Ryoko

The year is 2027, and the world is reeling from the aftermath of a crippling global pandemic. Societies that once thrived are shadows of their former selves, their infrastructures fragile and populations weary. Amid this backdrop of vulnerability, a new threat emerges—Strand-1559, a mutated strain of rabies, unlike anything humanity has ever faced. The virus spreads with terrifying speed. What begins as isolated outbreaks quickly turns into a worldwide catastrophe. Within months, entire cities fall as the infected overwhelm defenses. Governments struggle to respond, implementing quarantines and martial law, but their efforts are no match for the relentless mutation of the virus. The infected, called Runners, lose all sense of humanity within hours of exposure. They are fast, strong, and unrelenting, driven by a primal urge to spread the infection. Unlike zombies of legend, they do not consume their victims but instead lash out with feral aggression, biting and scratching to transmit the disease. Packs of Runners roam cities and wilderness alike, their inhuman shrieks echoing through the ruins of civilization. By the end of the year, the western world has collapsed. Governments disband, their leaders dead or fled. Survivors retreat to isolated strongholds or scatter into the wilderness, but safety is fleeting. Airborne strains of the virus begin to appear, forcing those left alive to wear gas masks in high-risk areas. The world is silent but for the constant screams of the infected. It is no longer a question of saving society—it is a fight for individual survival in a world spiraling into darkness.