Rin began her life as a normal child. She had parents, who no doubt loved her dearly, and a brother. They were probably a poorer family, as were many in the feudal age of Japan, living closely in a small house, made comfortable by the affections of a happy family. Perhaps Rin played games with her brother, picked flowers for her father, and asked her mother a million questions. It was during this time that Rin learned about compassion and caring, because she could not have learned it anywhere else. The love and tenderness she received from her family would have to sustain her for a very long and lonely time ahead.

Perhaps the bandits were after whatever food or money Rin's family possessed. Perhaps it was a display of the bitter cruelty some humans are capable of; a trait so often attributed to demons. Whatever the bandits desired, they murdered Rin's entire family before her eyes, leaving the child to fend for herself in an already desperate and lonely world. They did not care about the damage they did, or the lives they ruined. Still, Rin was a survivor, and she would survive even if she were all alone.

Deeply traumatized, Rin would not speak, even to the villagers who tried to care for her (although they did it with little generosity and much cruelty). She lived on her own in a small hut, stealing food here and there and getting severely punished for it. Her dreams were filled with visions of terror, too dark for most children to comprehend, let alone bear. She responded by going into survival mode-rejecting fear, sadness, and loneliness, and instead concentrated all her energy on living on scraps and stolen food. She lived on the margin of society, showing no emotion even when severely beaten. The villagers called her a freak and regarded her with the mixture of disdain and pity one would associate with a stray dog.

Rin was scarred, but not destroyed. Her present circumstances created a huge change in her behavior, but it did not alter her essential character. Through all this she remained innocent, kind, and compassionate, even though she was always hungry, always hurt, and always lonely. It wasn't until she met someone more hurt than she was that she chose to leave the protective shell of her isolation in order to help him, even if he was a demon. Although he rejected her assistance, the demon lord she so kindly brought plates of food to saved her and resurrected not only her body, but the compassionate soul which resided there.

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