Prologue
Take place in the Shape Of Darkness Universe.
In 1881, a man named Sebastian Evergreen changed a little town in the Britannia named Wiltham through his newfound entertainment service in a little studio he called ‘Joylingers’ studio. It is said to be the new source of children’s entertainment using colours that one could not imagine seeing on their Screensquare.
Using mascots and child-like figures called Joylings, he invested dream and happiness into the world through extreme stage attractions, exquisite merchandise, an all-time Screenshow broadcast, and even playgrounds for everyone. It’s not just a studio, it’s a home for children to wander and adult to release their stresses.
Yet deep within the studio lies a secret no eyes have seen but him. These mascots were not just a statue, as they seemed to be. Rather, they were living people who had been put into the show for a long time without the world knowing. They were alive, and their pain was plastered in glitter and gloss.
Children and adults disappeared every day from that studio, but nobody had ever batted an eye about it. But the souls there knew the horror of living as a pretender to who they shouldn’t be, waiting to capture more prey as their master requested. So many disappearances, so many deaths, but nobody has ever found out why.
Then suddenly, it went silent. The place has never been too quiet, but nobody knew why. It was just dead, where the joy was gone and happiness was done. But one man could not contain his curiousity when his daughter was missing for too long. That’s when his adventure unveils the true mystery of the place.
The inside was ravaged, with flesh piling on the ground, and creatures unknown to his sight. These beast-like monsters, who fed on the humans, were feral and unlike the Joyling he knew. Yet against all odds, he made it deeper until he discovered the truth behind the facility.
All the children and adults of those Joylings are hiding behind the darkness, fearing the day when the beast above them would tear them apart. They were far from free, as even they are more confined to be here with a beast above than without a human.
So the man helped them, guiding these innocent-looking faces to the surface, fending against the beast while he ensured that the world could see the truth about the studio. Of course, nobody could tell if he ever found his daughter or not. But at least he could save more than just one person.
After years of being confined (precisely six) within the studio, they finally gaze upon the sun and feel the freedom sweeping through their skin like a human. They are free, but not truly free. Humans were not too fond of their kind.
In the end, humans had to take matters into their own hands. But due to their very alienated appearance after six years without the old colours of Joylingers, the humans no longer recognise them and rather resent the one thing they adore—happiness.
The monarch of Britannia enforces a rehabilitation process for all these Joylings to return to their old life, providing them with all they need to return home as a human. Thus, an organisation called ‘Funtakers’ was set to coordinate all these creatures into a perfect human.
It had started only two months ago, but there are already enough clients to fulfil. These Joylings are meant to have their lost family, house and finances in the real world they have lost.
But nobody could guarantee that the humans would accept them so easily. Colours are no longer as bright as they used to be in Wiltham, and children had stopped watching on the Screensquare.
So here, the tale of every Joyling began from the underground once more, to an ascension where they face intolerance, new people, and new threats they have never faced before. And perhaps, they would also learn of a new truth.
Side Note:
While the premise of the story might taken a few sensitive topics, please note that this story does not pursue heavy criticism on classism, discrimination, and bigotry at the fullest. A few criticism is possible, but not for the entirety of the plot.
As this is made for the sake of passion for a concep, handling a sensitive topic could be risky for someone who haven't delved into the other idea of it. However, note that this doesn't mean two of those topics doesn't exist.
Better not to delve deep into this than to do so and risk yourself having to damage your passion for the sake of impressing those you can't handle.
