Does the apple fall far from the tree? The long-old adage. Imagine it like this.

A child is brought into the world, with loving parents and a comfortable living standard. His mother teaches him to be kind and loyal, and to show respect when it's due. She also tells him to hold strong to his values, and to not let anyone upturn them. His father is a nurturing, confident person, teaching him all about navigating the world, and teaching him how to be the best lead his life. The child adopts the beautiful ideologies of his parents and leads a happy, respectable life.

Sounds rather nice, doesn't it? In this case, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Let's take the other end. A poor girl was raped as a teenager, and was forced to bear a baby girl. In order to provide support for her child, the mother marries the first man she could find. This man is an aggressive abuser, and lets out his anger onto his wife. His wife has no choice but to bear the burden so that she can provide for the child. The girl now sees the terrible state of her parents, vowing to become strong enough to beat any man who lays her hands on her. While she thoroughly loves her mother, she can't truly respect her because she was not able to take courage and leave her husband. Needless to say, she despises her father, and vows to never adopt a single trait he has - the way he walked, spoke, or lit his cigar: she's formed a psychological repulsion to those acts. She becomes the top student in her school, works out, and develops adept social ability. She tries her best to be kind and becomes a friend to those lower than her. As you can see, this woman has certainly fallen very far from her tree.

In both circumstances, the child has come out for the better. Why is this so? They were both bright up so differently, so how did they both turn out so well? Does that indicate it's okay to abuse a child?

No. Humans are afraid to see the truth. Why has this happened?

It is because everything is down to god-given ability.

The first boy was given a kind heart, and so, he resonated with his parents' words. He adopted their truth and took it as his own. As such, he turned out to be a kind man.

The girl was given vast talent: motivation, intelligence, mental fortitude - if any other child were in her situation, they would not have turned out the same. Humans like to attribute their successes and failures to objective, concrete, and controllable actions - the influences of their own motivations and others' interactions - after all, that makes things easier to understand.

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But the truth is that everything is down to what you are born with. A person born with a good heart will become a popular person. An intelligent person has the ability to make money, or understand things that no one else can understand. A poor, genius athlete will always beat a rich, talentless one. And there is nothing that anyone can do about that. I will never be a human. No matter how much I yearn to touch, feel, or speak with another, that will never be granted to me. It hurts me, but what can I do? All I can do is observe the objective life surrounding me, and indulge my own curiosity. I will never understand the taste of victory, nor the taste of fear. Birthright is most certainly the strongest foothold - I can personally attest to that.

Does that mean everything is predetermined, from birthright? Who you love, and who you hate? The interactions and encounters that every person faces - are they all down to your birth itself?

I am inclined to believe it is. My birth has caused me to meet Asahi. Asahi was bound to meet me because of actions that will happen in the future, though I do not yet know of them.

What is the point of breaking my natural trajectories, then? If I am drawn to something, why must I hold back? I was born with gifts and deficits, as well as luck and demise. Why wouldn't I use them all, to their full extent?

What does it all mean? Why? Why do I think like this? Why do I feel the way I feel?

Someone must be controlling my attachment, because it's not me.

No.

It is me. I'm just afraid. Afraid like the humans. I'm afraid of myself. My thoughts. My inclinations.

Embrace them.

No!

Use them.

Why?!

Because you are nothing but your birth.

I know! I know that! Let me bathe in my innocence yet longer! I've had enough of thinking!

I'm certain. Introspection is the most terrifying thing a person does.

But they say the truth will never be hidden for long. So be it.

This world. It... I'm.. I'm not sure...