Chapter 216: Chapter 216

"I'm sorry... you want to do WHAT?!" Osho stared at Belle with genuine shock, his eyes wide as he tried to make sense of what she just told him.

Seeing his reaction, the older girl giggled cutely.

"Oh, come on, even if I don't know exactly what's going on with you, I'm sure something of this magnitude isn't enough to elicit such a reaction." She said with glittering eyes, thoroughly amused by Osho's reaction.

"W-Well yeah... But that goes against everything we believe in!" He retorted quickly, and Belle just sighed.

"You say that while actively choosing not to practice any of the cult's doctrines to do your own thing." She said calmly.

"That's different!" Osho threw his hands up. "That's not the same as completely stopping the Ascension!"

Ascension. The source of thɪs content is novel⦿fire.net

The Cult of the Starry Skies believed in Ascension through the stars.

They believed that all things originated from the vast cosmos, and returning to it was the ultimate form of fulfillment.

As for the 9 stars, their goal was even greater, as they were all 'Reaching for the Stars', and the one who would succeed... well. That remained to be seen, but it was clear that it was a step above the normal Ascension sought after by the rest of the cult.

And yet... Belle, the oldest of the 9 stars, the person who has received the most teachings out of all of them and understands their doctrine on a deeper level than most, wanted to destroy the method to achieve that Ascension?

Osho took a deep breath before looking at her seriously.

"Belle, you realize that if you act out against the Cult in a genuine manner, they are not against removing you from the picture entirely, right?" He said darkly. Which was to say that the Cult didn't care if she was the first star. If she became an enemy, she would be eliminated.

"Perfectly aware. In fact, I'm more aware of this fact than you. I've seen how cruel the Cult can be to its own members, after all." She chuckled softly, and Osho's brows knit together in confusion.

She was right. Again, she's the oldest, so she has experienced the cruelty the church can dish out many times firsthand. She knew more than any of her 'siblings' the lengths the cult would be willing to go to just to achieve their goals.

She also knew how powerful the cult was. She understood that the Cult was deeply entrenched in all sorts of matters related to humanity. Top institutions, organizations, militaries, it was an invisible player that excelled at pulling strings from behind, and their influence was simply terrifying.

She should have understood this fact more than anyone else. So why....

"Why are you trying to do something so suicidal, then?" Osho asked, his fists clenching by his sides as he stared at her intensely.

Belle stared back at him for a few seconds, then sighed.

"What's your opinion of the Cult, Osho?" She suddenly asked, making Osho pause.

He frowned, but he knew she asked the question for a reason, so he still answered.

"... I think the vast majority of Cult members don't truly know what they are getting themselves into, and those who do are extremely biased." Hearing this, Belle nodded.

"That's correct. Especially when you remember that the majority of the cult's members are indoctrinated, having been taught from birth about everything," She leaned forward. "So why is it that weren't, the 9 stars, probably show the least amount of reverence towards our own doctrine?" This gave Osho a pause, and his frown deepened.

"The process of Reaching for the Stars requires more than devotion that was instilled in us from birth. The ones trying to do it can't simply believe it without looking at anything else. They need to be aware of other things. Other ideologies. They should question our doctrine, even if it is heretical for a normal member to think about. It's only after they do all of that and still find a genuine reason to stick with the cult that they have a more solid chance of ascending." He answered.

"That's what we are told," Belle nodded. "But what do YOU think is the real reason?" Hearing this, Osho scowled slightly.

"... Each star has a path they follow," Osho said slowly, his gaze becoming less heated as his expression became a bit more thoughtful. "But that's just it, isn't it? None of us actually know what those paths mean. We're all walking blind, and the Cult calls it divine guidance." He took a breath, and his gaze sharpened.

"The truth is, I don't think the cult is entirely clear on how Ascension works, either. We know that of every previous batch of stars, one ascended, achieving something beyond mortal comprehension, but there's never a pattern, and each time, the cult is simply trying to recreate the conditions to observe how it happened. That way, they can create a more consistent method." He scoffed. "They don't understand it. They replicate it. They take fragments of a successful story and call it doctrine." Belle's amusement faded away to reveal something more thoughtful, and Osho went on.

"The stars they create–us–aren't chosen because we're the same. We're chosen because we're different. They grab 9 opposing ideologies and personalities before yeeting them into the cosmos, hoping that one will reach further than the others. It's not faith. Just trails and errors caked up to look like destiny." He met her eyes again

"You said it yourself. We're allowed to question the doctrine. We're ENCOURAGED to doubt, to struggle, and to figure out our own way. That's because the cult doesn't actually care about HOW we ascend. Only that one of us does. And if the rest of us fall along the way, they pick up the pieces and turn them into lessons for the next batch of stars to study." His jaw tightened, then he let out a humorless laugh.

"They say it's enlightenment. But it just sounds like statistics to me."

When he finished, Belle stared at him for a few seconds, and then a slow smile appeared on her face.

"See? You get it. That's why I want to end it. Because if Ascension is nothing but a gamble, then we are all just a bunch of dice the cupt keeps throwing. Sacrificial lambs in the way of 'the truth.'" She shook her head.

"... Okay, fine, let's say I see your point. How would you even stop the ascension when we don't even know how it works? The only way I see it happening is by killing all the stars before they get a chance to... Wait." Osho's eyes narrowed, and Belle burst out laughing.

"Goodness no! I mean, that's certainly an option, but I'm not gonna off my siblings just to prevent something. Besides, even if i wanted to, the cult can always just cultivate another batch of stars. A temporary solution at best." She shook her head, and Osho let out a relieved sigh.

As much as he loved his sister. She was still the Celestial Star. Fighting her was ludicrous at best and downright suicidal at worst.

"Okay... but you just said it. That's a temporary solution, so how would you stop it when not even the cult truly knows how it works?" He asked, both curious and skeptical.

"It's a valid question," Belle admitted calmly. "And you're right to be skeptical. How would I stop something when the organization that has been researching how it worked for centuries doesn't know how it works either?" She crossed her legs and rested her cheeks on her palm.

"Truthfully? I don't know how to stop it... Yet. But I know where to start."

"Meaning?" Osho frowned.

"Meaning I've found something," She tilted her head. "Or something found me. Depends on your interpretation." Now that got his attention.

Belle leaned forward slightly, her casual demeanor taking a back seat.

"After extensive research through the cult's records, it turns out that the Ascension process is fuled by something calmed the 'Celestial Nexus'. It's the network that binds us stars together. It's the reason we can feel each other's presence even if the other is within another dimension or why rituals work the best when we are the ones doing it. However, the cult, the contemporary version anyway, doesn't realize that it wasn't created by them."

"Wasn't created...?" Osho blinked, surprise and doubt filling his eyes. He'd never heard of the Celestial Nexus before, not even in his past life. But something of such importance truly existed, and it wasn't even made by the cult...

"They discovered it, yes. But they didn't make it," Belle shook her head slowly. "Thsy just learned how to exploit it. Or they think they did. Anyway, it's how we can even exist with our unique abilities. The true source lies in something far older. Apparently, it's called the 'Architect's Lattice'. It's old. It predates the cult, the first generation of stars... heck, maybe even civilization itself."

Osho crossed his arms. "And I'm guessing you know where it is?"

"Nope," Belle admitted. "However, I've found evidence that it does exist. A fragment hidden within an obscure hidden realm somewhere on the planet." She paused and stared at him.

"If I can use this fragment to find the complete thing, or another fragment, at least, I could understand the way we Stars are connected, and if I'm right, I could disrupt the entire network, preventing the next cycle of Ascension before it can even begin." Hearing this, Osjo stared at her for a long moment.

"So you want to several the connection that binds all of us, and you aren't even sure if it'll work." He stated, and Belle grinned.

"You sounds just like Father." This made Osho rolled his eyes before he sighed.