Hypothesis

This creeping beast shares its body with a bright-eyed boy so new inside his mind it dwells unfeeling unbeknownst by all but two everyday they hunt for freedom from this curse they cannot lift bound forever in this prison praying for a rift but no matter how much they've struggled no matter how they cry one can never become two despite how hard they try

Credit to Infernette! She's so SPARKLE and PERF


Hypothesis, of Locks and Incense
Sinless clutched his heart. "My body doesn't belong to just me anymore."

Hypothesis, or 'Thesis' - is the spirit that slumbers in Sinless, unbeknownst by all save the two who keep this tragic secret. Thesis is a spirit of locks and incense, with coloured smokes always billowing from gaped divides in its scales. The smoke smells of pine trees, a father never met, and halcyon days. The few times it has managed to surface from Sinless' mind its demeanor is usually one of strong irritation and confusion - after all, Thesis is a powerful spirit, and doesn't take kindly to dwelling in the body of a child so weak and sickly. Luckily, their bond was not one done by force - even if it was an accident - as such, neither have been adversely affected physical; moreover, any mutual benefit they would receive is also gone, due to their lack of cooperation. The two struggle and fight in desperation in the hopes of ripping apart their bond - an effort that has caused damage to both sides time and again, yet they still haven't given up on this futile impossibility. One can never become two, no matter how hard it tries.

Sinless' fingers quivered - he was a child that could hardly be called a man. A slight thing, just turned sixteen.

Playing with a science that he did not understand - the alchemy of blood.

A topic left unspoken by the general populous - some did not know it, some did not understand, but all who did feared it - and so did Sinless. But curiosity outweighs fear.

He inhaled sharply and held his breath - steady, be steady... he commanded himself. His fingers calmed enough for him to finish the elaborate glyph that lay before him - drawn in crisp blue blood that gushed from a wound on his hand. There. He wrapped a handkerchief around the wound and surveyed his work. In the center of the glyph, slumped clumsily on its side was a mess of metal and tubes - an automaton who would come to be known as 'Charlatan.' The blood glowed faintly - spirits are often attracted to fresh blood, and will sometimes follow its trail to the 'source' - so that they can possess and play with the body before it decays.

Sinless watched with baited breath - the glow trickled down the curves of blood, as if the spirit was mesmerized by the circles and loops.

Slowly, it followed the track Sinless had left for it.

Sinless clutched his hand into a fist, wincing as his fingers dug into the bandaged wound on his palm - too distracted to notice the drops that spilled onto the floor.

"Get inside - you're so close!"

And then the Automaton surged to life with a clatter of metal - all the blood circuitry in its body lighting up with an electrical snap.

Simultaneously, a sudden warmth made Sinless look in terror at his palm - the fresh blood on the handkerchief was shimmering. Sinless grabbed his wound, his body trembling.

"Don't--! Don't you ****ing dare!" He screamed, but he already knew he was too late - the warmth was traveling up his arm, before resting on his heart like a cage of hot metal.

All his nerves lit fire, and he felt his body being taken over. His eyes - normally a soft green -
flashed purple.

But he fought - body spasming, he clutched his mouth; nausea crashing against his stomach.
"Get out." He gasped. "Get out of me!"

The spirit relinquished control. Sinless clutched his knees, too weak to stand. How long am I safe? When will it try to control me again?

Sinless wiped away the spit trickling down his mouth. This couldn't have possibly gone worse.

A clunk startled him from his thoughts. The automaton was staring at him - bright green eyes that held more intelligence then Sinless would've thought possible.

It looked as though it had been scared by his outburst. Its limbs trembled uncertainly.

Sinless reached out to rest a hand on its cold metal head.

"Sorry... it's not you I'm mad at."

Sinless placed a hand against his heart - that feeling of a cage was still there. From now on, and for the rest of his life, Sinless wondered if he was going to feel this way.

Like he was locked up.

And the key never existed at all.