“Afras Gyti”, Directly translated to “The Maple Trees Universe” in English, is a graphical novel project in collaboration between me, Maryam Bashi, and my younger brother Ahmadreza Bashi, who is currently living in Iran. I came up with the concept of the book when I was around 16 years old. I introduced my brother to the idea after I moved to Trondheim, Norway. And I asked him to collaborate with me in writing the book. It took us over a year to establish the storyline and worldbuilding of the universe that the book takes place in.
“Afras Gyti” or “گیتی افرا ” directly translated from Persian to “The Maple Trees Universe” unfolds within a mysterious realm called Gyti, a conscious universe reborn from the brink of extinction. Gyti's cosmic environment lingers as ghostly realms devoid of vitality. Notably, only a select few universes, sparked into consciousness triggered by different events that took place within them, exhibiting self-awareness.
Gyti, driven by an innate instinct for self-preservation, embarks on a tireless quest to restore life. However, these initial endeavors prove futile, as Gyti struggles with the inability to regenerate essential components like flora and trees. For a while, Gyti clung to mere threads of survival, stagnating without progress. Until a transformative event transpires one night, From a body of water, a human was born, serving as the vessel for the inception of a Sarv tree—a symbiotic entity that thrives by consuming its life force. This interplay between physical and spiritual energy sustains the tree's growth until the moment Sarv, the human host, is cast off, landing on the ground. Sarv, equipped with newfound knowledge about Gyti, challenges its intentions by deliberately setting their tree ablaze—an act insignificant to the emotionless Gyti.
Undeterred by Sarv's defiance, Gyti replicates the life-cycle process, now with a twist. Humans are used as vessels for trees, but Gyti eliminates any possibility of their survival by letting the tree feed on them until they are nothing but shells.
The narrative of this project pivots away from Sarv and centers Afra, born in a swamp thousands of years later. Afra nurtures an Afra tree (maple tree) from the swamp, miraculously surviving her tree. Like Sarv, Afra walks Gyti, exploring its mysteries and uncovering hers and the universe's purpose.
TO BE UPDATED WITH INFORMATION ON PUBLISHING