Future earth is the setting of the comic.
[FROM A TIME CAPSULE LEFT BEHIND BY ANTON]
The exact year is unknown… after a while, people stopped counting the passing of days.* It was seen as pointless, since the peak of human civilization had ended thousands of years ago. Humanity won’t last much longer, this is one thing we are certain of. After the 22nd century, international relations were more volatile than ever before. The 21st century and its violence were merely a catalyst; a warning sign for what was to come.
But no one listened, nor did they heed this warning.
The world as it was once known was destroyed by a near-century of nuclear devastation. Entire countries left uninhabited - and uninhabitable. Many species of plants and animals went extinct, and the technology man had prided himself in was destroyed.
They had described the next few centuries as a “neo-primitive” period. The small number of humans that had survived had nothing. There was no internet, no computers… to keep it simple, everyone basically lived like cavemen. It was like the world had reset itself. It was almost as if we were given a second chance.†
From my studies, no one knows how or why these people had survived. Their remains, when found, showed that these people were relatively healthy. They… somehow seemed to be immune to radiation and its effects on the body. But they survived - against all odds, and their children survived and built the world as we know it now. And those children discovered magic, a tool that has irrevocably changed the world for the better. That is all that matters.
As of now, the world seems to be analogous to the late 20th century (think the 1980s or 1990s). Archaeological digs at formerly irradiated zones uncovered a wealth of media and writings about the past, and from there we were able to recreate some of their past technology. It is not as advanced as it once was, and it may never be.
Finally, it has been said that humanity is entering a sort of “twilight” period. The world’s population was once recorded at 8 billion, but due to the devastation and horrors of nuclear war, the current population simply pales in comparison to such a daunting number. To put it frankly, people just… aren’t procreating and the birth rates have declined at an alarming rate. I am not an eschatologist, but I do believe that humans - as a species - may very well disappear by the turn of the next century. And likely by our own volition.
*This is hyperbole. It’s actually most likely around 3031. I apologize for my melodramatics :-) This could also be wrong, as some people actually hypothesize the year could be very well around 8031. I don't like to argue with people over this, so just take my word for everything.
†Personally, I do not believe in a higher power, but many organized religions have claimed that this “second chance” was given by God. They have also used this as fodder for attempts to convert those who are areligious.