In the walled metropolis of Sector 7, also known as The Joy State, survival comes at a price: total obedience. To keep the post-war population docile, the authoritarian military regime distributes Sola—a daily blue pill disguised as a harmless health vitamin. In truth, Sola is an emotion-suppressing drug designed to strip citizens of empathy, grief, and anger, turning them into harmless, uncomplaining labor. Chloe Vance knows the truth after discovering a classified document revealing the regime's policy of "permanently removing" citizens who display dangerous feelings. She finds an ally in Cale Montaigne—a quiet, stoic ex-military rebel who has been secretly stalking her from the shadows. Acting on an impulsive need to protect her, he rescues her from the dark secrets of The Joy State.