It started with a virus. The first who got it lived in a tiny rural town named Jaeol way out in the middle of nowhere. The symptoms resembled that of a bad cold, then turned flu-like if not treated. At first, only those with compromised immune systems, the very old or very young, died. The doctors thought it was just a simple flu virus and it seemed to disappear entirely within a few weeks.

Then it hit again hard. The healthy started dying and more and more people were getting sicker everyday. Scared that the virus would migrate to the larger cities, such as Adaly or Thaeten, Ryawian authorities quarantined Jaeol, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the city.

However, the quarantine was too late. The virus then hit a town named Scim, which was considerably bigger than Jaeol, but smaller than Adaly or Thaeten. Again, the cold and flu-like symptoms appeared and only the weak died. Before any chances were taken, Ryawian officials quarantined Scim, too.

But the virus got out. It spread in all directions and the officials couldn't keep up or predict where the virus would land next. Everyone started wearing doctor's masks and gloves, keeping to themselves inside locked and boarded up houses. Everything was put through a rigorous sterilizing system before being handed to to the nervous public.

Scientists and doctors worked together to find the cause of the virus, which they named the Mymaral. However, the teams could never find a cause or the way the virus transported itself. Then, one day, rats were found dead in the streets, the first documented unknown animal deaths since the Mymaral broke out. The teams tested these rats to see if they died from the virus.

They did.

The teams sent out a notice to the public to avoid rats at all costs. Ryawian officials sent out exterminators to kill all the rats. After the rats had all been killed off, people began to feel a little less nervous. They still wore their masks and gloves, but people started coming out of their houses again. Food and items stopped being sterilized.

But it wasn't the rats.

People began to fall sick again and fear crept back into peoples' hearts. The streets became lonely and factories shut down. The scientists and doctors once again teamed together to see if they had missed anything when they tested the rats. However, all traces of the Mymaral virus had vanished from the rats and there were no more live rats to test.

The teams turned to other animal species, testing all kinds of animals to see if any held the key to this mysterious virus. However, all animals seemed immune to the Mymaral. With no leads to how the virus started, how it moved, how it infected people, and how to cure it, the teams let out this discouraging news to the public, warning them to stay inside and avoid others at all costs.

The teams worked for five long years to try to discover a cure. By that time, many people had died and many more were getting restless. Talk of stir-crazy people rumbled around town and rumors of secret Underground rebellions ran rampant.

The people were getting tired of dying while the teams worked to find a cure. Rumors were spread that the Ryawian government had found a cure, but was only using it for the government, keeping it a secret from the public. Riots broke out as angry people burst from their homes and marched on the Ryaw Official Halls, demanding that they be given the cure. When it was said that a cure had still not been found, people grew angrier and the streets grew meaner.

The all ready run-down buildings and cracked streets were no match for the huge mob, who tipped over rusting cars and broke stained store windows. The smaller buildings were destroyed by smaller gangs with hammers and rocks while the taller buildings and stores were raided for anything that might be of the use.

The virus seemed to have disappeared, as no one was getting sick any longer. Ryaw's population had been decimated, with only the strongest still alive.

Years passed and Ryaw stayed in the same disrepair. Few children were born and children all ready alive became orphans, scavenging buildings and raiding stores for anything useful.

The Ryawian government helped bring back a little of the Old World, by creating newer technology, such as the police Wingdarts, Helicopter-like motorcycles that were either operated by a person or a computer program. Powerful computers made their way into the world, but were rare.

And there is stayed, the picture of a post Apocalypse world where no one cares enough to change it. The sky remained a brown muggy color and the sun refused to shine. Rain dominated most of the weather, but thankfully, winter seemed to have ceased to exist.

The virus never came back, but people are always on the lookout for the signs of the Mymaral virus and doctors masks are carried everywhere.