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Probably going to be completely wrong but it feels like one of the themes is.. (and the word has gone completely out of my brain) deception? Nothing is what it seems?
The Imae (collectively) are treated as monsters when they're not. We don't actually know who killed his mother (especially since she died after saying she was going to name him - unlucky or a cover-up?).
I'm suspicious as hell that there's no actual 'toxin' and that the Imae (elders?) killed his father. That this idea of a toxin is used to keep humans and Imae apart. Hence the elder saying that it'll take longer than 2 months to kill him. ...