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His life has been destined to be a tragic one and yet he denied it. It was an unhappy beginning, in fact, he knew this and will do everything to alter the end.
He already knew that his parents would never care for him nor give a damn thing about him. Ever since he was born into this world and opened his eyes, his feathers were coloured white while his body was diagnosed with strange sickness and thus this made his parents forbidden him to go outside of the palace. Few years after his birth, he couldn't help but notice the servants' strange stares were filled with disgust and horror. Strange indeed, why their gazes were somewhat cold and hateful compared to Soothsayer's warm and caring gaze.
At first, he thought that their reactions were only filled with jealousy and fear of him due to his status as part of the royalty and thus he tried to ignore them and pretend that they were envious. He was so young and ignorant enough to know what was behind those hateful gazes but all that innocence and ignorance crumbled when at the age of seven, he got the chance to go outside of the palace and see the joy of the city. It was that moment when his bubble of innocence slowly broke around him. That moment when people were cursing at him for being a bad omen. That moment when they shouted at him for bringing misfortune into this city. And that moment when they told him that he was born to be an acquaintance of death.
White, a color that is pure and innocent in the people's eyes who have no knowledge of the true meaning of it. It symbolized Death, a complete contradiction of life in which people in front of him were afraid, sprouting cruel words to him as well.
And so as the years went by, he slowly accepted how cruel the reality is and went to experiment with the fireworks in his room. His parents only gave him a little attention, busying themselves with the dealings of the duty, not knowing that their son was slowly embedded into an uncertain dark future. To the point that the little interaction between him and his parents became none when he eventually succumbed to his own greed for power and twisted belief that led him into a grim path. A path that would prove to the world that they were wrong about him. That he would change this i'll-predestined future. A path that would make his parents look at him with pride and not in disappointment. And a path that would seal his fate forever.
And yet here he was now, humiliated and defeated. Such an ironic fate that has befallen upon him, he tried so hard to deflect the predestined fate that the old goat kept talking about and yet it happened. He became what those people thought of him long ago; a bad omen. He brought misfortune upon this city and caused destruction to it. And he brought death upon the panda village, his parents and himself as well.
Shen realized that ever since he opened his eyes to glimpse the beauty of the world, his fate had already been sealed for him. To let the world crash down on him just like now as he only stood there. His life has been destined to be a tragic one and yet he accepted it. It was an unhappy ending but he knew this and done nothing to alter the end so he closed his eyes and let the world embrace him.
After all, he's no stranger in death.