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, had therefore created a society in its own image, unaware of the long-term consequences.

This Shadow was not to be blamed, however; that was simply how it functioned.

On the other hand, now that the StarDust was known to everyone, continuing to let it act despite now understanding the consequences for the planetary ecosystem and the conflicts between the different elements could be considered pure madness.

Of course, taming one’s Shadow was neither easy nor natural. It would require the efforts of every Esper on the planet.

Without exception.

Because it was a personal task that no one else could do in another’s place.

Eklea, the Shape of Consciousness, spent a long moment reflecting on this effort that would have to be made by everyone.

“Is it really possible?…”

Vati, the Shape of Wisdom, replied:

“The StarDust is now known to everyone. The damage caused by the use of magic to the planet’s ecosystem is also understood. The Espers now have everything they need to change. As usual, all we can do is show them the way. Which path will they choose? Only the future will tell us…”