The Good and the Bad Sides

The representative color of Atma, the Shape of Balance, was a deep blue reminiscent of the oceans.

The ebb and flow of its waves, its highs and lows, formed an image now associated with balance.

Far from being a straight line, there are good and bad sides to everything: a situation, a new technology, life itself.

Every thing holds pleasant moments and others that are more difficult.

Raising a child in absolute comfort distances them from the reality of those who are less fortunate, and from the efforts they must make simply to survive.

On Esperia, the use of magic had improved the living conditions of the Espers, but at the cost of depleting the Aether, the life source of the planet, which had led to the destruction of nearly all of their ecosystem.

Some new technologies had gradually made dialogue impossible between Espers of different elements, until the breaking point that caused the war of Chaos.

Of course, these technologies had never been intended to create such a situation. But here again, a need for balance was essential: great possibilities imply great responsibilities.

And the Espers had not yet become aware of the need to develop inwardly as well, in order to adapt to the new realities of the world they had ultimately created.


Our latest tales

  • A Civilization Finally Mature

    A Civilization Finally Mature

    Ever since the Espers had developed their ability to use magic, many believed that they had finally succeeded in creating what was known as a modern society. When it came to technology, it was true that there was nothing comparable between the world made possible by magic and the world of the past. But one…

    Read more

  • Returning to the Basics

    Returning to the Basics

    The civilization of the Espers before the Chaos War had gradually drifted away from its foundations. It was becoming increasingly difficult for them to give importance to their basic physiological needs, because these needs were no longer right in front of them. For many, the days when searching for food took up most of the…

    Read more

  • Universal Consciousness

    Universal Consciousness

    How can we not naturally think that we are at the center of the world when we see the world only through our own eyes? This was the starting point of a reflection by Eklea, the Shape of Consciousness, concerning a paradox of Esper civilization: on an individual scale, an act may seem entirely rational.…

    Read more

  • If Innocence Were Queen

    If Innocence Were Queen

    Observing how the civilization of the Espers behaved before the Chaos War, one might believe that they were all afflicted by a destructive madness, or were desperately trying to get the better of others at their expense. In reality, most Espers were simply doing their best every day just to live. And among them, some…

    Read more

  • Values at the Heart of the System

    Values at the Heart of the System

    The world before the Chaos War was quite a bewildering spectacle. On the one hand, the use of magic had given the Espers technologies that allowed them to satisfy their thirst for individuality and freedom, which they championed under the banner of modernity. But on the other hand, the system in which they lived had…

    Read more

  • Reconnecting with Strong Bonds to What Is Essential

    Reconnecting with Strong Bonds to What Is Essential

    The civilization of the Espers had gradually moved away from what was nevertheless necessary to meet their natural physiological needs. Being able to feed themselves had become an ordinary act, with no apparent connection to nature, its resources, or the ecosystem of which they were nevertheless a part. Why was it important, in the eyes…

    Read more

  • Letting Go Takes Time

    Letting Go Takes Time

    Caught up in their own emotions, who has never felt resentment toward someone else, only to later forget even the original reason for the conflict? The new Esperia that the Seven Shapes were trying to rebuild was now founded on principles shared by everyone. Since Shala, the Shape of Time, had become a symbol that…

    Read more

  • Whether to Act or Not

    Whether to Act or Not

    The undertaking begun by the Seven Shapes since the end of the Chaos War, to reshape society in a fairer way for everyone and in harmony with the planet’s ecosystem, was obviously a daunting one. Numerous debates and discussions on a wide variety of subjects had emerged, sometimes themselves branching off into other discussions, either…

    Read more