Rain fell hard in Resembool that night.
Thick droplets splattered against the windows of the Elric household, the steady drumming masking the unease growing in the hearts of three young boys. Thunder rolled across the hills like the echo of distant battle drums, and lightning flickered as if heaven itself were testing the boundaries of fate.
Inside, Edward sat hunched over an old alchemic tome, brows furrowed in fierce concentration. Alphonse sat nearby, chewing on the edge of his sleeve nervously. And Auron leaned against the far wall, eyes half-lidded, watching the candle flames flicker against the rain-streaked window.
Outside, nature raged.
Inside, so did the desire to defy it.
Ed slammed his hand on the table. "There has to be a way!"
"A way to do what?" Auron asked, though he already knew.
"To bring her back," Edward said without hesitation.
Auron's jaw clenched.
Trisha Elric's condition had worsened again. Her illness was spreading through her like a creeping frost. Every healer, every doctor had failed. She smiled every morning for their sake, but the boys weren't blind.
Neither were Auron's eyes. Not when they could see the way her life-force was thinning, the light in her soul flickering like a candle left to die.
"You're talking about human transmutation," Auron said quietly.
Alphonse went pale. "Ed…"
"I know the risks!" Edward snapped. "But we're alchemists, aren't we? We're supposed to understand the structure of the world!"
Auron stepped forward, face unreadable. "And what you're talking about violates every law of equivalent exchange. It's not just dangerous—it's forbidden."
Lightning flashed again. Outside, the trees writhed.
Edward turned on him, fury in his eyes. "You're always so calm, so smart, but you never do anything. You just watch! You don't know what it's like to feel this helpless!"
"I know exactly what that feels like," Auron whispered. His voice didn't rise, but it cut.
He stepped closer, and in a flash, his eyes began to glow—silver burning gold at the core. Then, as the storm outside reached a crescendo, they transformed fully.
Concentric ripples layered over rotating tomoe. Red and violet lightning sparked around them.
Edward froze. Alphonse gasped.
Auron stood still, expression grave.
"I've seen souls pass through death," he said. "I've felt the pain of failing to stop it. These eyes were a curse in my old life. I couldn't save anyone. Not my friends. Not my family. And if you go down this path, you'll lose everything too."
The silence afterward was thunderous.
Alphonse stepped back. "Auron… what are you?"
"I'm your brother," Auron said, letting the glow fade. "But I'm not from here."
He didn't explain more. He didn't need to.
Because suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Pinako rushed in, soaked and panting. "Boys—come quickly. Trisha's condition just got worse."
They bolted toward the room.
She lay there, barely breathing, her skin pale and cold. Her eyes fluttered open to see the three boys surrounding her, and for a moment, a gentle smile graced her lips.
"You're… all here…"
Tears spilled down Alphonse's cheeks. Edward couldn't speak.
Auron stepped forward and knelt beside her. His eyes activated again—but this time, there was no glow of battle or power. Just grief.
His vision pierced her body, seeing every dying cell, every decayed artery, every dim flicker of her soul.
And he knew it.
There was nothing he could do.
He reached out and held her hand. "We'll be okay, Mom. I promise."
Trisha's eyes met his. She saw something deeper there—something beyond this world. And she knew this boy, this strange miracle in her life, was not ordinary.
"I believe in you… my sons…"
Then her hand fell limp.
Outside, the rain stopped.
But inside, the sparks of pain ignited a different kind of storm.
Edward broke first—screaming and sobbing. Alphonse cried with him. Auron stood in silence, the lightning in his soul raging against the heavens.
That night, the three brothers sat together in the dark, shoulders touching, their hearts bleeding in sync.
None of them spoke.
But Auron made a silent vow in that silence:
"I will not let this be our end. No matter what it costs me."
And high above, the clouds parted.
For a single moment, moonlight touched the three grieving brothers.
And in that fragile light, a spark was born.
A spark that would one day change the world.