Hidden Base Manga

Panel 1 (Full-width splash, establishing shot)
Wide exterior view of Blackspire Keep at night, snow falling gently. A lone rider (Lady Seraphine in dark cloak) approaches the gates on horseback.
Caption (top): "Midnight. The eve of his nameday."
SFX: clip-clop… clip-clop…
Panel 2 (Medium shot)
Seraphine dismounts in the courtyard. Servants scatter in fear at her expression—eyes narrowed, lips pressed thin.
Close-up inset on her face: subtle disgust already flickering.
Thought bubble (small): …I only wished to surprise him.
Panel 3 (Tall vertical panel)
Seraphine strides down a torch-lit corridor, riding crop dangling loosely. Her boots echo.
Background: shadows stretch long.
SFX: thud… thud… thud…
Panel 4 (Wide panel, door POV)
The heavy solar door creaks open. Warm candlelight pours out.
Foreground: Seraphine's silhouette in the doorway, cloak billowing slightly.
Inside: chaotic bed scene just visible—bare limbs, tangled sheets, laughter frozen mid-breath.
Panel 5 (Large panel, reveal)
Full interior shot of the decadent bedroom: massive four-poster bed, candles guttering, furs and silks strewn everywhere.
Center: Fat Lord Fortinbras sprawled naked, belly shining with sweat, surrounded by four equally naked noblewomen (two mother-daughter pairs: Mirene & Celine Varnholt; Elira & Lyssia Drayce).
They freeze, eyes wide in horror.
Under the bed: two more half-hidden girls in shifts, peeking out in terror.
SFX: gasp!
Panel 6 (Close-up on Seraphine)
Tight on her face—eyes half-lidded, upper lip curled in revulsion. No shout. Just quiet, visceral disgust.
A single bead of sweat rolls down her temple (not from anger—from sheer distaste).
Thought bubble: …This… is what my husband chooses.
Panel 7 (Medium group shot)
The women scramble in panic: sheets tear, bare feet slap stone, arms cover themselves. Mirene clutches fabric; Celine bolts; Elira drags her daughter.
The two under-bed girls crawl out, red-faced, fleeing past Seraphine like rats.
Background: Fortinbras wheezes, trying to sit up, belly jiggling pathetically.
Panel 8 (Over-the-shoulder from Seraphine)
She stands motionless. View past her shoulder: the fleeing women disappear down the hall.
Fortinbras in foreground, small and ridiculous on the ruined bed, mouth open in excuse.
His speech bubble (stammering): "S-Seraphine… my love… this is—"
Panel 9 (Extreme close-up on Seraphine)
Her eyes only—cold, contemptuous pupils reflecting candle flames.
No dialogue. Just a slow, deliberate blink of disgust.
SFX: soft …
Panel 10 (Medium shot)
Seraphine steps forward one pace. She reaches out slowly and plucks a long auburn hair (Mirene's) from his damp chest.
Holds it up between thumb and forefinger like something diseased.
Her expression: lip curled further, nostrils slightly flared.
Panel 11 (Tight two-shot)
Close on Fortinbras's face—sweat pouring, small eyes darting, pleading.
Inset panel (small): Seraphine's mouth, corners turned down in pure revulsion.
Her dialogue (quiet, flat):
"You are… disgusting."
Panel 12 (Full-page splash, final blow)
Seraphine turns her back and walks out, cloak swirling.
The door begins to close behind her.
Foreground: Fortinbras alone on the wrecked bed, naked, small, surrounded by cooling candles and the stench of his own excess.
His face: crumpled in shame.
Background fades to black around the edges.
Caption (bottom, small text): She feels no fury. Only nausea.
SFX: click (door shutting)
(End scene.)

**Panel 1**
*Wide establishing shot of the pristine academy hallway—marble floors gleaming under crystal chandeliers, lockers lining walls that look like they belong in a palace rather than a school. Students in expensive uniforms part like the Red Sea. At the far end, a procession approaches: Furina, flanked by four perfectly groomed hangers-on, moves with the fluid arrogance of someone who owns the ground she walks on.*

**Panel 2**
*Close-up on Furina's face. Sunlight from tall windows catches the blue highlights in her hair and the diamond earrings that probably cost more than a car. Her eyes—sharp, theatrical, scanning the crowd with practiced disdain—suddenly lock onto something off-panel. The corner of her mouth twitches. Not a smile. A predator spotting prey.*

**Panel 3**
*Dramatic low angle from the protagonist's perspective (Riccardo, brown hair slightly messy, glasses catching the light, worn blazer clearly not from the same tailor as everyone else's). Furina's silhouette blocks the hallway light, her friends fanning out behind her like wings. The perspective makes her seem towering, inevitable.*

**Panel 4**
*Medium shot. Furina stops abruptly, one hand on her hip, the other adjusting her designer bag strap with deliberate casualness. Her friends giggle behind manicured hands, but Furina's attention is laser-focused. Her cheeks show the faintest hint of pink—barely visible, easily mistaken for the flush of excitement rather than what it really is.*

**Panel 5**
*Extreme close-up of Furina's lips. Glossy, curled into that cruel, performative smirk. The dialogue balloon drips with theatrical venom:*
**"Well, well, well. Look who it is!"**

**Panel 6**
*Cut to her eyes—wide, almost too bright. The reflection in her pupils shows a tiny, distorted image of you. Her fingers, hidden behind her back in this shot, are clutching her phone so tight her knuckles are white. A small text bubble near her head, small and wavering, reveals her internal monologue (manga-style, grayed out):*
*"He wore the blue shirt today... the one that matches his eyes..."*

**Panel 7**
*Wide shot of the confrontation. The hallway has gone quiet. Other students press against the walls, watching the ritual humiliation. Furina takes one step forward, invading personal space, her head tilted back to look down her nose at you despite the fact that you're taller. Her friends lean in, expecting the usual performance—the comments about your secondhand shoes, your patched bag, your "peasant" glasses.*

**Panel 8**
*Close-up on Furina's hand. It reaches out as if to flick your collar or snatch your glasses—her usual taunts—but freezes mid-air. The fingers tremble almost imperceptibly. She pulls back, crossing her arms instead, maintaining the fortress of her arrogance.*

Comic Title: The 5-Year Ping
Theme: A story of high latency, hidden processes, and a final successful connection.

Part 1: The Legacy Code (School Days)
Visual: A split screen. On the left, Class 11, the boy looking at her across a classroom. On the right, The Last Day of School, the boy holding a letter, standing next to her empty chair.

Caption: "The script was written years ago, but the environment was never stable enough to hit 'Run'."

Dialogue (Boy's thoughts): “I waited for the perfect moment... but the perfect moment was a ghost.”

Part 2: The Debugging Phase (College Years)
Visual: Panels showing the chaos of 1st and 2nd year.

Panel A: The crowded college bus with "Talkative Friends" as blurred background noise.

Panel B (The Dare): The boy on the phone, sweating, asking her for "crush advice" while his friends laugh in the background.

Panel C (The Fake Photo): The boy showing her a photo of a random girl on his phone. The girl looks interested, but the boy’s heart is shown as a "broken link" icon.

Caption: "Sometimes, to protect the system, you have to run a decoy."

Part 3: The 3rd Year Transition (The Near Miss)
Theme: The broken logic of a missed opportunity.

Visual 1: The golden hour light hitting the college main gate. The crowd of students is thinning out. The boy catches up to the girl just as she’s about to exit.

Dialogue: * Boy: "Are you heading home right now?"

Girl (turning with a smile): "Yeah, just leaving. Are you coming along?"

Visual 2: A close-up of the boy’s face—a mix of conflict and regret. In the background, he sees his teammates or the work he has to finish, realizing he can't walk with her today.

Dialogue:

Boy: "I... I have to finish some work before I head out. I can’t join you today. You go ahead."

Girl: "Oh, okay! Don't work too hard. See you!"

Visual 3: A wide shot of the boy standing completely still by the gate as her figure shrinks into the distance. The long shadow of the college gate stretches toward him.

Dialogue (The Internal Monologue):

Boy (whispering): "Go home safely..."

Caption: "A request was sent, but the path was blocked by circumstance. Status: 404 - Opportunity Not Found."

Part 4: The Execution (The Night Call)
Visual: A beautiful night scene. On one side of the page, the boy is walking under a single golden streetlight, phone to his ear. On the other side, the girl is tucked in her room, surrounded by books, smiling.

Dialogue (1.5 hours in): * Girl: "So... be honest. Do you even talk to that crush of yours anymore?"

Boy (Shaking, close-up on his face): "Actually... I'm talking to her right this second."

Part 5: The "Loading" State
Visual: A full-page spread. The girl’s face is a mix of shock and a deep, rising blush. Behind her, a faint, glowing "Loading... 99%" bar appears.

Dialogue:

Girl: "I... I can't process this much data at once."

Boy: "I waited five years for the server to respond. I can wait a few more days for you."

Final Visual: The boy looking up at the moon in the mountains (foreshadowing your Himachal trip).

Closing Caption: "The connection is finally established. Status: Happy."

Creative Elements to Include:
Color Palette: Use cool blues and greys for the "missed" years, and shift into warm oranges and pinks for the phone call scene.

The Symbol: Use the flower you mentioned (the one that bloomed 3 years ago) as a recurring symbol in the corners of the pages.

The "God" Motif: In the background of the college scenes, you could have a small, subtle "halo" over the boy whenever she’s looking at him, showing how she admires him.

$In a world where a few can bend probability through raw will, a quiet drifter named Kai Kurozawa discovers his gift isn’t luck—it’s a loaded weapon. Each choice twists the odds, but the universe charges interest. SERIES BIBLE (Concise) Power System — Will / Odds / Backlash • Dwellers: Rare individuals who can impose Tacks (micro‐edits to probability) via focused Will. • Odds: A visualized “grain” of reality; Dwellers sense vectors of likely outcomes as shimmering filaments. • Tacks: Intentional nudges (“make that rope snap,” “let the bus be 8 seconds late”). Each Tack accrues Fate Friction—stress that rebounds later as Backlash (nosebleeds → fractures → catastrophic karmic events). • Edges: Personal rituals or anchors (coin flips, mantras) that stabilize Will and reduce friction. • Zeroshift (mythic tier, late series): A liminal state where Odds are a silent ocean and Will is a blade—do not reveal yet. World • Haven District: Port-city sprawl; rusted rooftops, market alleys, flooded underpass murals. • Glassline Metro: Arteries of the city; reflective tunnels where odds feel “loud.” • The Quiet: A rumored zone where Odds stop moving—foreshadowing endgame forces. Factions • Municipal Risk Office (MRO): Bureau that tracks statistical anomalies; polite on paper, predatory in practice. • The Erased: Black-bag unit rumored to “remove” unstable Dwellers. Recurring Antagonists • Rael, “The Eraser”: Uncanny calm; his talent dampens other Dwellers’ Tacks in close range. He is the city’s whispered full stop. • Anti-Kai (Kairo Tsukami): Never named on-page yet. Thematic opposite of Kai—fixes outcomes by stealing other people’s Will. Themes • Choice vs. inevitability, the cost of power, anonymity in crowds, the math of mercy. VISUAL STYLE GUIDE (for art consistency) • Line: Clean, high-contrast inks; thin outline on faces, heavy shadows on urban geometry. • Tone: Filmic noir with sharp whites for the “Odds” filaments. • Odds Visualization: Fine hairline threads and moiré patterns drifting off objects; when Kai focuses, threads bloom like dandelion seeds frozen mid-gust. • SFX: Minimalist lettering, small caps with long em dashes for sustained sounds (e.g., VRRR—). • Panel Rhythm: Quiet micro-panels for intention → explode into wide panels for consequence. CAST (Core + Non-Dwellers — at least 5) Kai Kurozawa (17) • A drifter with a coin ritual. Soft voice, sharp eyes. Edge: Coin Flip. • Quirk: Counts his breaths when deciding; breath 7 is commitment. • Flaw: Terrified of being the cause. Mei Arakawa (19) — Journalism student, street photographer. Non-Dweller. • Brave to a fault; sees patterns in people. Keeps instant camera on wrist. Jun “Switch” Tanaka (18) — Electronics stall kid; builds things from city trash. Non-Dweller. • Grease smudges, perpetual grin, a tool roll like a scroll. Aya Mori (20) — Med student volunteering at a night clinic. Non-Dweller. • Steady hands; refuses to look away from ugly truths. Inspector Haruto Ishii (34) — MRO field officer. Non-Dweller. • Polite, dry, exhausted; catalogues “anomaly sites.” Koji Nakamura (52) — Market grocer. Non-Dweller. • Kind man, jokes in proverbs. (Mark as at risk in early arcs.) Daichi (12) — Rooftop runner, orphan. Non-Dweller. • Knows every shortcut; sells maps he draws by hand. Rael (??) — “The Eraser.” Dweller. • Neutral face; shoes make no sound. The city gets quiet when he arrives. HIDDEN SEEDS in Chapter One • Page 3: A passerby with a ring—three triangular prongs. Later revealed as an Erased marker. • Page 17: Black van reflection in puddle (MRO plate pattern: 131-21). • Page 28: Blank spot in Kai’s Odds vision (Rael’s signature dampening at distance). • Final Page: A second coin in gutter, heads scratched with a thin inverted cross (Anti-Kai sigil—unexplained). CHAPTER ONE: PAGE-BY-PAGE SCRIPT & STORYBOARD Length: 36 pages (tankōbon pacing). Goal: Introduce Kai, demonstrate low-tier Tack, show cost, hook with a moral pivot.$

半分の君
Romaji: Hanbun no Kimi Meaning: “Half of You”
At Hoshizora Academy, the Compatibility Program forces second year students to live together like married couples — cooking, cleaning, studying, sharing a dorm unit, and being graded on emotional sync. High scores mean scholarships. Low scores mean repeating the year. The program is infamous for creating bonds that feel too real and exposing feelings students try to hide.
Ignatius Arimura enters the year hoping to stay invisible. He’s quiet, introverted, and still carrying the ache of a breakup he never healed from. Aoi Kisaragi was his first love — the girl who made him feel alive, and the girl who walked away from him without ever explaining why. Aoi hides her guilt behind her bright smile, convincing herself she’s moved on to Ren. Ignatius tells himself he likes Mina because it’s easier than admitting he still aches for Aoi.
When the pairing announcement arrives, Aoi silently begs for Ren. Ignatius silently hopes for Mina. Both pray they won’t be paired with each other. But fate is cruel. Their names appear together with a compatibility score of 12%, the lowest in the program. The room goes silent. Aoi’s smile cracks. Ignatius’s heart sinks. Moving into the same dorm feels like reopening a wound neither of them survived.
Their first days together are a disaster. Aoi’s loud music, Ignatius’s quiet routines, her clutter, his need for order — everything clashes. Their first evaluation ends in failure. But when Ignatius freezes during a public speaking assignment, Aoi steps in without hesitation, her voice steady, her hand brushing his as she takes over. For a moment, it feels like the version of them that used to exist. Their score rises to 18%, and Ignatius realizes with a painful twist that he never stopped caring.
Seeing Mina and Ren working together so naturally only deepens the ache. Aoi watches Ren laugh with Mina in a way he never laughed with her. Ignatius watches Mina shine beside Ren and wonders if he ever had a chance. Both feel jealousy they refuse to acknowledge. That night, Aoi cries quietly in the bathroom, and Ignatius hears her through the door. He stands there, hand hovering over the handle, but he doesn’t know if he’s allowed to comfort her anymore.
They eventually agree to a truce and create a “Compatibility Strategy Plan.” Cooking together leads to soft laughter. Communication drills turn into arguments that somehow end with them smiling. Late night study sessions blur into moments where they forget they’re supposed to be exes. They fall asleep on opposite ends of the couch, but each night they wake up a little closer. Their score jumps to 41%. Aoi wakes one morning with Ignatius’s jacket draped over her shoulders. She doesn’t ask why. He doesn’t tell her.
And then comes the chapter that changes everything.
One night, after a long study session, Aoi falls asleep at the table, her head resting on her arms. Ignatius tries to wake her, but she mumbles something soft and exhausted, and he can’t bring himself to shake her. He sits beside her, meaning to stay only a moment. But he’s tired too. He rests his head on his folded arms, inches from hers. The room is warm. The silence is gentle. Without meaning to, they drift off together.
When they wake, the sun is rising. Aoi’s head is resting on Ignatius’s shoulder. His hand is loosely holding hers. Their breaths are slow and in sync, like they’ve been sleeping together for years. For a long moment, neither moves. Neither speaks. The world feels fragile, like one wrong word could shatter it. Aoi’s cheeks turn pink. Ignatius’s heart races. They pull away slowly, reluctantly, as if their bodies haven’t caught up to their minds. Their score jumps to 52% the next day, and the teachers quietly note that their emotional sync spiked overnight.
Aoi begins noticing Ignatius again — the way he concentrates, the way he softens when he’s comfortable, the way he still remembers her favorite snacks. Ignatius begins noticing Aoi’s hidden fears — her loneliness behind her popularity, her pressure to be perfect, the way she tries so hard not to disappoint anyone. They move around each other like a married couple who never learned how to stop caring. They share toothbrush cups, laundry baskets, late night ramen, sleepy mornings, and quiet moments that feel too intimate for two people who claim they’re over each other.
During the festival test, their booth becomes the most popular attraction. Aoi turns down a confession from another boy, her voice trembling. Ignatius gets flustered when Mina compliments him, and Aoi notices the way he blushes. Their score jumps to 63%. That night, Aoi quietly asks him if he ever hated her after the breakup. Ignatius can’t answer. He can’t lie. The silence between them is thick with everything they never said.
Rumors spread that pairs might be reassigned. Aoi panics at the thought of losing her chance with Ren. Ignatius panics at the thought of losing Mina. But beneath those fears is something heavier: neither of them wants to be separated from each other. Aoi cries alone on the balcony, and Ignatius silently places a blanket over her shoulders. She doesn’t turn around, but she leans into the warmth. They stand there together, the distance between them shrinking in ways neither of them can deny.
A storm knocks out the power one night, leaving them in darkness with no cameras, no expectations, no pretending. They talk honestly for the first time in months. Aoi admits she’s tired of being the strong one. Ignatius admits he’s tired of being the quiet one. They sit close, closer than they have since before the breakup, sharing warmth in the dark. Aoi falls asleep with her head on his shoulder again. Ignatius doesn’t move. Their emotional sync test the next morning hits 92%, the highest in the program.
As Ren and Mina grow closer, Aoi and Ignatius realize their old crushes were fantasies — safe illusions they clung to because they were afraid of the real thing. The real connection is the one they’ve rebuilt: messy, painful, warm, and real. They act like a married couple — cooking together, arguing, laughing, sharing space, sharing silence — but they’re not lovers. Not yet. They’re something in between, something fragile and terrifying and impossible to name.
When the reassignment list is posted, Aoi’s hands shake and K Ignatius’s heart pounds. They scan the list, terrified. Their names remain together. Not because of luck. Not because of the system. But because they earned it. Aoi turns to him, eyes shining with something fragile and hopeful, and whispers, “Ignatius … can we try again?” He takes her hand gently, like she might break, and says, “Yeah. This time… let’s not run.”
They’re not lovers. Not yet. But they’re closer than they’ve ever been — a pair who lives like a married couple, fights like rivals, and holds each other like home.

Page 1-2: Preparing for Eid
Scene: The girls are sitting in the living room, talking about Eid
" Meg: "I am so excited for Eid, but I feel sad for people who don't have enough
".Jo: "Yes... some children might not get any gifts or food
"?Beth: "Maybe we can do something small to help them
"?Meg: "What if we make them happy with little presents or sweets
".Jo: "That sounds nice! We can plan it together
"Mom: "Ilove your idea, girls. Eid is not just for receiving, it's also for giving
Page 3-4: Planning
Scene: The girls discuss what each will do
"Meg: "I think I can bake some sweets and share them
"?Jo: "I will make some simple toys for the children. What do you think
"Beth: "I have old clothes that I don't use. I can give them too
"Meg: "That's perfect! Everyone can do something
". Jo: "Yes, we will make a small gift for each child
"Mom:"| will collect all your gifts, and we can go together to give them
Page 5-6: Working Together
.Scene: The girls are busy preparing their gifts and food
"!Meg: " like baking sweets, it smells so good
". Jo: "Making toys is fun, but I hope they will like them
"Beth: "'m folding the clothes nicely. I hope they feel warm
"Meg: "'m so happy we are doing this together
". Jo: "Yes, working together makes it even more fun
"Beth: "Seeing them happy will make our Eid even better
Page 7-8: Distributing Gifts
Scene: Outside, the family gives food and gifts to the children
"Beth: "Look at their smiles! They are so happy
"Meg: "I feel so good giving them sweets
"Jo: "It's amazing to see their faces light up
".Mom: "The joy of giving is much bigger than receiving
"Meg: "I didn't know helping others could feel this wonderful
"!Jo: "Yes... this is the real spirit of Eid
Page 9-10: Returning Home
.Scene: The girls walk home, feeling proud and happy
"!Jo: "This is the best Eid I have ever had
"Meg: "I agree. It feels better than any big gift
".Beth: "I want to do this every year
*Mom: "That is the true meaning of Eid, helping others
"Meg: " will always remember this feeling of joy
"!Jo: "Next year, we can do even more
Page 11-12: Ending
Scene: The family sits for Eid breakfast, happy and laughing
"Beth: "We should always help those in need
"Meg: "Yes, let's make it a family tradition
".Jo: "A part of every Eid will go to the poor from now on
"Mom: "I am proud of you girls. Giving makes Eid brighter for everyone
"Meg: " love our family's Eid plan Jo: "And Ilove seeing everyone smile

Langit masih ingat hari pertama ia bertemu Putri.
Hujan turun deras di kampung halaman mereka. Saat itu, ia baru saja pindah dari kota bersama orang tuanya. Anak-anak desa agak enggan mendekati bocah baru itu—terlalu pendiam, terlalu canggung. Tapi tidak dengan Putri.
“Namamu siapa?”
“...Langit.”
“Bagus. Aku Putri. Ayo main!”
Begitu saja, tanpa banyak basa-basi, Putri menarik tangan Langit dan membawanya ke tengah hujan. Mereka bermain lumpur, membuat sungai kecil dari aliran air, dan tertawa hingga langit berhenti menangis.
Sejak hari itu, mereka tak terpisahkan.
Tahun-tahun berlalu, dan mereka tetap dekat. Dari SD sampai sekarang di SMA. Mereka punya tempat rahasia di tengah hutan dekat rumah kakek Langit—sebuah batu besar di samping sungai, di mana mereka sering membayangkan jadi penjelajah, pemburu naga, atau bahkan penjaga dunia.
Namun, SMA membuat segalanya... berbeda.
Mereka masih bersama, tapi kini ada rasa asing yang tumbuh diam-diam.
Langit mulai sadar ia sering mencuri pandang saat Putri tertawa. Putri juga merasa jantungnya berdebar aneh setiap Langit memujinya, meski hanya soal tugas sekolah.
Tapi keduanya memilih diam. Mereka takut.
Takut kehilangan kenyamanan yang sudah bertahun-tahun mereka miliki.
Liburan panjang akhirnya tiba.
Langit mengajak Putri ke kampungnya, seperti dulu. Kakek Langit sudah lama tinggal sendiri, dan mereka sudah berjanji akan mengunjunginya lagi saat liburan datang.
“Tempat kita masih ada gak ya?” tanya Putri di perjalanan.
“Kalau belum tumbang dimakan waktu sih, masih. Kita bisa cek besok,” jawab Langit sambil tersenyum kecil.
Di malam hari, mereka duduk di beranda rumah kayu, menatap bintang. Suasana hening, nyaman... dan menggantung.
Putri ingin bilang sesuatu. Begitu juga Langit. Tapi tak satu pun dari mereka berani membuka suara lebih dulu.
Esok harinya, mereka masuk hutan.
Namun saat mereka menemukan jalan menuju tempat bermain dulu, mereka malah melihat sesuatu yang aneh: sebuah gubuk yang tak pernah ada sebelumnya. Terlihat tua, ditelan akar dan dedaunan, tapi... utuh. Seperti menunggu seseorang.
Mereka saling pandang.
“Kamu juga liat, kan?”
“Iya... harusnya di situ cuma ada batu besar.”
Rasa penasaran lebih kuat dari rasa takut.
Mereka masuk.
Dan di situlah mereka melihatnya: sebuah buku besar tergeletak di atas altar batu. Tidak berdebu. Tidak kotor. Seolah baru saja ditaruh.
Langit mendekat.
“Putri... kamu lihat ini?”
Putri mengangguk. Mereka mendekat bersamaan. Saat Langit menyentuh buku itu—halaman terbuka sendiri, mengeluarkan cahaya putih menyilaukan.
Mereka berteriak. Dunia berguncang.
Lalu semuanya gelap.

PAGE 1 : L'ambiance (Le calme avant la tempête)
Case 1 (Plan d'ensemble - Très large) :

Une vue panoramique d'une ville immense mais détruite. Des gratte-ciels éventrés, des lianes partout. Le ciel est gris, lourd.

SFX : VUUUUUU (Le vent qui souffle).

Case 2 (Plan moyen) :

Zoom sur une ruelle sombre encombrée de débris. On voit une silhouette encapuchonnée de dos qui marche. C'est JIN.

SFX : CRIC... CRAC... (Bruits de pas sur du verre).

Case 3 (Gros plan) :

Focus sur la main de Jin. Elle est humaine, mais elle tient un appareil étrange qui bip (un détecteur).

SFX : Bip... Bip...

Case 4 (Gros plan visage) :

On voit le bas du visage de Jin. Il sourit légèrement.

JIN : "Bingo."

La page d'ouverture présente le titre grandiose "AetherCards: Dreamweaver Odyssey" en lettrage steampunk luminescent, entouré d'une illustration manga pleine page en cel-shading : un dirigeable colossal d'Albion fend les nuages holographiques d'un ciel hybride high-tech et rétro-futuriste, avec des engrenages aethériques tourbillonnants et des ombres d'avatars prothétisés ; en bas, le slogan d'OmniTechnik "L'Imagination est la Nouvelle Réalité" pulse comme un implant neuronal, invitant le lecteur à devenir un "Dreamer", un adolescent ordinaire du monde réel technologiquement avancé qui, via le dispositif Neuro-Sync (NS), plonge dans l'univers virtuel steampunk d'AetherCards pour un tournoi légendaire, où deck-building, choix moraux et combats tactiques déterminent si tu conqueras les cieux ou succombes à l'addiction virtuelle.

A young witch tries to hide from the Inquisition in a dark forest

A dark sci-fi horror story set in a massive underground research facility built beneath the earth to hide a classified experiment called Project Hope. Scientists there develop HRV-13, a modified virus designed to repair damaged cells and regenerate the human body without altering DNA. At first the results seem miraculous—cancer disappears, spinal injuries heal, and paralyzed patients stand again. Animals recover from fatal experiments, and the researchers begin to believe they have discovered a cure that could change the future of medicine.

But the virus does not simply heal—it amplifies the body’s natural systems. Muscles grow stronger but uncontrollably, nerves regenerate too fast, organs begin overproducing chemicals, and the human body starts behaving like a machine running without limits. Each patient’s biology evolves differently, turning them into unpredictable biological experiments.

The story follows a lone survivor who enters the abandoned facility years later. The building is silent, filled with flickering lights, empty laboratories, and sealed containment rooms. While exploring the corridors he finds the journal of the lead scientist, documenting the entire experiment—from hopeful beginnings to catastrophic failure. Through these entries the reader slowly learns what happened inside the facility: human trials, strange symptoms, military oversight, and the terrifying realization that the virus never stopped working.

The deeper the survivor goes into the facility—through research labs, animal testing wings, medical wards, and containment chambers—the more disturbing the truth becomes. The experiment meant to save humanity may have created a new form of life, one that spreads through biology itself.

The atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic: dark hallways, abandoned hospital beds, humming machines, and the constant feeling that something inside the building is still alive.