{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Audius","provider_url":"https://audius.co","title":"The Kingdom of the Laughing Souls by Justin Empire • Audius","description":"The Kingdom of the Laughing Souls\n\nJustin Empire\n\nIn the distant future, humanity discovers a mysterious planet known as Elyria, home to a civilisation unlike anything humans have ever encountered.\n\nThe inhabitants of Elyria are known as the Luminari. They have built enormous futuristic cities filled with extraordinary architecture, advanced technology, beautiful gardens and peaceful communities. There is no war, crime, hatred or serious conflict among them.\n\nBut the strangest thing about the Luminari is something that every one of them can hear.\n\nLaughter.\n\nEverywhere they go, the inhabitants hear the joyful laughter of their ancestors.\n\nThe laughter comes from the spirits of generations that have passed away. The Luminari call these spirits the Laughing Souls.\n\nThe dead do not speak to the living. They do not give warnings or instructions. They simply laugh—warm, beautiful, infectious laughter that seems to come from the air itself.\n\nChildren grow up hearing their ancestors laughing. Families eat dinner while surrounded by laughter. Lovers walk beneath enormous glowing trees while hearing generations of their families laughing above them.\n\nThe Luminari believe that the laughter is proof that their ancestors have found eternal happiness.\n\nAnd because they live surrounded by this laughter, happiness has become the natural state of their civilisation.\n\nThey don't understand cruelty because they have never needed it.\n\nThey don't understand war because they have never experienced it.\n\nThey don't understand hunger, poverty, loneliness or despair.\n\nTheir civilisation has essentially evolved without sadness.\n\nHumanity Arrives\n\nEventually, a human expedition discovers Elyria.\n\nAt first, the humans believe they have discovered paradise.\n\nBut they soon realise that the Luminari have no concept of many things that humans consider fundamental to existence.\n\nThe humans introduce them to Earth.\n\nThey show them music created from human suffering. They tell stories about wars, famine, disease, heartbreak, betrayal and death.\n\nAt first, the Luminari are fascinated.\n\nThey have never heard anyone cry.\n\nThey have never seen someone grieving.\n\nThey don't understand why a person would experience pain and continue living.\n\nThen the humans make their greatest mistake.\n\nThey begin teaching the Luminari that happiness is something that exists because sadness exists.\n\nOne human character might explain:\n\n\"You can't understand happiness if you've never known what it means to lose it.","html":"","width":500,"height":480,"thumbnail_url":"https://audius-discovery-1.altego.net/content/baeaaaiqseal5u4xnz32jrwcrnup5qwbzloh6ck22u5774xes37xgbhtqogxdq/480x480.jpg","thumbnail_width":480,"thumbnail_height":480,"author_name":"Justin Empire","author_url":"https://audius.co/kissinginlove","cache_age":3600}