The Endless Pursuit of Immortality

Since the very beginning of Esper civilization, mortality had given rise to countless myths and legends.

The pursuit of eternal youth and immortality had often been the goal of those who already possessed everything and no longer had to worry about anything except slowing their aging at any cost, or even outwitting death itself.

Although stories spoke of lives beyond death, that was no longer enough for the new rulers of a modern civilization built upon the use of magic.

The possibilities now seemed endless, and the new technologies appeared more promising than anything the Espers had ever created before.

For the few individuals who led this pursuit, among them the infamous Fujimi and Zeiniku in the land of the Earth element, the consequences of their quest for immortality were never part of their calculations.

Yet those consequences were many and undeniably real.

They needed ever greater amounts of energy to develop their technologies, which required an even more intensive use of magic, destroying an already fragile ecosystem and diminishing the life source of the planet, Aether.

These new technologies also had effects on their own species that were still unknown, yet they were already showing warning signs as their widespread use increased, especially among the youngest.

But to them, these sacrifices were nothing more than the modern version of the offerings once made to the gods of ancient myths…

Want to share?


Comments

Leave a Reply


Our latest tales

  • The Prism of Wisdom

    The Prism of Wisdom

    The end of the War of Chaos had revealed not only the StarDust, but also the artifacts of each element. For water, it was the Prism of Wisdom. Every Esper who developed their StarDust in their water element could acquire this artifact, which helped them see, through a prism of tolerance and humility, not only…

    Read more

  • Making Moderation Appealing

    Making Moderation Appealing

    For the Seven Shapes, this was certainly one of the most daunting challenges. How could they make moderation appealing when the Shadow of the Espers so often drove them to act against it? First of all, the presence of Atma, the Shape of Balance, was, just as with the other Shapes and their respective elements,…

    Read more

  • Start Acting for the Future Today

    Start Acting for the Future Today

    From then on, with Shala, the Shape of Time, placing greater emphasis on it, thinking about the future had become a normal part of life for the Espers since the end of the War of Chaos. The Espers were not naturally creatures who placed the future first. On the contrary, their Shadow urged them more…

    Read more

  • A Glimmer of Hope

    A Glimmer of Hope

    Now that Esperia had been rebuilt on new foundations, which seemed obvious to have been put in place after careful reflection, thinking back to the world as it had been just before the War of Chaos seemed unreal. “How could we possibly have behaved like that?” wondered a young Esper, incredulous as he studied the…

    Read more

  • A Collective Responsibility

    A Collective Responsibility

    Whether they wanted it or not, every new Esper brought into the world was part of a whole: a family, a clan, an elemental region, the civilization of the Espers as a whole… Until very recently, it had been inconceivable for Espers of different elements to even attempt to communicate with one another. Simply because…

    Read more

  • The Foundations of Health

    The Foundations of Health

    Even though Esper society had changed greatly with the use of magic, an analogy with previous civilizations, some of which had disappeared, was still possible at its core. Whatever the era, fundamental needs, whether food or sleep, had always existed. Having easier or more difficult access to these needs had, moreover, often been the reason…

    Read more

  • The Shadow of Consciousness

    The Shadow of Consciousness

    Every Esper had this Shadow within them, which acted in their place whenever they failed to act consciously. Imperceptible until the discovery of the StarDust that brought an end to the Chaos War, this Shadow was nevertheless the one that had built their civilization until then. This Shadow, which favored immediate gains for its host,…

    Read more

  • The Shadow of Empathy

    The Shadow of Empathy

    If there is one Shadow that causes a great deal of harm, whether on an individual scale or on a broader scale, it is surely that of Empathy. It often takes control of behavior when emotions speak for themselves: anger, fear, suspicion. It is often said that the beings who can hurt us the most…

    Read more