Festivale

In the dazzling city of Festivale, where confetti swirls in an eternal artificial breeze and the melodies of carnival music never cease, happiness isn't a choice—it's the law.  Beneath the vibrant façade of enforced joy, 22-year-old seamstress Rialta Greve stitches elaborate costumes, each sequin and feather a testament to the city’s obsession with outward appearances. But Rialta sees the exhaustion behind the masks, the despair in eyes that have long forgotten how to truly smile. The endless music, meant to uplift, becomes a cacophony, a constant reminder of Festivale’s gilded cage.
One night, amidst the swirling chaos of a masked ball, Rialta encounters Garrett, a shunned historian who speaks of a time before the eternal carnival, a time when the city knew true emotion.  His words ignite a spark of defiance within her.  Driven by a yearning for authenticity, Rialta embarks on a perilous quest, uncovering a hidden network of dissenters: Melinda, a former tightrope walker crippled by the carnival’s dark underbelly, and Joe, a jaded fireworks maker whose pyrotechnics send coded messages of rebellion into the night sky.
Together, they delve into Festivale's hidden history, uncovering the Joykeepers, masked enforcers of perpetual happiness, and the Ethereals, the secretive council who orchestrated the eternal carnival to protect the city from a nameless threat. But as Rialta gets closer to the truth, she realizes the greatest danger isn't the absence of joy, but the suppression of all other emotions. The carnival, a symbol of freedom, becomes a tool of control.
Haunted by the memory of a friend lost to the manufactured euphoria, Rialta and her allies sow seeds of dissent, challenging the status quo.  Their rebellion culminates during the Grand Parade, the pinnacle of Festivale’s annual celebration.  As the city revels in false joy, they orchestrate a daring act of defiance, exposing the Ethereals' manipulation and shattering the façade of happiness.  The city erupts, a raw outpouring of pent-up emotion replacing the enforced gaiety. 
In the aftermath, Festivale faces an uncertain future, a silence that feels liberating. Rialta, no longer crafting disguises, becomes a symbol of the city’s newfound freedom, a testament to the truth that authentic happiness isn't enforced, but chosen. Will Festivale embrace the full spectrum of human emotion, or will it succumb to another form of control?  Discover the answer in this captivating tale of rebellion, resilience, and the pursuit of true joy.