This is a story from about ten years ago. Having practically grown up at the shrine, I wanted to see the wider world outside, like a blonde princess trapped in a tower from some fairy tale. I thought everyone would empathize with my heart.

Humans are foolish beings who define themselves as birds trapped in an egg, believing that a new world awaits outside once they break the shell. Being human myself, I simply went outside the shrine with that thought in mind.

But of all days, the day I broke the shell happened to be the night of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. In other words, I was recklessly wandering the mountains in the middle of the night when yokai were swarming. It was a crazy act bordering on suicide. Unfortunately, I had no information about the Night Parade, and after being spotted by the marching yokai, I fled desperately to escape them.

However, a child's body had its limits. The terror of being chased by non-human entities dominated my entire body, and after tripping over a rock and falling, I couldn't move at all. Even at that young age, I sensed death. Just as I was shedding tears in fear, a man appeared. Wrapped in a cloak, he coaxed me in a gentle voice and took me to the shrine. It was strange that his fingernails were long and there was a chill around him, but that didn't register to me right after escaping such immense terror. After returning to the shrine, I gave him an oni-warding bell as a token of gratitude. It was the best return gift a child could think of.

And then, I saw the dark red horns hidden under the cloak of the man as he crossed the torii gate and left the shrine.