read more

  • A Good Sleep for a Good Mood

    A Good Sleep for a Good Mood

    Gurumin, the Shape of Empathy and Compassion, loved to sleep. Yet sometimes, when bedtime arrived, she wanted to stay awake just a little longer to enjoy the day. But studies on sleep by Vati, the Shape of Wisdom, showed that getting proper rest each day is one of the key ingredients for maintaining a good…

    Read more

  • The Values That Matter

    The Values That Matter

    At the end of one’s life, what will we regret not having done more of in our own unique journey? For many, in the modern societies of the richest nations ruling this planet—and mostly destroying its nature and our only living habitat called Earth—the regret won’t be about money, time spent working, or the possessions…

    Read more

  • A Simple Life

    A Simple Life

    The development of technologies based on fossil fuels has changed the way the richest countries ruling the world live and behave. Not that anyone would rather return to the Stone Age, but when we recognize the physical limitations of planet Earth, we understand that those who will suffer are not only the forms of biodiversity…

    Read more

  • Just a Little Time, but Daily

    Just a Little Time, but Daily

    Shala, the Shape of Time, understood better than anyone how powerful habits were for the Espers. To nurture their StarDust, it was important that those habits be as healthy and beneficial to society as possible. Why? Because time each day is limited, and the StarDust functions in a special way: a few minutes of daily…

    Read more

  • Incoherent System

    Incoherent System

    It is now widely accepted that climate change is happening—and that its consequences are rather bleak. On top of that, we also understand that the fuels causing this crisis are limited, as are all resources on our shared planet, Earth. Meanwhile, the entire system remains rooted in a growth-oriented economy that fails to take into…

    Read more

  • A Trap Named Passivity

    A Trap Named Passivity

    Isn’t it easy to simply watch what’s in front of our eyes and go on with our own lives? Yet what we can see now extends far beyond our neighborhood — the entire world is at our doorstep. Of course, no one can carry all the world’s problems on their own shoulders. But that doesn’t…

    Read more

  • The Basic Needs

    The Basic Needs

    Kenko, the Shape of Health, was certain of one thing: unless the basic needs of the Espers were made a priority, Esperia would never know true peace. The right to proper sleep, and access to healthy food and clean water for all, were the very first steps toward creating a harmonious society. These fundamentals were…

    Read more