Chapter 6: In the Name of Faith
Year 3113 of the Celestial Era. In the center of the continent stood a colossal temple.
After the fall of the Starbestowed Nation, the Nation of Starlight chose to submit to Celestia. From then on, only one nation remained on the supercontinent:
The Celestial Empire.
The central temple of the Celestial Empire soared hundreds of meters high. To all who beheld it, it was nothing short of a divine miracle.
At the temple’s feet lay the imperial capital.
Cragpeak became the sole Emperor of the Celestial Empire. By his decree, the Celestial Church was founded to uphold the authority of the Star-Father, and the “Celestial Canon” was composed.
The prologue of the Celestial Canon read:
“At the dawn of time, beyond the heavens was a vast chaos. By His will and power, the Star-Father created the lands beyond the sky from the formless void.”
“The Star-Father created countless stars; each was His child, bearing His hope and dreams.”
“Among countless stars, the Star-Father chose one and bestowed it with life. This is our homeland!”
The Celestial Church began to spread among the people. Cragpeak himself became the first High Priest, adopting the surname “Star” and renaming himself Starpeak—a tradition followed by all High Priests thereafter.
Within the palace, Starpeak sat high upon the throne, his eyes closed in devout prayer.
Supreme power, a vast harem, boundless wealth—
To Starpeak, all of these were gifts from the Star-Father. The construction of the central temple was his way to show gratitude for such blessings.
Finishing his prayers, Starpeak opened his eyes and addressed his ministers: “Now that the central temple is complete, those eighty thousand former Starbestowed citizens are of no further use. They have blasphemed against the Star-Father—I wish to have them all executed, their bodies burned and cast into the sea.”
This pronouncement stirred heated debate among his court. One of Starpeak’s sons stepped forward to advise, “Father, these are eighty thousand people. To slaughter them all is a great waste. The rivers would run red with blood—wouldn’t that be too cruel?”
“Indeed! To massacre them all is too merciless…”
“They are criminals! They once served Thundercloud and now spread heretical words!”
The ministers argued, each holding firm to their view. None could persuade the others. Starpeak listened, his brow furrowing.
“No matter what you say, they must be eliminated, root and branch. Not only do they harbor discontent against the Star-Father, but of late, heretical faiths have begun to spread among them. To let them live is to court disaster!”
…
Elsewhere, the leaders of the former Starbestowed citizens and Thundercloud’s old followers, led by one called Thunderfire—a brother-in-arms of the late Thundercloud—were secretly spreading the doctrine of the New God. Even some soldiers of the Celestial Empire had been swayed, becoming devotees.
It was these corrupted soldiers who leaked Starpeak’s orders to the former Starbestowed citizens. Upon learning that they faced total slaughter, the group not only cursed Starpeak as inhuman but also hurled insults against the Star-Father.
“We must resist! Only resistance can bring us hope!”
“Yes! We are the children of the Heavenly Father. With His blessing, we shall find salvation!”
Thus, these so-called Children of the Heavenly Father quickly devised a plan of resistance. The bewitched soldiers conspired with them, coordinating an escape during a lapse in security. They slipped away from the Celestial Empire.
During their escape, the former Starbestowed citizens set fires throughout the capital, throwing the city into chaos. The night sky blazed with fire.
“Thank the Heavenly Father for our deliverance!!”
“Glory to the Heavenly Father! We are His children!”
The escapees cheered, and Thunderfire, now known as the Heavenly Father’s Emissary, turned to rally them.
“We must go west! Only there lies our true homeland, the land blessed by the Heavenly Father!”
In the aftermath, the imperial capital was a scene of turmoil. Starpeak ordered the arrest of the corrupted soldiers and had them all executed.
“Those damned criminals—over forty thousand have escaped! What were you doing? Even our own soldiers have defected and fled, and none of you noticed?!”
Furious, Starpeak berated his commanders, then ordered the pursuit and extermination of the escaped criminals—no survivors were to be left.
As the Celestial Empire hunted the former Starbestowed citizens, the fugitives sacrificed rearguards to slow their pursuers. When imperial supplies ran low, the last small group managed to escape.
Back in the capital, news of the New God reached Starpeak. After hearing the report, he slammed his fist on the throne.
“Blasphemers! These heretics!”
“There is only one true god in this world—the Star-Father! He created all things! Made humanity king among all the races! Granted us wisdom! Granted us civilization! Granted us language! Granted us everything!!”
“These blasphemers—what rubbish is this Heavenly Father? How dare they arrogantly worship a false god! Unforgivable!!”
Starpeak roared in wrath, then hurried to the central temple. Climbing the towering steps, he knelt before the statue of the Star-Father, prostrating himself as he wept bitterly.
“Great Star-Father! Under my rule, a false god has arisen! You have been insulted! This is an unforgivable sin! Star-Father, punish me!!!”
Starpeak lay on the ground, sobbing like a child until he was utterly drained. At last, his ministers arrived; together, they knelt before the Star-Father, repented, and gently helped Starpeak leave the temple.
“If this sin is mine, then let me atone for it with my own hands!”
“I, as Sovereign of the Celestial Empire and High Priest of the Celestial Church, command this: summon all our might and destroy the heretical followers!”
“In the Celestial Empire, any who worship false gods shall be executed and their bodies cast into the sea!”
Starpeak gathered his forces and launched an assault westward. His intentions were noble, but reality was cruel.
After thousands of years, the Star-Father’s appearance had become mere legend—a spiritual symbol for the people.
It was one thing to worship the Star-Father; to wage war for faith, risking life and limb, was quite another. Few had the stomach for such zeal.
Starpeak, impetuous and unprepared, rushed his campaign. The vanguard was routed in the west, suffering thousands of casualties and a devastating blow to morale.
…
Wounded, Starpeak dragged himself up the steps of the central temple, bowing at every tier.
Before the towering idol, he could no longer suppress the grief and anguish within his heart.
“Star-Father, You created humanity. You gave us wisdom and knowledge.
And so You must know… humanity is cunning and fickle, fallen and ignorant.
For their own sake, they have lost their devotion to You.
They are all sinners.”
As he spoke, tears of bitterness welled up in his eyes. He stared unblinking at the statue of the Star-Father, his gaze never wavering.
“I, Starpeak, swear by my faith—I will restore Your former glory and spread Your light across the world once more!”
Just as Starpeak rose to his feet, a sudden miracle occurred.
A portal of light opened in the starry sky. Its radiance, gentle yet brilliant, illuminated the entire continent.