The Silent Strain

In a near-future world, humanity faces an unprecedented threat: Nemo, a virus so sophisticated that it rewires its host's brain, rendering them incapable of rebellion, creativity, or independent thought. The virus does not kill; instead, it transforms its victims into docile, compliant members of society-a government's perfect dream of control.

The virus was initially released as a bioweapon under the guise of a cure for a deadly global pandemic. Marketed as humanity's salvation, the treatment rapidlybecame mandatory. Those who resisted were branded "Unmarked," outlaws hunted by drones and public enforcers. The remaining population became "Harmonized," a new class of citizens incapable of dreaming or questioning authority.

In this grim reality, the protagonist, Ava Clarke, a virologist haunted by the role her research played in developing Nemo, becomes the unlikely leader of a resistance group known as the Echoes. Hidden in underground networks, the Echoes are Unmarked survivors who preserve art, history, and forbidden knowledge in defiance of the system.

When Ava discovers an experimental counteragent that could reverse the effects of Nemo, she is forced to confront not only the government hunting her but also the ethical dilemma of her actions. Would undoing the virus restore free will-or shatter the fragile peace keeping the world from descending into chaos?