Far Cry 5: The Panther

The Bliss of Faith

When Luke first felt some semblance of awareness, all he could see was green fog. Having no clue where he was, he was strangely at peace with himself. As he peacefully walked through the green tinted landscape, he slowly took notice of the blue butterflies that landed on his finger.

Suddenly a girl came into his view, blowing more green smoke into his face.

"Welcome to the bliss." she said. When his vision cleared, he was sitting on the ground, and across from him was a young woman with a white dress, with flowers on her waist and the bottom of her dress, her feet were completely bare. She took a moment to speak to him.

"I know you've heard stories about me, that i'm a liar, a manipulator. That i poison people's minds..."

Before he realized what was happening, she was leading him by his hand. The feeling of his rough hands against her own smooth ones gave him a strange comforting feeling. He looked up, and was captured in her hazel eyes.

"Well, let me tell you a different story." She turned around, now facing away from him she began to walk. As she ran her hands atop of a few wildflowers, Luke felt compelled to do the same. Suddenly she turned back to him and knelt, taking him with her.

"A true story." There was a long pause between them, and it only renewed when she slowly lifted her head. "There once was a young woman who had been ostracized by her community. Bullied by friends. Abused by her family."

The more she spoke, the more he hurt. He felt for the woman in the story. He empathized with the woman in front of her. It was then that he realized who he spoke to.

Faith. Seed. 

The younger sister of the Seed family. She used her drug 'Bliss', to force the people under its influence to listen to her.  The Sheriff warned him about her. She could use her words almost to the same degree as John. But unlike him, she used her life story to guilt people into listening to her. Made them sad and feel sorry for her. That was how she sank her hooks into people .But, at this moment, he could't care about that.

The woman who sat before him has had a rough past like himself. His Mother passed away at birth. From a young age he too had been abused. His Father would beat on him when the day just didn't go his way. His Step-Mother would hit him with anything she could when she got angry. That was how the first eight years of his life went. To most people it seemed like he had a nice childhood. That was until the Sheriff stepped in. The Sheriff had known the family for years. Unfortunately they hid the fact that he was abused all too well. When Whitehorse came to borrow something one day, he had seen his father hit him. That was the truth. The story that the Sheriff told everyone was a lie to keep the memories from coming back to hurt Luke.

Finally taken from the place he once called home, he grew. He learned. And he became happier. That was until his first heartbreak.  The then seventeen year old Luke turned to alcohol to help him after his then girlfriend cheated on him. He got into fights, and went from being a good kid to a delinquent. Finally having enough he decided to join the military. When he returned home he was a new man.

He was once again happy with himself. Gaining his current job as a Park Ranger, he settled down and got married. A year and a half later, his twin daughters were born. Things were going good for him. Until he decided to drive home after having a beer at a friends house. His wife and kids were in the car, and they didn't survive the crash. He lived, and he felt it was his punishment for what he had done. So he lived for them, but her. She took her suffering and used it as a way to help people.

"She took to a needle for help. She was all alone. She was all alone. She wanted to die." again a moment of silence sat between the two. A tear fell down his cheek. He wanted nothing more that to comfort the woman at that moment. To make sure nothing would hurt her again.

"And then she met the Father." She giggled and stood, bringing Luke with her again. He felt like he had no control, nor did he want to. She ran pulling him with her. When they stopped, the statue of Joseph sat in the distance.

"He gave her hope, and confidence. The Father showed her how special she was..." she let go of his hand and spun in a circle, she seemed overjoyed and that happiness poured into his own heart.

"... That she was full of love and life. He gave her a new family. One that accepted her just as she was." She stepped forward and caressed the side of his face with the side of her hand, when it fell away he felt himself long for the feeling to return.

"The young woman no longer wished to die. She had been given purpose." They sped through the fog towards the foot of the large statue. When they stopped, the concrete statue loomed over them, the book, hovering just above them.

"One day, The Father brought her here. He asked if she had faith in him. He asked if she would be willing to die for him." She once again spun as she walked a little away from the statue. Him not wanting to leave her, followed suit.

"The young woman, who very much wished to live, was scared. The Father told her that this was her test." It was only then that he realized another figure stood deeper in the fog. He could not tell who it was, but the silhouette gave him a sense of comfort.

"He would have Faith in her if she had faith in him. So she closed her eyes, and leapt." She jumped into the fog disappearing from sight. The fog around the figure vanished, and it revealed it was Joseph. He was reading from a white book. When he came completely into view, he closed the book. A giggle could be heard from all around Luke. Faith's voice could be heard from all around him.

"The Father kept his word."  Her voice faded, leaving Just Luke and Joseph. The older man approached the twenty-six-year-old.

"When i look into your eyes, all i can see is pain. The pain of loss, the pain of grief, and the pain, of regret." The words Joseph spoke reverberated in his head. They brought back memories he much rather would have kept locked away.

"The one you look up to. No matter how much he may say that lying about your past will help you, you must face the pain so that you may grow. Do not let those who wish to lie to you, lead you from the path." Joseph took Luke's face in his hands, and rested his forehead against his. In that instance, Luke could not have been more content with life. Joseph placed the white book in Luke's bag, and stepped back.

"Do not stray from your path, I will see you soon, Panther." And with that, the world around Luke, faded to white.