Synthetic Sunshine

Two days before the great escape, an unexpected visitor arrived at King Peppy's door.

The air was thick with unease as the old Bergen Chef, draped in shadow and malice, presented the Troll King with a small glass bottle. Inside, the pills shimmered faintly, like captured starlight. With a sly smile, Chef promised they possessed a wondrous power-the ability to make a troll truly happy.

King Peppy turned the bottle in his hands long after she'd gone, the promise echoing in his mind. Happiness in a pill? It sounded too strange, too simple. Yet curiosity-tinged with a quiet hope-gnawed at him.

He thought of Branch then. The young troll's colors had faded to gray only an day ago, his heart dimmed by the loss of his grandmother. If anyone needed a glimpse of joy again, it was him. Perhaps this mysterious gift could bring it back.
And so, the King made his decision. Branch would be the first one to take the "miracle".