Screaming Manga

🌌 ASTRAL SOVEREIGN Episode 1 — “The Star That Fell” COLD OPEN EXT. NIGHT SKY – MOUNTAIN RANGE A vast star-filled sky stretches above jagged mountains. Wind moves slowly through drifting clouds. A distant meteor streaks across the sky. NARRATOR (V.O.) In a world where summoners bind creatures from distant realms… power determines the fate of kingdoms. The meteor grows brighter as it cuts across the night. NARRATOR (V.O.) For centuries, summoners have commanded spirits, beasts, and ancient entities beyond imagination. The meteor begins to fracture. Thousands of tiny glowing fragments scatter like falling stars. NARRATOR (V.O.) But once in a thousand years… the stars choose a sovereign. SCENE 1 EXT. CLIFFSIDE – NIGHT A lone figure stands on a cliff overlooking a vast valley. This is CIEL DOR. Silver-white hair moves in the wind. His long black coat flows behind him. He watches the sky. CIEL (quietly) That star… The meteor explodes into a brilliant cosmic flare. Suddenly— The constellations begin shifting. The sky rearranges itself into a glowing circular pattern. SCENE 2 CLOSE-UP – CIEL’S HAND A glowing ASTRAL SIGIL appears on his right hand. Blue light pulses through his arm. CIEL (startled) What…? The sigil spreads glowing energy. Wind erupts around him. SCENE 3 SKY ABOVE THE CLIFF The clouds form a massive summoning circle spanning the sky. Cosmic light pours downward. NARRATOR (V.O.) The Astral Realm had sensed its ruler. A deep mysterious voice echoes through the air. MYSTERIOUS VOICE (V.O.) The Sovereign has returned. Ciel looks around, confused. CIEL Who said that? SCENE 4 SUMMONING EVENT A glowing portal opens behind Ciel. Stars swirl inside it like a galaxy. Energy bursts outward. Ciel turns slowly. A massive silhouette appears within the portal. Heavy footsteps echo. SCENE 5 REVEAL – LYRA A gigantic CELESTIAL WOLF emerges. Its body is made of glowing stars and cosmic light. Particles drift from its fur like falling stardust. Ciel stares in shock. CIEL A… summon? The wolf steps forward. It lowers its massive head. Then kneels before him. SCENE 6 CIEL AND LYRA Ciel slowly raises his hand. He gently touches Lyra’s head. CIEL Why… are you bowing? Lyra speaks telepathically. LYRA (V.O.) Because you are the Astral Sovereign. Ciel’s eyes widen. CIEL Astral… Sovereign? SCENE 7 WIDE SHOT – CLIFF Ciel stands beside the massive celestial wolf beneath the starry sky. The summoning circle fades slowly. NARRATOR (V.O.) On that night, the heavens themselves chose their ruler. Lyra lifts its head and howls. The stars flare brightly across the sky. FINAL SCENE EXT. SKY – NIGHT The constellations shine brighter than ever. Far away… A dark crack forms in the sky. NARRATOR (V.O.) But every light casts a shadow. Deep within a distant dimension— A pair of red glowing eyes open in darkness. NARRATOR (V.O.) And the Void was beginning to stir. END OF EPISODE TEXT ON SCREEN: ASTRAL SOVEREIGN TO BE CONTINUED
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.
CLIMATE X INDIGENOUS VOICES MAGAZINE EDITION – 2025 HIGHLIGHTS OPENING NOTE 2025 has been a defining year for Climate X Indigenous Voices — a year of deep listening, bold experimentation, and continent-wide action against climate disinformation. From grassroots fieldwork to global information integrity frameworks, this project has cemented itself as one of Africa’s leading voices on climate truth, Indigenous knowledge, and digital resilience. This edition captures the milestones, stories, and sparks that shaped our journey. FEATURE I — Foundations of a Movement Project Foundations & Ethical Community Partnerships Our year began where all great stories do — on the ground. Core teams were formed across Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya and regional media hubs, with contracts, TORs, and workflow structures firmly established. Early engagement with Indigenous partners — including the Tjwa community and others — ensured ethical collaboration, transparent consent, and storytelling shaped with communities, not about them. FEATURE II — Investigating the Climate Lie Machine Grassroots Disinformation Research In Matabeleland North, our field teams completed a landmark study with the Tjwa community. The research reveals how climate disinformation impacts resource access, daily decision-making, and community adaptation. These findings now anchor our content pipeline — from animations to community exhibitions — and the full report will be released on our public document-sharing platform. Africa Climate Disinformation Toolkit The continent’s first integrated guide to climate misinformation has been finalised. Led by an information integrity expert, the toolkit documents: Recurring myths Localised misinformation patterns Platform-driven manipulation Emerging online climate narratives Launching this December via webinar, the Toolkit already informs youth trainings and content strategy. It will be publicly accessible for download and reading. FEATURE III — Art as Resistance Art-Driven Dissemination Strategy From murals to exhibitions, 2025 strengthened the role of art in climate truth-telling. Community artists partnered with us to transform research into accessible, culturally rooted visual storytelling. A centerpiece was the exhibition inspired by The Last Forest documentary, showcased at the Green Cities Expo in September. FEATURE IV — Nurturing the Next Generation of Climate Truth Creators Green Media Accelerator: Fake News Fighters Track In Nairobi, the Green Media Accelerator launched a dedicated track for Fake News Fighters (FNF) — now one of Africa’s leading climate information integrity models. Through mentorship, fact-checking skills, and seed funding, FNF empowered young media innovators to produce verified, creative responses to climate lies. INFORMATION INTEGRITY HIGHLIGHTS Positioning Africa in the Global Info Integrity Landscape 2025 saw FNF align with the UNESCO Declaration for Information Integrity in the Public Sphere, marking a milestone for African-driven climate truth models. In 2026, FNF will contribute directly to shaping the world’s first Climate Information Integrity Framework, anchoring African solutions in global policy spaces. Fake News Fighters Bootcamps – Kenya & Uganda Using UKWELI as the core tool, two bootcamps trained 30 young creators to: Fact-check climate misinformation Detect platform manipulations Produce counter-narratives Map the real-world impacts of false climate stories These creators now feed into a continent-wide content pipeline. FEATURE V — Content, Storytelling & Digital Resistance Voices Rooted Podcast Production of the first episodes began this month. Key recordings include: Dr. Albert K. Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Indigenous leaders and frontline climate defenders The podcast positions Indigenous wisdom at the centre of Africa’s climate discourse. Hope Not Heat! — Log Off The Lies Digital Campaign Bold. Satirical. Youth-driven. Log Off The Lies has become our strongest weapon against climate misinformation. Highlights: Infomercial launched in October — 2 million views Hero content released last week — 1.8 million views Youth social storm platform launched — 100+ engagements and counting Humour + fact-checking = sharper climate awareness among youth audiences This campaign now shapes the continent’s conversation on online climate manipulation. Influencer Travel Vlogs Travel and contracting with leading African vloggers is underway. Their content — spotlighting Indigenous adaptation stories — will be released early next year for wider impact. Documentary Production In Zimbabwe: Filming completed in August. Trailer for The Last Forest reached 2.5 million views. Festival submissions are being prepared for 2026. In Uganda: Filming has begun, expanding the documentary footprint across the region. A major national event is planned to engage policy makers on Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Conservation, FPIC and Extractive Industries. FEATURE VI — Youth Creativity & Climate Knowledge Climate Fake News Smackdown This creative competition invited youth to challenge climate myths. Three winners — one each from Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda — are now producing myth-busting content for release this month. Climate Facts Animations Three animated explainers are in production: Episode 1 releases on 10 December Episode 2 is complete Episode 3 follows early next year These animations demystify climate disinformation for youth audiences. FEATURE VII — Growing a Continental Network Africa Climate Labs Network Content hubs across East and Southern Africa are collaborating to build an Africa-wide front against climate disinformation. 2026 will deepen: Joint content planning Regular reporting Skill exchanges Coordinated distribution strategies Mid-term M&E is tracking reach, narrative shifts, and behaviour change across communities. SPECIAL RECOGNITION Fake News Fighters Wins Amnesty International Zimbabwe Award FNF received the Digital Creativity Award, affirming that information integrity is fundamental to climate justice. Without reliable information, communities cannot defend their rights, advocate for policy change, or hold powerful actors accountable. LOOKING AHEAD — 2026 AND BEYOND Next year, Climate X Indigenous Voices pivots from standalone outputs to continent-wide narrative influence. Key Priorities for 2026 Expanding UKWELI’s integration into broader African dialogues on climate truth and Indigenous resilience Strengthening the Fake News Fighters track for Zimbabwean and Tanzanian innovators Documentary production in Kenya and Tanzania A refreshed, more dynamic phase of the Hope Not Heat! campaign Strategic release of delayed content to maximise engagement 2026 will be the year the project scales from impactful storytelling to movement-level influence.
🎭 "The Relay Robbery" — A Love Story Gone Wrong A Manga Short Story featuring Alice & Bob PANEL 1 — THE DISCOVERY [Scene: Tesla showroom, bright lights, shiny cars everywhere] Alice walks past the Tesla showroom window holding her coffee ☕ She spots Bob inside, talking to a salesman, signing papers, looking very serious. Alice (internal monologue, sparkle eyes): "Awww he looks so cute when he's being responsible with money—" Bob hands over his credit card. Alice (eyes go wide): "Wait..." Salesman wraps a big red bow on a Model Y. Alice (jaw drops to floor, coffee falls in slow motion): "HE'S BUYING A TESLA????" PANEL 2 — THE BETRAYAL [Alice dramatically pressed against the window like a sad anime character in rain] Alice (thinking): "Tomorrow is March 8th. International Women's Day. MY day." Alice (thinking): "And this man... THIS man... is buying himself a Tesla??" Bob is seen laughing with the salesman, completely unaware. Alice (single dramatic tear): "I raised this man." [Close up on Alice's face — the expression of someone who has decided something dangerous] PANEL 3 — THE PLANNING PHASE [Alice at home, 2AM, lying on the ceiling like a sad anime character, staring at nothing] Alice: "It's fine. I'm fine. He just forgot Women's Day. It's FINE." [Cut to: Alice aggressively eating chips in bed, laptop open] Alice: "I'm not even mad. I'm just... " YouTube autoplay kicks in. YouTube Ad: "🔴 HOW HACKERS STEAL KEYLESS ENTRY CARS IN 60 SECONDS —" [Alice slowly stops chewing] [The chip hangs in midair] Alice (eyes slowly light up like a villain origin story): "...Go on." PANEL 4 — THE TUTORIAL [Alice watching the video, taking notes in a Hello Kitty notebook] YouTube: "The attacker simply extends the LF signal from the key fob using two radio devices—" Alice (writing intensely): "...two... radio... devices..." YouTube: "—the car believes the key is present even from miles away—" Alice (underlining three times): "KEY. DOES. NOT. NEED. TO. BE. THERE." Alice (slams notebook shut, stands up dramatically): "Neither does Bob." [Lightning strikes outside for dramatic effect] PANEL 5 — THE ACCOMPLICE [Alice staring at her cat "Cipher" who is sitting on the bed licking his paw, completely unbothered] Alice: "Cipher." [Cat ignores her] Alice: "Cipher I need you." [Cat slowly blinks once — the absolute minimum acknowledgment] Alice (pulls out hand-drawn diagram): "Okay so Bob's key fob must be on his bedside table. His bedroom window is on the ground floor. I need Device Two close to the key. You are small. You are silent. You are perfect." [Long pause] [Cat knocks her Hello Kitty notebook off the bed and walks away] Alice: "CIPHER THIS IS FOR WOMEN'S DAY." PANEL 6 — THE RECRUITMENT [Alice holding Cipher up like Simba from Lion King, looking him dead in the eyes] Alice: "You have been eating my food for 4 years." Alice: "Free of charge." Alice: "Tonight. You pay rent." [Cipher stares back with the dead eyes of a creature who feels absolutely nothing] [Cut to: Alice taping the relay device to Cipher's collar with excessive amounts of tape] Cipher (internal monologue, absolutely disgusted): "I should have stayed a stray." PANEL 7 — THE OPERATION BEGINS [3AM. Bob's house. Alice crouching in the bushes outside, dressed in full black, wearing night vision goggles she definitely bought from Amazon same-day delivery] Alice (whispering into walkie talkie): "Cipher. Do you copy." [Cipher sits next to her, device taped to collar, staring into the void] Alice: "Cipher. The window is open. The key fob is 2 meters inside on the nightstand. I need you to go in, get close to it, and hold position." [Cipher yawns so wide his whole face disappears] Alice: "Cipher this is a stealth mission." [Cipher meows. Loudly. Into the night.] Alice (grabbing him): "CIPHER—" PANEL 8 — THE PUSH [Alice holding Cipher up to Bob's open bedroom window on the ground floor] [Inside: Bob sleeping peacefully, key fob glowing on the nightstand, completely unaware] Alice (whispering): "Okay. Nice and easy. Just... walk to the nightstand. That's all I need." [She places Cipher on the windowsill] [Cipher turns around and stares at Alice] Alice (whispering): "Go. Go go go. Shoo." [Cipher does not move] Alice (through gritted teeth): "CIPHER. I WILL BUY YOU THE GOOD TUNA." [Cipher takes one step inside] [Alice exhales] [Cipher immediately sits down directly on Bob's face] Bob (muffled, half asleep): "...wha... Cipher? ...how did you—" [Alice freezes outside the window] Bob (eyes still closed, half dreaming): "...s'okay buddy... go sleep..." [Bob moves Cipher to the side directly onto the nightstand next to the key fob] [Alice's eyes go wide] Alice (internal monologue, whispering): "...He just... placed him... perfectly." Alice: "Cipher you absolute genius." [Cipher is already asleep on top of the key fob, completely by accident, perfectly positioned] PANEL 9 — THE RELAY [Alice outside with Device One pointed at the Tesla parked down the street] [Device Two on Cipher's collar, 30cm from the key fob inside] [The signal bridge is complete] Alice (hands shaking, pointing device at car): "Signal extended... key fob excited... car thinks key is present..." [Tesla down the street goes: 🔓 CLICK] [Alice's mouth falls open] Alice (barely breathing): "...It worked." [Long pause] Alice (forgetting to whisper): "IT ACTUALLY WORKED." [Bob shifts in his sleep] [Cipher opens one eye, judges her, closes it again] Alice (running to the car in slow motion like an action movie): "CIPHER EXTRACT YOURSELF WE ARE LEAVING—" [Cipher does not move] [Alice drives away without him] [Cipher watches from the windowsill] Cipher (internal monologue): "Good. I live here now." PANEL 10 — GANGSTER MODE ACTIVATED [Alice in the Tesla, door closes, engine hums silently because it's electric and that's somehow funnier] [She sits in silence for exactly 3 seconds] [Then slowly... she puts on her sunglasses] [At 3AM] [In the dark] [She connects her phone to the Tesla's Bluetooth] [An extremely dramatic song starts playing — something like "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar or "Power" by Kanye] Alice (one hand on wheel, leaning back, full villain arc complete): "Hm." [She pulls out of the street at exactly the speed limit because she is not stupid] [Windows down. Music up. Single finger tapping the wheel.] Alice (internal monologue): "This is the best car I have ever driven." Alice: "This is also the best thing I have ever done." [She merges onto the highway heading south] [The GPS says: "Destination: Mexico — 14 hours"] Alice: "Perfect." PANEL 11 — BOB WAKES UP [7AM. Bob's bedroom. Sunlight streaming in.] [Cipher is sitting on Bob's chest staring at him from 2cm away] [Bob opens eyes. Sees cat. Confused.] Bob: "...Cipher how did you get in here." [Bob reaches for phone. Notification on screen:] 🚗 Tesla App: Your vehicle is currently in ARIZONA. Estimated speed: 78mph Playing: "HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar Climate control: 72°F *Driver seat adjusted: -4 inches ← (Alice is shorter than Bob) [Bob stares at the notification] [Bob looks at the empty key hook on the wall] [Bob looks at Cipher] Bob: "...Cipher." [Cipher meows] Bob: "Did Alice—" [Cipher meows again, louder, and headbutts the relay device still taped to his collar] [Bob stares at the device on the cat's collar] [Bob stares at the Tesla app showing his car in Arizona] [Bob stares at the date on his phone: March 8th] Bob (very slowly): "She thought I bought it for myself, ohh lord have mercy" [Long pause] [Bob lies back down and pulls the blanket over his face] Bob (muffled): "...I spent three months planning this." [Cipher sits on his face again in solidarity] PANEL 12 — ARIZONA. THE DISCOVERY. [Alice, sunglasses on, one arm out the window, absolutely living her best life, somewhere in the Arizona desert] [Sun is setting. Sky is orange and pink. The Tesla purrs silently.] Alice (singing along to the radio, zero regrets): "This is MY car now. I earned this. Eight years of Women's Days and he finally—" [The glove compartment pops open slightly on a speed bump] [A small white envelope slides out onto the passenger seat] [Alice glances at it] [On the envelope in Bob's handwriting, with a small heart:] "To my precious Alice 🌹" [Alice's sunglasses slowly slide down her nose] PANEL 13 — THE REALIZATION [Alice pulled over on the side of the highway. Engine still running. Card in hand.] Inside the envelope: "Happy International Women's Day💕 — Your Bob 🌹" [The Arizona wind blows dramatically through her hair] [A tumbleweed rolls past] [A coyote howls in the distance] Alice: "..." Alice (very small voice): "I stole my own car." [Beat] Alice: "Heading to Mexico." Alice: "In my own stolen present." [She looks at herself in the rearview mirror] [Her own sunglasses stare back at her] Alice (to her reflection): "You studied cybersecurity for four years.you deserve it" PANEL 14 — THE PHONE CALL [Alice calls Bob. It rings twice. He picks up immediately, which means he was waiting.] Bob (eerily calm): "Hello Alice." Alice: "Hypothetically." Bob: "Mhm." Alice: "If someone... relocated a vehicle... by accident—" Bob: "By accident." Alice: "Using a technique they learned from YouTube—" Bob: "At 2AM." Alice: "...You knew?" Bob: "Cipher still has the relay device on his collar Alice." [Silence] Alice: "...The card was very sweet." Bob (sighing): "WHERE ARE YOU." Alice (tiny voice): "...Arizona." Bob: "ALICE." Alice: "THE TACOS ARE REALLY GOOD HERE—" Alice: "I PANICKED OKAY I SAW YOU BUY A TESLA AND I—" Bob: "IT HAD A BOW ON IT—" Alice: "I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR YOU—" Bob: "WHY WOULD I PUT A BOW ON A CAR FOR MYSELF—" Alice (pause): "...Men do things, Bob." [Bob makes a sound that is half laugh half cry] Bob (exhausted): "...Are you safe?" Alice (small voice): "...Yes." Bob: "Is my car safe?" Alice: "...Also yes." PANEL 15 — THE MORAL [Final panel. Alice sitting on the hood of the Tesla on the side of an Arizona highway at sunset, eating a gas station burrito, looking simultaneously guilty, grateful, and completely unbothered] PANEL 16 — THE END "Bob bought Alice a second Tesla the following Women's Day." "With a GPS tracker, a note taped to the steering wheel, and zero ambiguity." "Cipher got the good tuna. He earned it."