Astrid Encounters

Serialized Web Comic Concept

Under Construction

The following is an excerpt from an early draft of one of the "Astrid Encounters," an anthology webcomic series that we plan to release weekly on the Ad Astrium Twitter account. This serialized comic aims to build a rich and immersive world through meaningful storytelling, with a focus on sparking interest and engagement among readers. Each installment is set in a different time period, offering a unique perspective on the world of Ad Astrium.

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Astrid Encounter #XXXXXX

Year: 2072

Axel stood on the edge of a towering skyscraper, overlooking the bustling city below. Despite its vibrant appearance, the city was plagued by poverty and inequality. The neon lights and technological advancements coexisted with pollution and slums where the less fortunate struggled to survive. The central stargate was a symbol of the city's advanced technology and the vast divide between the rich and poor. As Axel gazed out into the night, he was consumed by sadness. Despite the love and support of those around him, he felt a deep emptiness that he couldn't escape. His once bright and hopeful future seemed now to be just a distant memory, lost in his grief. Just as he was about to take the final step, a child's voice interrupted his thoughts. Axel stumbled, but managed to catch himself just in time. He turned to see a young girl, no more than ten years old, looking up at him with curious eyes. "How did you get up here?" Axel asked, his voice filled with confusion. The girl simply smiled and shrugged. "I floated." "You floated? What does that mean?" "I mean I just floated." The girl demonstrated by waving her arms in a swimming motion and then her hair ignited into a magnificent teal-colored flame. The flame was soft and didn't look painful or harsh. The girl was also hovering a foot off the ground. "Like that," she said, returning to normal. "You're an Astrid!" Axel exclaimed. The consciousness of stars, Astrids manifesting for people was a rare yet widely known occurrence. "That's what they call me sometimes. But that's not exactly my name. Astrid is someone else." The girl's tummy rumbled loudly. "I'm guessing you're hungry. I didn't think Astrids even got hungry." "We sure do!" she said, her hair bursting into a bright blue flame. She floated off the edge, hovering above the abyss as if it were nothing. "Hey, mister, want to come grab a bite with me? There's a really good place to eat just down here." "A good place to eat? Here? I don't know about that. There isn't any nice place to eat near here, at least not in this part of town." "Sure there is! Come on!" The Astrid floated down, beckoning for Axel to follow. "Eh… What?" Axel asked. "Come on, mister! Just jump!" Axel hesitated, "I don't know what game you're playing, or if this is some sort of prank. But you do know jumping from this height would kill me, right?" "I promise you'll be okay, mister. Take a look." The Astrid floated down a few hundred meters, pointing to ripples in the air made visible by her glow. "Here, mister! Do you see it?" Axel looks closely and sees it. Ripples in the middle of the air, made visible by her glow. Almost like the surface of a moonlit pond or a translucent flag slowly waving in the wind. "You see it, mister?! Right here! You'll be okay!" Her tummy groans again, the abyss seemingly amplifying the echoes all the way back to Axel. He inspects the anomaly further and thinks, "It’s like the thing I walked through earlier. What is it? Is it some sort of rift in space?" Axel gulps. He takes a step back and frantically paces, mumbling to himself. "Am I really doing this? This is crazy." "Come on mister! I'm really hungry!" the Astrid exclaimed. "What do I have to lose, right?" Axel thought, bouncing on the balls of his feet twice to shake out his nerves. And with a determined smile, he ran forward and leapt off the edge of the skyscraper. As he fell, his confidence melted and he let out an uncontrollable scream, shutting his eyes tightly. But as he passed through the strange ripples in the air, he felt a shift in gravity, and suddenly he was falling upwards. He landed softly on the ground, a foot from where he had fallen. As Axel arrived in this strange new place, he found himself in a city with unrecognizable architecture. The sky was an amalgamation of colors he’s never seen with a vibrance he never thought was possible. He couldn't believe his eyes as he took in the sight of all manner of enigmatic and magical beings populating this new area. And despite being confused, Axel couldn't help but be amazed by their unique and mesmerizing forms. He turned to the young girl, Astrid, and asked, "What is this place?" Astrid smiled and replied, "This is the astral plane, a neat little place where celestial bodies come to rest." However, Axel's amazement soon turned to confusion as he realized that he was not like these astral beings. He was carbon-based, not astral. Astrid quickly explained that he couldn't stay here for long because of his nature, but that didn't diminish the sense of awe and wonder Axel felt as he took in his surroundings. "Lead the way, Astrid." Axel said with a sense of excitement and curiosity in his voice. “I told you. My name is not Astrid.” The girl smiled and corrected him. "But you can call me that if you want. Come on, let's go grab some food. You're gonna love it here!" She led the way and Axel followed, eager to explore the astral plane.

Art piece coming soon