Sylvain Accosta is no longer an Accosta starting today. She is now only Sylvain.
A very powerful man hands her her paperwork, her benefactor. He was cold and distant. In fact he didn't know her at all. He was only a celebrity on the television who she wrote to in desperation. However she knows that those kind of actions are those that displease him.
Ylin was a public figure in the past, however after an incident he has been more withdrawn. For a time, Ylin was the representative of 'ability users' in the media. And for a time, he did his job well. However, after an incident, he has become much more withdrawn.
"Here is your paper. From today, your parents won't bother you anymore. You are your own person from now. The future is what you make of yourself, Sylvain."
"Thank your, sir Ylin. I don't know what would have happened if you haven't intervened."
"Don't call me sir. I didn't do anything, we only contact the necessary authorities."
Suddenly he pauses.
Slowly, he takes out a business card.
"Give me a call if the people at your new place bother you."
It was strictly business for him. Ylin looks distracted and tired. He didn't care much about the shape shifter in front of him. However he didn't know that what he did means the world to the ability user in front of him and will shape her future.
"Thank you sir. You are very kind."
Ylin looks pained by that word, he turns his back and leaves. However it was a very memorable encounter to Sylvain. It was on that day that Sylvain learns that in this world, heroes do exist.
Due to an incident with Ylin the existence of 'ability users' is suddenly exposed to the public.
People with superpowers. As the mastermind of the media exposure, Ylin was careful to not use cliche words that differentiate between an ability user and a normal person. Hence 'ability users', just a normal human like you and me who can use various 'abilities', some of which may be beyond imagination.
Some of the power ranges from creating realistic illusions to simple super flight and super strength.
In fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg. By the time Ylin did what he did, it was inevitable that the appearance of abilities users among human will be noticed. Especially since the factional dispute among the abilities user about the matter of exposing their power to the public have led to the death of several pro-'expose' ability users. As a man of the media who was outraged by the senseless killing, Ylin was the first to open Pandora box and blew the whole thing open. However he did not want a hostile relationship between ability users and human like many contemporary comic have suggested. He wants integration into normal society.
For that it is inevitable that there will be certain things that have to be kept secret.
The existence of one other kind of 'ability user' is one of them.
...However, this is not Ylin's story. It is Sylvain's.
Currently, Sylvain is fidgetting in her seat waiting for the Director of the Foundation for the Education of Young Abilities Users to speak. This years she is only 14 years old. And currently, she isn't human in appearance. Instead she is some sort of creature straight out of her imagination.
The Director told her to be at ease. However she was not calm, she was not calm at all!
What if the Director didn't want her despite Ylin's personal recommendation? What if he returns her to her parents? All kind of thoughts run wildly in Sylvain's mind. And when she gets nervous, she tends to transform.
During her 14 years of life because she was born as an 'ability user' with a rather disconcerting ability, she was often beaten by her parents and suffered all kind of abuses.
Sylvain was a born shapeshifter. For her sake, Ylin has hidden another secret to protect her. However her old life alone was tough enough. Right when she was born, she was capable of thought, and was rapidly changing shape. Because of her ability, her idea of shapes are different from human ideas of 'shapes'. It completely isolates her from her parents when she was born.
Right out of her mother womb, she was shapeshifting. Right out of her mother's womb, she was fighting for her life. Because the moment her parents saw her, they tried to kill her at her birth.
They believed they have birthed a monster, a demon spawn.
Since then, the Accosta kept her in the house, without leaving her from sight.
She was often tied up and beaten up, burned and mutilated. However, none of that ever really 'harmed' Sylvain. It hurts a lot, however, none of them can permanent harm her.
For she can return to any shape she wishes to. Even her previous unharmed form.
Eventually, an ability user passed by her city. It was one of those ability users whose scope of power Ylin doesn't really expose in his campaign. For at the moment he arrived at the other end of her city, all the thoughts of her parents and all the living beings within the city was accessible to him.
He knows what everyone was thinking and doing, naturally he knows about her.
To him, these memories and thoughts were malleable. A little adjustment here, a little fixes there, and perhaps the world can be a better place.
'I don't really like doing this.' He told her.
'I am taking everyone autonomy. That is why I only intervene lightly. Eventually everyone will revert back to their nature.
Little boy, the human prefers those that are like them. In the future, take the shape of a human.'
And then he performed a little 'adjustment' on her parents.
Since then, they hate her less. It was as if they have forgotten all about all the time they have failed to kill her. However, their personality was still the same.
They hate her if she takes any shapes other than humanoid.
However, Sylvain knows
'This is not me'
He feels uncomfortable in his own skin. His natural state is that of rapid transforming between stages. He was not meant to be this.
On the surface, his relationship with his parents remain stable for a few years, however it was all rotten from the inside.
When he was a bit older, Sylvain started to experiment. Since his parents hate the fact that he can change into something utterly inhuman, perhaps they will like it if he simply changes himself into other human.
It was all broken again. Her family home.
Her family hates that there is a sissy living in his house. Her mother grew distance from her. Sylvain has taken to the habit of changing into random things like when she was young. And since then, the beating started again.
However, on the TV, there was a man. He was very kind.
He was promoting for the cause of people like her.
"There is nothing wrong with you being who you are."
The man on the TV told her.
He taught her all kind of things. Such as child abuse, human right, the ability user acceptance acts that all the leaders of the world have inexplicably wrote into their law, even unknown countries such as the Republic of Djibouti. Everyday, he talks about human right.
Suddenly the man on the TV points at her.
"You, yes you, the audience at home. Don't be afraid, if you have experienced any of the scenarios described above, write to me at this address XXX"
That man was Ylin.
And immediately, Sylvain's eyes light up. She immediately wrote to Ylin to ask him to save her from her parents who violates all kind of her 'human rights' and did 'child abuse' on her.
...Of course what she missed was that the show she watched was a rerun of a show 7 years ago. She was 7 years too late for an enthusiastic Ylin to descend as her savior. He still arrived nonetheless, however, his face was cold. There was no joy left.
But he still saved her.
And that is how she ended here, rapidly changing in her seat. One moment, she was the wind, in the next, she was a beast of old on the History Channel.
Suddenly, the Director speaks up
"Don't worry Sylvain. With such excellent recommendation, I can't see any problems. Let me welcome you to our community. Here you can mingle with other ability users your age and learn to better control your power. It is hoped that all ability using children will be educated and integrated into the community in the future. It is our purpose."
The Director of the Foundation was a distant person. He was in his 30, with a distinctively east european features. However, he was not cold and sad like Ylin. Instead his eyes seem to be looking elsewhere. It is like he is not here at all.
However, Sylvain was assured with his next words.
Suddenly, his eyes seem to snap back to reality.
"As a matter of fact, I am friend with that guy, Ylin."
That seems to alleviate Sylvain's mood.
"Really Director? Mister Ylin is really kind." Finally she can be reassured.
The Director chuckles slightly.
"Yeah he is... Despite the recent difficulties, I believe the old Ylin will return in the end." The Director says with an ambiguous voice.
"Anyway, let me take you to my Foundation?"
"Right now?"
"Right now." He laughs.
He holds her hands, and suddenly he pauses slightly before smiling. He looks quickly at her and then away.
After that small movement, in front of Sylvain's eyes, reality peels away, shattering like stardust, leaving behind a new reality.
"Welcome to my world." Suddenly he looks sheepish.
"Don't share this with too many outside people alright?"
However at that moment, Sylvain was gasping with awe. Gone are the bustling city and the stuffy office. Instead, in its place is an infinite plane of sublime beauty. The ground, the sky and everything was arranged according to the Director's aesthetic senses. In all direction, the ground are transparent, however they are like jewels, extremely beautiful.
In the distance, there was a castle. Next to it is a futuristic building. Next to it still is a mishmash of strange architecture that doesn't resemble any human's sense of aesthetic. She strangely likes it.
The Director suddenly looks sheepish again.
"The students all build it. It really doesn't fit the aesthetic at all."
He trails off, his eyes seem distant, as if he is seeing something else than her.
Sylvain feels like she can get used to this place.
Maybe