Chapter 5: Releasing the demon [Part 3]

I ran and ran and came near a forest entrance. It was quite far from the orphanage. I knew of this place because Ray and some other kids, including me, came to have a picnic here. Why? Some kids bullied me saying that I had no family to take me to picnic and a teacher found out and informed Ray and the other child's parents. The kid who picked on me was definitely in trouble but Ray decided to help me and other children make a memory of going to some place or doing some activity which I can tell I did during Summers. He didn't want me to be left out. I am too old for that and I would prefer being left out, but now that I think, he tried to give me the best of what he could but unfortunately I can't overlook what he said about doing this job for money to continue his high school and get a graduation.

I went into the forest. It was a safe one with only small animals and birds. I think I will stay here for a while. I need to clear my mind before I do anything.

I went into the forest and felt a presence. My body froze as if intimidated by the presence. It's been a few years since I came back to this forest. Feels like something happened here while I was gone. I didn't feel this last time. It's a strong demon.

Wait... then I can still feel the aura of creatures who are not humans. Why didn't I feel it back then? Why just now? Did demons or other creatures go extinct here or something? Or they were in low numbers to begin with? I wonder...

But this presence is not good. I don't feel a good vibe from it. I closed my eyes to check whether I can use an ability from my past life too. It was a basic ability to scan things around. I tried to close my eyes and concentrate on the environment and focus of my mind was on my eyes. I could not hear the voices of any nocturnal animals which I should be hearing, considering this is a forest. Something is definitely sus in here. I could see green waves everywhere. It means the one exuding this aura would be in 5th or 6th stage of cultivation.

I went deeper in the forest from where I felt the aura. As I went in, it kept getting stronger and stronger. I am now so excited! I remembered my days of cultivation investigating demons and killing them off if they would be a threat to us. How awesome!

I soon got near the middle of the forest and then saw that the aura came from a patch having no trees. That area was loosely tied by thin ropes near the roots of trees and from one tree to another. The ropes also had bells tied to it. Interesting... seems like someone sealed a demon underground.

It's best to not get involved anymore in this place and leave like I didn't see anything. I opened my eyes, it felt like the person who sealed it had strong powers to make the ropes and bells invisible to a normal eye.

I turned around to leave. Suddenly I felt something from the bush. Oh no! did someone see me? No wait lemme think rationally. I am a normal human teen like many so it would be better to just pretend to be a teen runaway and say I don't know anything about the demon and stuff. Ok done.

I saw something dash at a very high speed from the bush, and when it came out, I let out a sigh of relief because it was just a hare. I wonder what he would be doing here. I thought small animals all stayed away from this place because of the aura-

Wait... in my past life like cameras, small animals were trained to act like cctv cameras of this world to check whether seals were safe or not. They used some magic thing to see what the hare sees.

Is it that sort of thing? Obviously people won't mind a hare but would feel sus about a CCTV in the middle of forest. Seems like not all things are different from my world. Then I need to reinstate the fact in front of this hare that I am a harmless person... Just a runaway teen you know?

"Ah..." I started, I wanna check how good I act,

"I thought it was Ray or someone who followed me." I got down to the hare. "It was just you huh?" I pet the hare. "I have no place to stay for the night since I have run away from the orphanage. I hope you don't mind me hanging out, right?" It didn't seem too sus right? Right?

The hare then went away towards the seal. Guess that satisfied it. Eh, Wait.... if he goes to the seal, he would most probably get entangled with ropes and bells and then release the seal of the demon.

"Wait! Hey!" I said.

No no! I can't allow that. I ran towards the hare to catch it. It was jumping in all directions making it hard for me to catch it. It then went on to jump near the seal. I can't let that happen! I leaped high and spread my arms and body to catch it and I even got a hold of it but in the process something terrible happened. My feet got entangled in the rope and the bells went off. I caught the hare but fell straight on the ground, breaking the seal to catch the hare. I did something that I wanted to prevent the hare from doing.

I fucked so bad this time didn't I? I wonder what will happen now.