Greying ceramic tiles covered in week old shower scum and dirt was all that filled tearing eyes, not crying because of the challenge of mental endurance he was putting himself through, but droplets falling as windows to a even less somber past. Jayden had locked himself in that dank wash closet for three hours now, hunched over an equally disgusting sink, a stagnant pool of bloodied water hanging beneath his sweaty face. Three hours he was in there, since he woke up. Jayden had no concept of time, of hunger, just his own thoughts, and the familar pain. Bare chested, barely any muscle on stark naked torso, stains of red and healing scars, still shrinking with every second, littered his flesh. Jayden raised his head, facing his own reflection in the cracked and rusted mirror before him. In his mind, he heard Linore´s voice, echoing;

        I like you Jayden, I think your a nice guy and I like hanging out with you. 

                                                                                                      ¨I don't think I will be scared of you.¨

   ¨You should be proud that you can use your body to protect the people you care about¨

¨Whatever happened to make you so ashamed of it.. ¨ 

                                                                                             ¨you shouldn't let it control you." 

                                                            ¨We can be friends, I like that." 

Words of confidance, words backed with emotion that haven´t been heard for five long years echoed back in Jayden´s fragile mind. The years before, twenty years of constant abuse, by his father, by his faith, and by those thought to ¨fix¨ him. Only Alessa uttered words like that, and now it seemed that LInore did the same. Jayden raised his forearm, complete and utter focus on that part of his body. Dispell the fear, thats all he wished, dispell the fear of himself. Slowly, Jayden felt his skin being ripped apart, small ivory spires, thick as a marker, tore through the layers of skin, rising up as small monoliths, running up and along his forearm. Blood oozed freely, rolling down his arm and into the basin below. He took the searing pain thar followed. Jayden´s attention turned to his other hand, skin between his fingers splitting as three long claws grew, about a foot long and ending with sharp tips. Jayden coughed a chuckle, that fear that plagued him two hours ago fleeing, he muttered ¨Heh...I´m no superhero...¨ Dry humor acompanied Jayden´s acceptance of what god gave him, claws shrinking back into their base components of Calcium and whatnot and absorbing back in the body, bloodied wounds already closing. 

What Jayden was doing was pretty apparent, the asian was trying to cope with what was given to him. Alessa told him he was special, that the others of the parish didn´t understand how special a boy he was. Linore told him  not to be scared anymore, and that even his scars would heal with time. Jayden´s eyes rose up, staring at the bright yellowish light of the bulb above him, in awe as if it was the lord himself finally granting him answers he´s been praying for at the vatican.

He had to cope, he had to get used to it.

If not for Linore or Alessa, but for himself.