The Plague of Erebus

•Strengths -Extreme stealth They are incredibly difficult to detect. -Nighttime adaptation They see perfectly in partial darkness. -Inhuman agility They can: climb, hang, pass through tight spaces, move between vertical structures. -Patience They don't need to attack immediately. They can follow prey for hours. •Weaknesses -Physical fragility Unlike the Bastions: They have lighter bones, less muscle mass, and less resistance to heavy damage. A well-placed shot can destroy them. -Extreme sensitivity to intense light Powerful flashlights, flares or flashes: they disorient them, irritate their eyes, and alter their perception. -Fire His dry, thin body burns quickly. •Common variants “Climbers” even longer limbs, They live in high-rise buildings, They attack from rooftops. “Whisperers” They emit sounds similar to human voices, They imitate simple words, They attract curious survivors. “Holes” extremely thin, protruding ribs, capable of passing through narrow conduits. •Level of danger Individual: Very high. In darkness: Extreme. In groups: Almost impossible to survive. •Psychological impact The Bastions destroyed physical security. The Stalkers destroyed the dream. After his appearance: The survivors stopped sleeping peacefully, began sealing roofs and vents, avoided tunnels and tall buildings, and learned to fear silence. Because the real terror wasn't hearing something approaching. It was like not hearing absolutely anything… while something was already watching you from the darkness.

•The most disturbing detail The stillness. Stalkers can remain motionless for hours. Without visibly breathing. Without making a sound. Many survivors have recounted: looking into an empty room, looking away, and discovering seconds later that there was someone watching them from the ceiling. •Motion They don't run like the Runners. They move like predators. -How they move They crawl on walls, climb structures, creep silently, use limbs in unnatural ways, and can hang upside down. Its movements are: fast, fluid, silent, almost insectoid. Sometimes they seem to have too many joints. •Hunting method Stalkers rarely attack head-on. -Typical pattern They observe the victim, wait for isolation, shut down escape routes, and attack from blind spots. They prefer: darkness, enclosed spaces, large buildings, tired or injured victims. •Intelligence Here the virus shows something new. The Stalkers are not intelligent like humans… But they do possess: pattern recognition, spatial memory, tactical patience, and basic ambush capabilities. -Some seem to be: avoiding known traps, surrounding groups, cutting off escape routes, waiting for vulnerable moments. This leads many survivors to believe that Erebos is still evolving into something worse. •Sounds They almost never vocalize. And that makes them even more terrifying. -Characteristic sounds soft jaw clicks, minimal breathing, fingernails scraping surfaces, small bone creaks, wet movements between walls. Many victims never hear of one until the attack. •Stroke The Stalkers are fast… but precise. They are not looking to tear each other apart immediately. They seek to incapacitate. Frequent attack zones neck, tendons, back, legs, throat. They attack to: knock down, immobilize, infect quickly. Then they usually step back for a few seconds… and they let the victim panic.

The oldest survivors have one rule: “At night, cities no longer belong to humans.” The Shadow Stalkers are the most feared evolution of the Erebos. Not because they are the strongest. But because they are the first infected that truly seem designed to hunt humans efficiently. While the Runners attack with fury… and the Bastions destroy everything in their path… The Stalkers wait. They observe. They learn routes. And they attack when the victim believes they are safe. •Origin of the mutation This evolution appeared years after the collapse. Primarily in: tunnels, abandoned buildings, underground systems, cities without electricity, regions where the infected hunted in total darkness. The Erebos began to favor: stealth, sensory perception, energy saving, and quick and precise attacks. The slow infected died. The noisy ones were detected. The silent ones survived. •Physical appearance The Stalkers are profoundly unnatural. His appearance provokes immediate rejection even among other infected people. -Complexion extremely thin, bones visible under the skin, long and flexible arms, exaggeratedly long fingers, hunched back. They look like corpses stretched beyond human limits. -Fur The virus modifies their skin to camouflage them better. -Characteristics dark gray or wet black tone, dry and rough texture, almost translucent areas, visible black veins moving under the skin. The skin absorbs a lot of light. In the dim light they seem to partially disappear. •Face This is where the real horror begins. -Common traits huge eyes sensitive to light, fully dilated pupils, jaw too open, thin and numerous teeth, nose practically collapsed. Many Stalkers: lack lips, have skin stretched over the skull, and show minimal facial movements. They look like corpses watching from a dark corner.

•Psychological intimidation Many survivors panic when they see them approaching. And panic kills faster than the Bastion. •Weaknesses -Slowness Although they are strong, they are still relatively slow. Agile survivors can avoid them in open spaces. -Vulnerable joints Soft tissue areas still exist: neck, armpits, knees, jaw, eyes. The plates do not completely cover the entire body. -Fire and explosives Extreme heat can: crack the armor, cook internal tissues, immobilize them. Explosives work better than conventional weapons. -Structural fatigue Its own weight slowly destroys the body. Many Bastions: have deformed legs, collapsed bones, and internally torn muscles. But the virus continues to force them to move forward. •Common variants “Crushers” giant and disproportionate arms, They use brutal blows, extremely dangerous indoors. “Armored vehicles” almost complete plates on chest and back, slow even for a Bastion, hard to kill. “Carriers” bodies full of open wounds and infectious sacs, They expel contaminated blood when they are injured. •Level of danger Individual: Very high. In enclosed spaces: Catastrophic. In horde assaults: Military level. •Psychological impact The Runners taught humanity that they could be hunted. The Bastions taught something worse: That no shelter was truly safe. Gates. Walls. Barricades. Vehicles. Everything eventually breaks when a Bastion keeps hitting it for long enough. And the most terrifying thing… They never seem to get tired.

•Motion They are slow, but not clumsy. How they move with heavy steps, deliberate movements, constant swaying due to their weight, and deep, aggressive breathing. Each step produces: vibrations, bone creaking, dry thumps against the ground. Hearing one approaching in absolute silence is terrifying. Because it looks like a gigantic animal walking inside an empty building. •Behavior Living battering rams The Bastions don't pursue too much. They are advancing directly towards: noise, movement, barricades, human concentrations. Its biological function appears to be to pave the way for other infected people. •Instinctive intelligence They are more “primitive” mentally. But the virus compensates for that with monstrous persistence. -Common behaviors continuously pushing obstacles, using body weight to break down walls, unwittingly protecting hordes behind them, ignoring devastating injuries. Some even continue to progress after losing limbs. •Physical strength Here begins the real horror. A Bastion can: rip off weakened metal doors, break human bones with one blow, flip light vehicles, pierce deteriorated walls, crush people against surfaces. They don't attack quickly. But every impact is lethal. •Sounds They don't shout like the Runners. The Bastions are worse because they almost seem silent. -Characteristic sounds Deep, cavernous breathing, bones creaking under the skin, wet thumps of hardened flesh, heavy footsteps, deep, slow grunts. -When they get angry: their chest produces a vibrant roar similar to a flooded engine. •Strengths -Biological shielding They resist: knives, machetes, small pistols, blunt force trauma. Many bullets become trapped in the outer layers of hardened tissue. -Absurd resistance They can continue to move with: multiple fractures, partial fires, bullet impacts, destroyed organs. -Devastating force They are specialists in destroying shelters and defenses.

The soldiers gave them that name after discovering that small bullets barely stopped them. Other survivors call them: -Walls, -Tanks, -Mastodons, -Black Skins. But the most common nickname is simple: "Don't shoot if a Bastion comes. Just run." Because where one appears… someone usually dies. •Origin of the mutation The Erebos developed this evolution in environments where the infected suffered constant damage: war zones, bombed cities, military bases, frozen regions, places with food shortages. The virus understood something: speed wasn't always enough. I needed creatures capable of: absorb damage, breach defenses, break through barricades, survive long enough to approach. This is how the Bastions were born. •Physical appearance The Bastions are enormous. Not necessarily taller... but monstrously wide. -Complexion gigantic shoulders, deformed and overdeveloped torso, extremely heavy arms, neck almost non-existent, back arched due to muscle weight. They look like corpses inflated with concrete and rotten meat. -The skin Its most terrifying feature. The virus causes chaotic hyperregeneration of: scar tissue, keratin, calcium, hardened muscle fibers. That creates a kind of biological armor. -Aspect The skin: it turns dark gray or black, It has a texture similar to burnt leather, It is full of hardened plates, It has reddish cracks between the layers. In some Bastions: bone fragments protrude, deformed ribs pierce the skin, parts of the body appear mineralized. •Face They hardly look human. -Traits deformed jaw, small sunken eyes, skull partially covered by bony plates, broken and thick teeth, heavy and wet breathing. Many have: a destroyed eye, half face torn off, embedded shrapnel, scars from old gunshots. And yet they are still alive.

•Psychological impact The Voids were frightening. The Runners destroyed hope. Because they were the definitive proof that: -the barricades were not enough, -running wasn't enough, Hiding wasn't enough. After their appearance, humanity stopped thinking about reclaiming the world. And he simply began trying to survive one more day.

•Reaction to stimuli They are highly sensitive to: movement, light, noise, and the smell of fresh blood. Even small actions can attract them: a flashlight, a cough, a window breaking, hurried footsteps. •Group frenzy Herein lies the real danger. When several Runners detect prey: They compete against each other, increase their speed, push each other, and climb on top of each other. A stampede of Runners looks more like an animal attack than a zombie horde. •Strengths Extreme speed. They can easily catch up to and overtake an exhausted human. •Brutal physical endurance Even if they destroy muscles or suffer fractures, they continue to advance. •Unpredictable attacks They don't follow clean paths. They move chaotically. That makes them harder to shoot. •Intrusion capacity They can break: light doors, windows, weak barricades. •Weaknesses -Structural fragility Their bodies are overloaded. Muscles and bones suffer constant wear and tear. If a chase lasts too long: They begin to tear, lose coordination, and temporarily collapse. -Poor strategic resilience They are fast, but impulsive. They can easily fall into: traps, precipices, fires, dead ends. -Hearing sensitivity Loud explosions or high-pitched sounds can briefly disorient them. •Common variations “Reds” extremely visible veins, eyes completely bloodied, more aggressive, They usually die quickly from organ failure. “Wall-climber” longer limbs, worn nails, capable of climbing short surfaces. “Convulsive” erratic movements almost impossible to predict, They appear to suffer epileptic seizures while running. Hazard level Individual: High. Indoors: Extreme. In groups: Total massacre.

•The “Pulse” The name comes from a terrifying biological phenomenon. The virus completely altered: -adrenalin, -heart rate, -blood circulation. Their hearts beat absurdly fast. Nearby survivors can even hear: -irregular heartbeat, -violent heartbeats, -small, wet tapping sounds inside the chest. Sometimes the breast literally moves visibly under the skin. As if the heart wanted to break the ribs. •Motion This is where the real horror begins. •Speed They don't run like human athletes. They run like desperate animals. Its movements are: -erratic, -brutal, -explosives, -almost suicidal. They can: -climb low obstacles, -jump through windows, -to pass through weak doors, -to propel oneself using walls, -to pounce on victims. They don't care about breaking bones while chasing. And the virus continues to force the body to move even when injured. •Running style They do not maintain a constant speed. The Runners: They detect prey, remain motionless for a few seconds, begin to tremble violently, and unleash a sudden burst of speed. That pause beforehand generates a lot of fear. Because the survivors know what comes next. •Sounds They are much noisier than other variants. Before attacking -hyperventilated breathing, -rapid clicks, -vocal spasms, -audible heartbeats. During the chase -violent footsteps, -guttural screams, -bones crunching, -bumps against walls and objects. Many survive the first encounter… but they are traumatized by the sound. •Behavior Impulsive hunters They don't plan. They don't lurk too much. They detect. They pursue. They destroy. Their aggression is extreme even towards other infected people.

Veteran survivors say one phrase: “If you hear him running… it’s already too late.” Pulse Runners are the first major stable evolution of the Erebos virus. They represent the moment when the infection stops just reanimating bodies… and begins to optimize them for hunting. They are responsible for the fall of most human shelters during the early years of the apocalypse. Because humanity learned something terrifying too late: The infected were no longer slow. •Origin of the mutation The Erebos evolved this variant in dense urban areas: -cities, -subway stations, -hospitals, -highways congested. The slow infected died before reaching fast prey. So the virus began to favor certain bodies: -muscular, -light, -aggressive, -with a high adrenal response. The result was creatures built to hunt. •Physical appearance At first glance they still look like common infected people. But there are details that make it clear that something is wrong. •Complexion -thinner, -unnaturally marked muscles, -tendons protruding under the skin, -forward leaning posture like a predator ready to pounce. -The body seems permanently tense. As if they were seconds away from exploding while in motion. •Face Their faces are much more expressive and violent than those of a Void. Common traits -jaw constantly trembling, -teeth fractured from clenching too hard, -wide open and reddened eyes, -dark veins surrounding the neck and face, -bloody foam in the mouth. Many have: -torn lips, -broken nose, -open facial wounds. Not because they were attacked… but because their own muscles tear from the constant effort.

•Strengths Absurd resistance They feel neither pain nor fear. They can continue moving with: -broken fingers, -knives stuck in, -burns, -torn muscles. •Rapid infection A single bite doesn't always kill immediately. But even small amounts of infected blood can condemn someone. •Persistence They never get tired. A worn-out survivor eventually loses. They didn't. •Weaknesses Brain and spinal cord Destroying the brain, brainstem, and upper spine is the most effective way to neutralize them. •Fire The virus withstands physical trauma better than extreme temperatures. Burning them works… but it attracts more infected people. •Intense light and chaotic sound Erebos relies heavily on basic sensory reflexes. Strobe lights or extremely loud sounds can briefly disorient them. Although not for long. •Common physical variations Even the Voids show small mutations depending on the environment. “Swell up” inflamed bodies, skin full of dark fluids, slow but dangerous when they explode infected wounds. “Dry” extremely thin, quieter, They usually appear in desert areas or areas without food. “Broken” bodies deformed by poorly regenerated bones, They walk in an impossible way, Some use fractured limbs as unintentional weapons. •Level of danger Individual: Moderate. In enclosed spaces: High. In hordes: Catastrophic. •Psychological impact The Voids destroyed humanity not by force… but because they still look like people. They still use: -clothes, -backpacks, -uniforms, -jewelry, -photographs hanging from the neck. Some survivors recognize relatives among themselves. And that's usually worse than dying.

•Motion The Voids are not fast. But they're not your typical clumsy zombies either. How they move They walk dragging one foot slightly, They tilt their heads in an unnatural way, They react with sudden spasms, They can stumble and get up immediately, They attack with short bursts of extreme violence. When they detect prey: -the body tenses up, -the muscles contract violently, -breathing becomes erratic, -They begin to emit clicking or wet grunts. -And then they pounce. •Sounds The Voids rarely “moan” like classic zombies. The virus damages the lungs and throat, so they produce rawer, more organic sounds: wet breathing, teeth grinding, jaw clicking, low grunts, coughing up blood, small involuntary moans. In quiet places you can hear them before you see them. And that's worse. •Behavior Primary instinct: "to consume" They don't eat because of biological hunger. The virus forces the body to absorb: -proteins, -blood, -fluids, -living tissues. That's why they tear the victims apart even when they can't actually eat. •Residual intelligence They're not intelligent... but they're not completely animalistic either. They retain automatic memory remnants: Examples -they try to open doors, -they go up stairs, -surround simple obstacles, -specific sounds follow, -They react to lights, -They remember familiar routes. -An infected person who worked for years in a factory can still wander around it. -Someone who died in a hospital can remain near beds or medical corridors. •Group behavior Individually they are manageable. In groups they are devastating. The virus causes a phenomenon called: “Resonance Frenzy” When multiple Vacuums detect blood or noise: -they become more aggressive, -they ignore serious injuries, -they attract each other, -form chaotic stampedes. A quiet city can seem empty… until a single shot triggers hundreds of movements simultaneously.

That's what most survivors call them: -Empty, -Holes, -Asleep, -Eggshells. They are the most common state of the Erebos virus and represent about 80% of existing infected individuals. Although they are the "least evolved" form, they are still terrifying because they retain too many human traits. That makes it impossible to get used to seeing them. •Physical appearance At first glance they look like sick people… until you look at them for too long. General features -grayish or pale skin, -dark veins visible under the skin, -opaque eyes with extremely dilated pupils, -dry and chapped lips, -Partial hair loss, -broken and bloody nails, -open wounds that never heal properly. The virus keeps the body "functional", not healthy. That's why so many are infected: -they have visible bones, -torn muscles, -dislocated jaws, -fractured fingers, -pieces of skin hanging. And yet they keep moving. •The most disturbing detail The face. The Erebos destroys advanced parts of the brain, but does not completely eliminate: -emotional reflections, -facial muscle memory, -residual nerve impulses. That's why some infected people: -they cry blood, -they tremble, -they smile involuntarily, -whispering incomplete words, -They seem to recognize places or people for seconds. Sometimes they broadcast: "aid…" "hunger…" -names, -fragments of old conversations. Not because they are still conscious. But because the brain is rotting while it tries to function. That makes many survivors hesitate before killing them. And that doubt usually ends in a bite.

Phase 1 — Contagion -fever, -sensitivity to light, -dark veins, -irritability. Phase 2 — Mental Breakdown -paranoia, -violent attacks, -partial loss of language, -extreme hunger. Phase 3 — Conversion -brief clinical death, -reactivation, -progressive mutation.

Humanity lost the war. Large cities are vertical cemeteries. Governments exist only in isolated areas. The roads are littered with abandoned vehicles and dried-out corpses. The survivors live in: -fortified shelters, -tunnels, -sea platforms, -military bases destroyed, -isolated villages. Going out at night is almost suicidal. Because some mutations learned to hunt in the dark.

Some surviving scientists believe the virus is not mutating randomly. They believe that: -learn, -select, -evolves deliberately. As if trying to create the perfect predator. And the worst part: It appears to be connecting the infected to each other through biological impulses similar to an incomplete hive mind. They don't speak. But they react to each other. As if they shared a hunger.

The Erebos evolved extremely quickly. The virus absorbed useful characteristics from the host: -muscle mass, -aggressiveness, -endurance, -environmental adaptation. Each generation of infected was worse. After the first year, the first real mutations appeared: the ancestors of current Evolutions.

•Week 1 The authorities covered up the incident. They declared it a “chemical leak”. Some workers escaped from Blackridge before the military lockdown. -One of them took a train. -Another one boarded a plane. -One arrived at a hospital full of civilians. The virus was already out. •Week 3 Social media began to fill up with: -videos of attacks, -people convulsing, -moving corpses, -violent riots. Governments tried to censor everything. They failed. •Month 2 The big cities collapsed first. Because? Because the virus took advantage of: -population density, -overcrowded hospitals, -overcrowded shelters, -collective panic. The military discovered something terrifying: The infected did not die easily. Even with destroyed organs they continued to move as long as the brain and nervous system retained minimal activity.

The outbreak began inside an underground laboratory in an industrial city called Blackridge. An electrical failure caused: Automatic opening of containment barriers, failure of security systems, partial blackout in the complex. Elias attacked the staff. The infection spread in minutes. It wasn't just any bite: all it took was blood in open wounds, saliva, or bodily fluids. The newly turned infected still looked human, so many guards hesitated to shoot. That moment condemned the world.

Patient zero was a volunteer in clandestine clinical trials: Elias Varga, a former soldier with severe neurological damage. During the first 48 hours: -he regained his strength, -She stopped feeling pain, -their reflexes improved, -Her body temperature dropped drastically. Then it began to change. Initial symptoms: -eye hemorrhages, -extreme aggressiveness, -episodes of uncontrollable hunger, -Loss of speech, -Violent muscle spasms. Scientists tried to isolate it. There wasn't enough time.

The agent Erebus was a semi-living organism: -part virus, -part of a microscopic fungus, -part of an artificial parasitic structure. It did not attack the body like a normal disease. It slowly rewrote the nervous and muscular systems to keep the host alive at all costs. The human brain rejected the process. The mind died. The body continued to function.

Five years before the present of your story, a biochemical corporation called Helix Dominion was developing a secret program known as Project Erebos. Officially, they were seeking to create a “regenerative agent” capable of: -accelerate cellular healing -eliminate degenerative diseases -increase physical endurance in soldiers and extreme workers. The virus was not designed to kill. It was designed to adapt. That was the mistake.

The world never knew who the real culprit was. Some governments blamed terrorist groups. Pharmaceutical corporations spoke of a biological accident. Theories about military experiments, meteorites, or even ancient organisms released from the Arctic ice emerged online. The truth was buried under millions of corpses.