Spring passed and brought several new followers from Kasato to his temple, while the summer brought heavy rain.

It had been raining for several days now which was good for crops, but not for the temple which had been overrun by frogs, to Douma's amusement and his attendants' horror. The first couple had been cute, but the last dozen or so had them going crazy. Fortunately, the village children, bored from being kept indoors, were very eager to help round them up and shoo them outside.

Dark rain clouds also meant no sun, so Douma was able to stand at doorways and occasionally even outside during the day when the rain lightened. Of course, standing in open doorways did not help the frog problem (it may have been the cause of it, in retrospect) but it was simple entertainment, and nobody wanted to tell him to stop since he rarely got to be up and about during the daylight hours. He had to admit it was nice to see his followers running around and living their lives as best they could in the weather. It was a big difference to the stories they told him about their tragic pasts and difficult lives.

He especially liked watching the little followers! Douma didn't have much of an opinion on small children as they were too stupid to have any real problems and they didn't taste that yummy, but they were fun to watch. Once they got over their shyness (they were very small and he was very tall) they had taken to either showing him the largest frogs they caught, or the tiniest and he liked to see how many he could convince to name their catches 'Gyokko' before they caught on to his prank.

It was almost like daylight outside the temple was a different world. One he hadn't noticed – or perhaps never cared about – in the past timeline. Not even as a human.

And goodness, was he curious now.

"Lord Douma, it's still daylight!" Miki cried when she spotted him quite a few houses away from the temple. She was holding a bucket so tightly Douma was sure it would be crushed between her hands.

"It's overcast!" Douma said, pointing up at the dark clouds cheerfully.

"It's raining!"

"A little water won't hurt me!"

He was getting awfully wet though. It wasn't pouring, but he had been out for a while and it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. Miki ran into her house and came back out, an umbrella replacing her bucket. She ran to his side and opened it, shielding him from the rain. He poked the handle of the umbrella so it'd cover her more than himself.

"Miki, really, it's fine! I'm already soaked!"

"You could get sick—" He laughed openly at that and she frowned, holding the umbrella higher to cover both of them. "Lord Douma, if you need something, me or the others would be more than happy to fetch it for you! You don't have to leave and endanger yourself like this."

One thing that Douma found funny was how seriously his followers took his health. Few followers who worked closely with him lived much longer than a few years, but there were the occasional humans who he just never got around to eating. Miki was one of them so far and had even built a family. She should have noticed by now that he hadn't aged or gotten sick in the past ten years she's lived in the village. Or was it twenty? Fifteen?

Douma shifted and leaned back to look at Miki. She was older than he remembered. Her hair hadn't grayed, and her form hadn't slouched, but she was definitely thinner, and lines of age were around her eyes and mouth. It seemed like only yesterday she was helping him plant wisteria. The plant which had now taken up the entire tree and half of the temple entrance.

He wondered how he felt about his humans aging. He was definitely feeling something. Was it the aging itself that made him feel? Or the death? Perhaps the loss?

The members of his cult died in multiple ways, especially in the past timeline where he wasn't as careful. Fires, rock and mudslides, flooding, land disputes and ruined crops had destroyed his population over and over. Most of these could be avoided this time around with enhanced safety measures, but the occasional accident still happened. Fortunately, nothing as bad as the plague had happened yet. Restarting a cult was always a hassle and he was rather satisfied with the followers he had now.

Like Miki! Miki was very friendly.

"You don't have to worry yourself. I have a lot of experience in keeping myself safe," Douma assured her. "I just wanted to go for a walk! The temple is big, but I still feel cooped up sometimes, you know?"

She bit her lip. "But…"

Douma shook his head fondly. "Alright then, how about I take this—" He plucked the umbrella from her thin hands and put his other hand on her lower back to direct her back home. "And I make sure to keep it with me while you enjoy your day with your family?"

"Lord Douma…"

"Home, Miki!"

He walked her to her door where her youngest daughter was waiting and after a few more assurances he was free to continue his walk.

He had run into a few other humans of his that had about the same reaction as Miki so he was stopped several times until he got further away from the temple where some of the newer residents lived. He could spy a couple of them peeking out at him through their windows but no one approached him, instead giving him plenty of time to himself to explore in the not-as-dark surroundings.

A boy he recognized as one of the newer residents ran past, holding a fishing pole and a jar of water. He was so busy shielding his eyes from the rain that he almost bumped into Douma, swerving at the last moment and just barely catching himself from falling into the mud.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry!" the boy said. He looked up and met Douma's eyes, then blanched. "Lord Douma!"

"Hello, Ko!" Douma greeted.

Ko was a little on the young side just shy of fourteen and Douma had not been completely on board to allowing him and his brother to make the journey through the mountains alone. They ignored his advice and arrived anyway. From what Douma heard, he was a hard worker and helped out in the fields all day.

"You remember my name?" Ko asked. A reasonable response. Douma hadn't seen him personally in weeks. He suspected Ko and his little brother, Hotaka, didn't actually believe in Douma's divinity and came just to have a new start. It was a valid reason to come and Douma was looking forward to what kind of families would spring up once they got older and more friendly with his other humans.

"Of course I do," Douma said. He peered into the jar Ko was holding. "What do you have there?"

"Um, fish!" Ko said, holding it out so he could get a better look. "I thought they'd live a little longer if I gave them water and we could eat them fresh tomorrow."

"That's clever. How's Hotaka doing?"

"My brother is still injured from the plow incident," Ko said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm surprised you, uh… Nevermind."

"Oh, that's right," Douma said, an idea forming in his mind. "May I see him?"

"At- At the house?" Ko asked, eyes wide.

"He can't very well leave, can he?" Douma asked, smiling. "Of course, you're welcome to say no, Ko. I wouldn't have asked if that wasn't an option."

"No! I mean, yes! Yes, you can come see him!"

Face flushed, Ko guided him into their small home where his brother lay. Hotaka was only about eight years old. Douma had no doubt that he was bored out of his mind with his injury and the rain on top of that.

"Hello," Douma sang, waving.

"Whoa," Hotaka said. "Your eyes are rainbows!"

"Hotaka!" Ko hissed as Douma chuckled.

"Why's he here?" Hotaka asked.

Ko mouthed 'oh my god' and glanced at Douma. "I'm sorry, Lord Douma, he's still learning manners."

"Quite alright!" Douma said. "I'm here for you! May I see your leg, Hotaka?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess?"

Douma went on his knees at Hotaka's side and observed his leg. He had heard from the doctor that it was a bad sprain and Douma was sure it was within his capabilities to almost completely heal. He placed his palms above the injury. Hotaka's body jerked from the cold and he let out a small yelp but Douma held him in place firmly, continuing his healing and pretending not to notice Ko twitching forward as though to push him off of his brother.

After a few moments he felt no more improvement and lifted his hands.

"Let's see then," Douma hummed. He took Hotaka's hands in his and guided him up to his feet.

"It's… It's healed!" Hotaka said. He stomped before Douma could stop him and winced. "M-Mostly!"

"Not quite! Take it easy, alright?" Douma said, steadying him with a gentle hand. "It still needs time to heal completely. I just sped it up."

"Like magic… a miracle… Thank you, Lord Douma!" Ko said. "How can we repay you?"

"You're doing well enough already. Consider this gesture a thank you!" Douma gestured at Hotaka. "Make sure he doesn't overuse it! No running or jumping!"

"Sure thing."

"It's not like I can do anything in this weather anyway," Hotaka said with a pout. "I wish it'd stop already!"

"I must say I rather enjoy it," Douma admitted.

"Is that why you're soaking wet even though you have an umbrella?" Hotaka asked.

"Hotaka, please, you can't just say stuff like that!" Ko said, lowering his face in his hands.

"I can't stay out in the sunlight," Douma said. Some followers were more aware of the specifics than others, so he wasn't surprised he had to remind them.

"What? Oh, your condition…" Hotaka glanced at the window. It was clear that the clouds were still dark and covering the sun. "That must be hard."

"I've adapted well enough, I think! My temple is very large and I can still go out at night. It's unfortunate that everyone is asleep at that time."

"No one stays awake with you?"

"They do sometimes," Douma assured. "But people need their rest, including me! I assist my followers in the day as you know."

"Um, if I may ask, what is the condition?" Ko asked. "Is it a sickness? Something you were born with…?"

Not many humans asked that! "It's something that didn't happen until I turned twenty."

"How long ago was that?" Hotaka asked. "Your face looks young but your hair makes you look old." Ko elbowed him.

Douma's smile widened. "Years."

"Must be a lot of years. Do you miss the sun?"

Ko looked like he was going to strangle his little brother. It reminded Douma of Akaza while the company and conversation reminded him fondly of Gyutaro and Ume.

Douma had to think about that. "No," he admitted. As a child he hadn't been allowed outside too much and by the time his parents died, the habit had been ingrained into him, barring one time he ran away from the temple, only to come back dirty and hungry. "Not really."

He looked down at his hand and tried imagining the sun on it. Tried remembering what its warmth felt like. Mostly he just remembered it being too bright. It was pointless to remember such things now though.

"I should get going," Douma said. "I enjoyed visiting!"

Ko fetched Miki's umbrella for him and held it out. "Actually, Lord Douma, our neighbor, Mai hurt her wrist. Would it be too much to ask if you could do the same for her?"

Douma smiled. How considerate. "It'd be no trouble at all! I'd love to help."

Though Douma was sure he was more than capable of finding their neighbor himself, Ko still insisted on joining him. Mai had thrown herself on the ground when he showed up at her door and bowed, hurting her wrist more. When he took her wrist in his hands she had turned into a blushing, blubbering mess to his amusement and he healed her in seconds. This led to the topic of another neighbor who had been bruised up so of course Douma went to give them a visit as well, followed by both Ko and Mai.

No one was expecting Douma's visits and once they caught on to what he was doing, he was directed more clearly to the injured and eventually had a small entourage braving the rain and following him to witness his 'divine healing.' Each injury was a little different and some were just aches or bruises from work. Scrapes from slipping in the rain. Small nicks and sores.

It was not how he expected to spend his daytime adventure – mostly indoors – but it also wasn't surprising. He did want to help them, and rain kept his humans from their sun so he could brighten it with a bit of healing. It was very important that they stay happy; after all, it was the reason they were here in the first place. The practice was good too. Maybe one day he'd be able to heal wounds as large as Gyutaro and Ume's had been when they were human.

From that point in the day all the way to the afternoon, Douma was kept busy. If he wasn't healing, he was being thanked or stuck in the middle of a crowd who sang his praises and told different stories of Douma's kindness and generosity over the years. This was also acceptable as it cemented his position in his village and revealing his 'magic' did make him seem more divine in their eyes which always made things easier so his time was well spent.

Douma figured since it had been raining for several days now, tomorrow would also be overcast and he'd have the opportunity to explore his village even further.

So, when the next day came and the clouds were just a little too thin and the outside just a little too bright, he found himself disappointed and safe behind the closed doors of his temple. The feeling strangely familiar, which was impossible.

Not many humans came for council that day, much too busy taking advantage of the sun and their health, so he was mostly left with a handful of his attendants. A couple of children did come by to hunt for any leftover frogs, but it wasn't as lively as before when they now had the whole outdoors to hunt for them as well.

Douma definitely did not miss the sunlight, he decided.

There was only one person who came in for council that afternoon, a woman named Akemi who would help clean around the temple once and a while. She had come on an impulse that day, telling him of how the rain reminded her of a time when her older sister was alive. She missed her dearly so Douma did her the favor of taking her into his inner chambers and reuniting them.

"Lord Douma, Ko is here to see you," one of his attendants, Takeshi called, voice muffled.

"Oh! Tell him I'll be with him in a moment," Douma said. He licked the blood off his fingers and stood, taking a few minutes to absorb any other blood that might have gotten on his face and clothes. He looked back at Akemi's bones and lowered his voice. "I'll finish you as soon as I see what Ko needs, alright?"

He didn't often eat in the early afternoon, so he had been eating her in his inner chambers where he had hid Gyutaro and Ume. It was a hidden room in a fake bedroom he had that could only be entered through a hall leading to his more intimate of two council rooms. Takeshi most likely had Ko report to the larger, more ornate room Douma used more often, so he made his way over there.

When he arrived, he only found one of the older attendants, Kaede, cleaning the floors. She looked up when she heard him and bowed.

"Good afternoon," Douma greeted. "Did Takeshi send Ko over here? A boy?"

"I haven't seen anyone, my lord," Kaede said. "My apologies! I thought your council was done for the day and started cleaning early."

"Don't worry about it! Just don't overwork yourself," Douma said, waving a hand. "I doubt he's here for council. He's probably waiting at the entrance."

"Oh, before you leave… Lord Douma, have you seen Akemi? She usually comes to the temple around this time."

"I'm afraid I haven't!"

"Goodness, that girl has been all out of sorts. I'll have to check her house."

"Let me know if you find her," Douma said, nodding and continuing to the entrance.

He was surprised to find only Takeshi who was lighting some lanterns before it got dark. Had Ko gone home already? Douma had only taken a few minutes.

"Hm, Takeshi, where's Ko?"

"Sorry, my Lord, he was impatient! I sent him to your council room; you didn't cross paths?"

Douma pouted. "We did not. What on earth was he so impatient about?"

"He had an offering," Takeshi said. "As a thank you. He insisted on delivering it personally. You know how children are."

Intriguing! Douma wondered what it was. Unless he got advice from one of Douma's other followers, it most likely wasn't flowers. As for Ko's location, he probably got lost. The temple seemed pretty straightforward from the outside but the interior was a different story, reconstructed with long walls and sharp corners to ensure that Douma could wander around without any sunlight getting through and harming him.

Douma decided to follow Ko's scent instead of pretending to wander around to find him. It led him back to his smaller council room, a bit too close to his chambers than he would have liked to find him without supervision. His eyes were immediately drawn to the very out of place object in the center of the room.

It was the jar that Ko had been carrying yesterday. A very pretty koi fish was swimming around in a circle inside. How sweet! Douma had never received a live fish before. He'd put it in the lotus pond. He'd collect some more so it wouldn't be lonely. He'd have to ask Ko where he caught it… Maybe Douma could give fishing a try. He'd never done that before. Ko could teach him! That'd be fun.

Where was Ko, anyway? Had he dropped it off and gone home? He was about to leave the room to continue his search when he saw the door down the hall to his false bedroom had been opened just a crack.

He knew he had shut it before he left.

Douma frowned at it, then glanced back at the jar with the koi fish.

Ah.

He sighed and entered his bedroom, not the least bit surprised by who he found.

Ko.

The boy young man had taken a few steps back when he saw him in the doorway. He looked terrified. His hand had pulled away from the hidden door, but it was already too late. Douma knew what he saw.

"Ko," Douma said disapprovingly. "Entering my chambers is forbidden."

Ko was trembling, though he was very good at hiding it. Douma could hear how rapidly his heart was beating. "I… I got turned around, Lord Douma. I haven't been here since the first day."

"An honest mistake," Douma agreed. "Yet still forbidden!"

"I didn't see anything," Ko said quickly. Too quickly.

Douma clicked his tongue. Ko wasn't a true follower. He probably could have become one over time, but now it would be just out of fear. Douma didn't like humans worshipping out of fear of him. He entered the room and slid the door behind himself, tilting his head at Ko who had taken another step away from where Douma kept his collection of skulls and the fresh bones of Akemi.

"How's Hotaka's leg doing since I healed it?" Douma asked conversationally.

"Good," he whispered. "Very good. You've saved us days of lost work."

"That's great! I'm glad. Where is he now?"

Ko hesitated. "At… at home, Lord Douma."

"He doesn't know where you are?"

"He does!"

Douma hummed. If that was the case, he'd have to kill both of them. Children talked too much. But… maybe Ko wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe there was still time for him to not be afraid. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! He's waiting for me. I told him I was coming to see you…" Ko trailed off. He eyed the door hiding the body. His shoulders trembled and then slumped. "No. No, I was lying. He knew I was going out fishing, but he didn't know about the koi. Please, please, don't hurt him."

"I won't," Douma said. Not unless he stumbled across Douma's chambers as well. "Ko…"

Douma took another step forward and Ko's heartrate skyrocketed. He tried to scramble backwards, only for one of his hands to tear through the shoji screen and almost fall through. He clearly wanted to run but Douma was in the way. It was a shame that he was so confident that Douma was going to kill him.

Douma stopped in front of him as he struggled back to his feet. He could see him sweating now and his breathing was becoming panicked.

Not everyone could be like Gyutaro and Ume.

"Lord Douma, I won't say anything! Let me… I can… I can help!"

Douma smiled sadly. "Help?"

His shaking was more obvious now but he also looked hopeful. "Yes! Please, I can't leave Hotaka alone. I get it, you bring other people here. I can draw them in! I can- we can be useful! If you just let us live then…"

"How quick humans are to betray one another, even the little ones," Douma mumbled, reaching forward and patting Ko's head. Ko's face fell. "Ko, you don't understand. Keeping you alive now will only lead you to more suffering. Helping me would lead to the deaths of hundreds of humans in your lifetime in exchange for yours and your brother's life. It would be best for you to die now and let Hotaka live! He can live a happy life here and you can wait for him in the afterlife, I'm sure you'll both end up in heaven."

He felt the shift in the air as Ko sucked in a breath to shout for help.

Douma swiftly cut his head off, holding it up by the hair and catching the rest of his body before it could crumble on the ground.

He shifted the body closer to him and adjusted his grip on Ko's head, then slid into his inner chambers where he could lay him next to the remains of Akemi before too much blood could get on the floor. Once it was in place, he looked at Ko's head.

"After everything settles over your disappearance, I'll see about moving Hotaka in with another one of my followers. He'll be well taken care of, I promise!"

Ko didn't respond.

"Hm… How about Miki? Did you ever meet Miki? She'll be happy to take Hotaka in if I ask. She has a daughter too. Ooh, maybe they'll get along! That'd be cute," Douma said cheerfully. "Ah, it's too bad you'll miss that. You didn't have anyone like that either, did you? Someone to love? Aside from Hotaka of course…"

He looked back at the bodies on the floor. The bones of Akemi, cold with bits of flesh still clinging to them and Ko's, which was still intact and warm. He wondered if they had met. He put Ko's head down and lined it up with his body and brushed his hair out of his face. He seemed smaller now that he was dead.

"…I'm sorry," he sighed. "I was careless again. If I had waited until tonight or if I had just finished, you wouldn't have found anything. I didn't want to kill you. You believe me, right?"

Douma wished he could die for a moment and visit Ko in the afterlife to explain it a bit more. Perhaps he'd get the chance after Shinobu killed him again. He frowned as he thought of all the other dead followers. He'd have a lot of explaining to do. But then, none of them had come to him last time either… Just Shinobu.

He wondered what that meant.

He shook his head and closed Ko's eyes. "I'll try to be more careful. Starting with you and Akemi. This won't happen again."