The Stonehearted Knight-Chapter 443: A soul’s struggle

’How is this happening?’ Hex tried his best to maintain control but his body reacted according to the will of his Dragon Bear Soul.

It wasn’t like he was losing consciousness or that his thoughts were suppressed. No, he was there. Aware of each and every thing.

The pain of his body enlarging sent waves of pain through his mind with no way to vent.

He couldn’t dig his fingers into his palms. Aside from the lack of control he had, they weren’t fingers anymore. They were turning into paws with claws, tearing his flesh apart.

He couldn’t control his heartbeat either. It pumped at a rapid pace. It slammed against his ribcage. Like a caged wild beast, desiring to pierce through it and devour the world itself.

He roared. That was the only way he could disperse the several emotions whirling inside him.

The pain wasn’t the only thing messing him up. There was also confusion. How? How was this happening? And how could he stop it?

His treasured heart, something which every one would desire, worked as it always had done. Refining energy and strengthening him without risks. Only now he started to realize that not all risks were life-threatening.

Despite the pain, confusion, and if he was honest, a little bit of panic, his mind worked as usual. With more urgency. But without being clouded by any of these overwhelming emotions.

’I don’t sense as if my life itself is being affected. If I am honest, I have never sensed such a strong force before.’ Hex analyzed the effects of the transformation. He was now a hundred meters large bear with immense vitality and strength. But no control.

’Wait. Has the space changed?’ Now that the transformation was completed and the pain decreased, he had time to observe his surroundings.

The space had grown. It was large enough to keep him inside. At the same time, the space constricted his movement. Good too. For the Soul wished to break free. The Space fractured and splintered but recovered at a blinding rate. It prevented him to truly break free.

’The owner!’ Hex knew immediately who made such changes. It filled him with joy and hope.

Yes, the owner. He was still there. And with Him there, finding a solution to this unwanted change might just be possible.

"Can you hear me?" That wasn’t the owner. Hex tried to sense the presence. A devilish presence stood toward the front.

The bear thrashed around, trying to break free. With zero muscle control, Hex couldn’t use its eyes to take a proper look. But the voice and the presence reminded him of the other being who had also been there with him. The white rabbit.

"I believe you have lost your muscle control but try to affect the space around you. That should still be doable." The white rabbit instructed before adding, "hopefully", in a far lower tone to it.

Ignoring the possible risk implied by the tone, Hex focused on controlling the space element. Without his body to guide him, it became far more difficult to do even the simplest of tasks.

He sensed the space element and the fabric of space woven into the creation of the room he was in. That part worked without a hitch. Controlling it, though?

It felt like he was an ant trying to move a mountain. He pushed and pushed. It didn’t move. Not even a little bit.

’Fuck. This is hard.’ Hex tried to control his emotions but sometimes expletives slipped out.

"Try to move a single strand. Refine your control," he heard the white rabbit say.

Indeed. An ant can’t move a mountain. But it might be able to push a little grain. Someone like the owner would detect such a minor change too.

He focussed once more. This time he tried to detect loose strands or thin layers. It took a few minutes or a few hours – he couldn’t sense Time well – but he finally found a string.

He clung to it and tried to pull it. After great effort, it moved. Barely, yet enough.

"Excellent." Like he suspected, the owner detected the change immediately. The white rabbit continued to instruct. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Keep your focus on the control over the elements you are capable of controlling. I will try to tire the Soul by putting it under physical strain. Try to do so to its soul too."

Easier said than done. Hex tried. It was hard enough to control without a body. And now he had to do so experiencing every bit of stress on the body itself too.

The white rabbit used the space to clash against the Dragon Bear Soul. Physically, even the white rabbit at Devil Stage couldn’t sustain going against the Dragon Bear.

Its roars shook the space. Cracks appeared. What Hex tried to do, however, was limit it by wrestling its control over the Ice element.

Hex sensed his Soul’s frustration. The clashes intensified. The stress of the space around them increased. But Hex didn’t relent.

He pushed to the very limit. But it wasn’t enough. He felt his control was lacking. As did the Dragon Bear Soul.

It went straight to it. Trying to control the element where Hex was lacking. But Hex received unexpected help.

The Frost Dragon had sensed the changes too. As the bloodline heir of a being who was the first to control Ice, it clashed and won against the bear.

It took some time but he started to feel weariness settle into the body.

"Don’t slack now. It will try its best till the very end."

Hex wasn’t about to slack off. And rightly so. The bear unleashed its power in a last desperate attempt to be free.

But the combined help of the Frost Dragon and white rabbit, with Hex pushed to his mental limit, obstructed it.

By the time his body turned back to his former self, Hex was spent. He lacked breath and strength.

He was aware the white rabbit was near him.

"What happened?" He asked. His throat hurt like shards were scraping along its walls with each word.

"Its a desperate struggle of each soul to dominate others. You are lucky. Sometimes even when you win, you are stuck into the body of that soul," replied the white rabbit.