In one of his past lives in the old world, he came from where religion had a massive influence over humanity, Liatart, as an ordinary man who worked to support his family and his newborn child, with his in-laws' help look after his wife.
In a town with a population of 1000 people, Liatart is pretty well known and has built a very close, best friend-like relationship with the town people, and the family he married into has a good and friendly reputation with this small part of the town.
Liatart: I'm heading to work
Fiona: Already be home, our kid is waiting
Liatart: I'll be sure to come back early
Liatart walked and talked with some locals that he knew. They talked about his name, and some even grabbed his arm for some light conversation.
Liatart asks them kindly as he hurries to work,
Liatart started working, then a new manager who had recently been hired to lead them asked Liatart to help lift a very heavy piece of equipment.
The Manager: Hey, you, Liatart, right?
Liatart: I am
The Manager: We have equipment that needs to be moved into the warehouse. Everyone said you are the strongest here,
Liatart: Yes, I can
With just him to help, they managed to move the equipment a lot faster.
The Manager: You really are stronger. With that kind of strength, you should pursue a more successful career, instead of being a knight or a captain.
Liatart: No, do it, I will have to leave my family for a long time, I am fine as I am
The Manager looks at him, then as the sun set, everyone tried to prevent Liatart from going home by try to make him to come and drink with them, but Liatart kept insisting that he had to return.
Once he reached the house, Liatart noticed that there were a few unfamiliar marks on the door.
Liatart walks in, and he sees Fiona look tense, almost as if something stressful has just happened. He also noticed that the chair that no one sat in before is now facing where she is currently sitting.
He asks her
Liatart: Did somebody come to visit us while I was at work
Fiona closed her eyes, but didn't look at Liatart.
Fiona: No, it's just that I don't feel very well today,
Liatart: You should rest. I'll go boil some hot water.
As he was preparing food and getting some water, Liatart noticed that there was a group of people sneaking around his house in the dark forest,
Liatart: Who are you, people? What are you doing around here? (Shouting)
None of them responds, then they just walk away as if nothing happened. Liatart felt this uneasy feeling hit him, he walk back to his wife as she try to get the newborn to sleep.
Tomorrow morning, again after work, everyone tries what they can to get Liatart to drink as long as possible. Or try to invite him somewhere to waste some time, but refuse it all and get home as fast as he can once he gets back nothing, everything is fine.
Liatart: Fiona, I think we should move out of town,
Fiona: Why?
Liatart: I just think we might be better off going somewhere more peaceful
Fiona hugs Liatart and tries to comfort him.
Fiona: Hmmm, You Just tire, that's all. You don't need to worry too much; it's just your mind trying to overwork you.
Hearing her say that put him at ease after that night, he went to work like usual with everyone.
Then nighttime came, they asked him again to come and join them for a drink, this time Liatart tried to forget what bothered him, and agreed to join them.
Everyone handed him a bunch of beer and encouraged him to drink more and more.
Malis: Liatart here drinks more,
Liatart: I'm gonna get drunk for real, if drank too much
Horn: His wife is gonna kill if he can't return home today, (Laughing)
Lan: Speaking about women, I remember there was this beautiful woman that pass our town the other, Man, I wish my wife were like her
Malis: Is that right? Don't worry, I'll get a free coffin for you tomorrow, (Laughing)
Lan: Are you supposed to be my good friend
Liatart: Come, I'll chuch this whole cup
Once his lift up the cup, everyone laughed, encouraging him to do it. Then, suddenly, the crystal necklace that he shared with his wife shattered.
Liatart went silent as he looked at the shattered crystal in his palm, then everyone asked him, "What's wrong?" Liatart looks at Malis, he closes his eye with this sharp pain in his chest as his eye tears up
Liatart: Malis? How long have we known each other
Malis and everyone, face relax from a light-hearted and laughter kind of enviroment turn into an intense sutiuation. Malis looks at Liatart back with a serious face and replies
Malis: Why you, we've known everyone for 10 years now, you're my best friend
Liatart can feel the sharp pain hit his chest even deeper.
Liatart: Why?
Malis: We live in a cruel world, a world that we need death to keep others. We have lost too much; barely anyone in town has a close relative anymore, but you do. We only did it to survive
Just like me, all of my uncles, aunts, parents, and grand parent they gone before I was 1 year old; if it weren't for my adopted mother, I would have been eaten by that monster already
Liatart: Malis (Shouting Intently)
Liatart grabs Malis's throat and crushes his head with his fist,
Everyone: Grab him (Shouting)
They push him to the ground and try to stop him by trying to grab his arm and leg tightly; it takes 5 men with full muscle to stop Liatart.
Then Liatart broke free. He beat everyone by breaking their arm and legs and beating many of them senseless.
Liatart: Oh God, please please be safe, Fiona, My Son
Sobbing as he ran with bare feet and begging god to protect them, once he returned home late at night, he slammed the door intently, and he saw the house had been ransacked by a bunch of people, and a trail of red stain was going outside of the house.
They already take her and her grandparents to the mountain and offer the entire family to their so-called God, an unseemly being that offers them rain and dry season more often by offering a generational sacrifice.
They even hire a strong warrior to kidnap the relative from another town and gather the entire bloodline in place as an offer.