The wind howled through the quiet countryside of Resembool, where the clouds drifted lazily overhead, unaware of the fate being woven below. In a small house tucked between rolling hills, three children sat in a circle, giggling over half-scribbled drawings and piles of books that smelled of old leather and dust. Two of them were well-known: Edward and Alphonse Elric. But nestled between them sat someone who wasn't in the story anyone else remembered.
His name was Auron Elric, the third brother.
Golden hair shimmered in the sunlight spilling through the window, cascading down to his shoulders. His silver eyes gleamed faintly, with golden irises flickering like twin embers trapped inside. Though only five, he was already unusually calm—smarter, quieter. And taller. Taller than Edward by a good inch, something the eldest Elric found very irritating.
"Hey, Auron! You drew Mom weird again!" Ed grumbled, pointing at the scribbled portrait with oversized eyes and lightning bolts around her.
Auron chuckled, holding up the sketch proudly. "She's got chakra flames, Ed. Obviously. That's her final form."
Alphonse burst out laughing. "Final form? Like in that book with the spirit beasts?"
"Exactly," Auron said with a grin. "Mom's clearly S-rank."
Edward huffed, crossing his arms. "Whatever. Your final form is dumb."
Their laughter filled the room, youthful and carefree. But beneath Auron's smile, a deep awareness hummed quietly—memories of a past life he could never explain, a world of betrayal and death, chakra and bloodlines, war and gods. He had died once. He had been reborn here.
Into a world that wasn't his.
He didn't know why or how. Only that from the moment he opened his eyes in Trisha Elric's arms, he knew he wasn't meant to be ordinary.
It wasn't just the memories he carried—it was the power.
The first time it stirred was when he turned four. His emotions had spiked—rage and sorrow over a dead sparrow Alphonse had tried to save. Without thinking, his eyes had changed. He had seen into the bird's soul, its dying last vision, and felt something click inside him. Concentric rings had appeared across his eyes, layered with tomoe that swirled like galaxies.
The fusion of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Rinnegan.
A power this world didn't know. A power that frightened even him.
He never told Ed or Al. Not even Trisha. He trained in secret, behind the barn, under the moonlight. He learned to suppress the energy, to refine it, to craft it.
His chakra was like liquid steel—thick, potent, and endlessly flowing. It pulsed beneath his skin like a second heartbeat. With it, he could manipulate the world around him, not through alchemy, but through something older—something primal.
He didn't need transmutation circles.
He didn't want them.
Because this wasn't his gift. It was his curse.
Still, life in Resembool had been good. Warm, despite the cold that always lingered behind his eyes. The brothers played, fought, built ridiculous machines, and chased after Winry, who already had a soft spot for Auron's gentle voice and mysterious grin.
Sometimes, Auron caught her staring at him.
Once, she'd even blushed.
But there was no time for feelings. Not yet.
"Hey," Edward said suddenly, his voice quieter, more serious. "Do you… do you think Dad's ever coming back?"
Alphonse looked down at the floor. The mention of their father always changed the mood.
Auron didn't answer at first. He could feel Ed's anger swirling, the resentment clinging to his aura like smoke. Chakra perception had its curses.
"…He might," Auron said softly. "But if he doesn't, we're strong enough now. We have each other."
Ed looked at him—truly looked—and nodded. "Damn right we do."
The front door creaked open.
"Boys!" Trisha called gently. "Dinner!"
The three brothers leapt to their feet and raced down the stairs, Ed pushing Al, Al bumping into Auron, and Auron laughing like he hadn't died in another world, like he hadn't carried the weight of two lives.
That night, as the stars shimmered above, Auron stood outside alone.
His silver-gold eyes shimmered.
And in them danced a faint glow—red and violet lightning sparking from the corners as the tomoe began to swirl. In the distance, wind whispered across the grass, brushing against the edges of a future not yet written.
He closed his eyes and made a vow.
"This time, I'll protect them. No matter the cost."
Because in this world… he would not fail.