With a determined stride, Felix left the corner of the town that he had restored, and ventured deeper into the silent town. The streets lay heavy and still under thick, grey snow, as if the weight of the cold had pressed all life and color out of them. The deer woman had told him that this factory - the one that she blamed for her lack of business, and maybe even the curse itself - was here somewhere. Yet every building he came across looked the same; just as small, just as sweet as the toy store he encountered before. Until he noticed an animatronic sitting on display in front of one of the storefronts.

Felix approached the animatronic's cheery face and followed its wires until he found where it was being powered from. He plugged in another set of holiday lights into the socket beneath it, then went back to hold the lights up to the robot. After a moment, the light began to grow, restoring color to the display, and when it was fully restored, it slowly began to move. Back and forth, its arm waved, and Felix let out a a shudder as it faintly said the words, "Happy Days! Where happiness is made!" As it spoke, his eyes drifted to the peeling sign on the glass front doors, which read, 'Happy Days Factory: Creator of the Happiest Toy on Earth'. It certainly felt on-the-nose that a place that claimed to be so cheerful would be the cause of everyone's misery.
He took the time to string up lights across the whole front of the factory, and watched as its grey walls turned into baby blue paint instead. And then, with a surge of determination, he made his way inside. 

The factory floor was vast and strangely quiet, broken only by the faint hum of idle machines and the occasional clank of metal in the shadows. On the assembly lines sat rows upon rows of identical, light-up toys—talking dolls, handheld video game consoles, and intricate action figures—all carefully lined up, waiting to be boxed and shipped. There were a few dozen people all hunched over assembly lines, though as color was restored to their bodies in one large wave, they all straightened themselves out and looked around, scratching their heads and murmuring. They all looked exhausted, like it had been ages since somebody had snapped them out of their slump. Felix wandered across the assembly line, then he jumped when it appeared as if one of the toys had started talking to him.

"...You were the one who brought the color back?" He asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

Felix turned to him with shock. Apparently, one of the toys on the conveyor line was actually a small person, with colors in similar pastel hues to the toys. “I’m trying to understand why everything’s so grey. I heard that nobody’s visiting the little shops in town, like the toy store, and it caused everything to lose its color. Did something happen here?”

"Oh, well, I'm sure." The man scoffed, looking past him at his coworkers. "This factory used to be a dozen small shops. But they were all bought, and turned into 'Happy Days'. Its name implied that it was meant to make people happier, and well... maybe some kid out there is happy to see their brand new electronic toy. But people used to gather at the little shops, share a laugh, maybe some cider. But the factory changed all that. Now 'happiness' gets made on an assembly line,” he added bitterly, gesturing to the rows of lifeless toys.

Felix looked around, feeling the weight of the man’s words. The toys were bright and polished, yet they didn't have the same charm that the toy store did. “Doesn’t anyone feel happy making all these toys?” he asked.

"It's just about numbers, to our boss. People come in before sunrise, leave well after dark. No one has time for the old holiday spirit. Everyone’s so tired that even the littlest joys have been forgotten. And with it, something terrible has crept into the town.”

Felix felt a shiver. “Something terrible?”

"For the past few days, none of us have been able to move a muscle. But we could still see. At one point, a giant, pitch black monster found its way into our store. Even in my state, I could feel the negativity that radiated off of it in waves. It was probably attracted to this place for that very reason."

Felix’s heart sank, but he clenched his fists with determination. “If I bring color and joy back to the town, maybe that monster will weaken. I don’t think the answer is here, though.” He hesitated, remembering the woman at the toy shop. “Is there somewhere people used to gather? Somewhere they used to celebrate together?”

The man’s face softened, a faint glimmer of hope in his tired eyes. “The old market square. It was the heart of the town, once upon a time. Every December, people would decorate it, light candles, and share holiday treats. But no one organized it this year, and so it's been bare.”

Felix nodded. “Thank you. I’ll bring the color back to the square—and remind everyone what the holidays are supposed to feel like.”

With a grateful nod from the man, Felix turned back toward the cold streets, his bundle of lights glowing warmly in his hand. He had a mission: to reignite the joy of the season and drive this monster from the town once and for all.