Gaining energy from draining your Happiness

In my world there is a villain who rules over the unhappy. In fact, we recently determined that he actually absorbs their happiness and uses it as energy to make himself stronger. This world does, in fact, have magic. Plenty of it. But what I want to know is can this be done without magic?

A few more details:

• The victims are humans. Their happiness, therefore, is like ours.
• The leech is humanoid. (human, alien, mutation.) Whatever works to make the answer work as long as they look mostly humanoid. (a spare tentacle is acceptable.)
• The leech species must be able to exist in isolation. In my world there is only one known leech, although it would be nice if others may exist in potential.
• The victim is not otherwise adversely effected. At least not significantly. They could still fight, if they can overcome the ennui of depression.
• The depression can take just about any form of what is commonly referred to by that term. The only requirement is that the depressed see the world as Dark.
• There is no constraint on range or area of effect but the bigger the better. (However I imagine contact would almost have to be needed.)

Is there any way this could be made plausible for a humanoid creature to obtain any sustenance from Happiness? Be it Dopamine or Serotonin or whatnot.

posted almost 6 years ago

AGirlHasNoName‭

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