(Later that Day)

        Ed, Al, Nina, and I were all in the library. I kept my promise and kept the lesson short, giving them a transmutation circle and the dummy arm just to see how they handled it. Ed hunched over the circle first, jaw tight, hands pressed firmly against the chalk lines. Blue light flared—then fizzled out, leaving the arm exactly as it was. His scowl deepened.
        “Damn it. Why won’t this thing respond?” he muttered, shaking out his hands.
        Al tried next, gentler, more methodical. Sparks rippled faintly under his palms, but the dummy arm remained lifeless.
        “I don’t understand,” Al admitted, worry edging his voice. “We’re following the array exactly…”
        Ed snatched the arm back, glaring at it like it had personally insulted him. He tried again, shoulders tense, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. Nothing. The silence in the room made his failure heavier.
        Meanwhile, Nina sat cross-legged nearby, happily coloring, her voice cutting through the tension. “So, your mother left two years ago?” Al asked carefully, still staring at the circle.
        “Daddy said she went back to live at her parents’ house,” Nina replied.
        “It must get lonely here with just the three of you,” Al said softly.
        Nina shook her head, smiling. “Not really! Daddy’s so nice, and plus I’ve got Alexander and Sissy to play with too!” She hesitated, then her smile wavered. “But lately… Daddy’s been busy in his lab. And Sissy leaves randomly... sometimes for so long I lose track. I guess it does make me a little lonely.”
        I rested a hand gently on her head, wishing I could take away the sadness in her voice. A loud smack broke the quiet; Ed had shoved the dummy arm off the table. It hit the floor with a dull thud.
        “My shoulders are killing me,” he grumbled, trying to mask the anger in his voice with a yawn.
        “Maybe you should move around some, Brother,” Al offered gently.
        “Yeah, not a bad idea…” Ed muttered, stretching stiffly. Then, in a sharp pivot, he jabbed a finger toward Alexander. “Hey! You mangy mutt! Looks like you could use some exercise!”
        It was too sudden, too forced. Nina giggled anyway, chasing after Ed as Alexander bounded to his side, barking. The three of us followed them outside.

~~~***~~~***~~~

        In the yard, Ed threw himself into a game with almost reckless energy, sprinting after Alexander, transmuting his arm into a bizarre contraption to chase Nina as she shrieked with laughter. From the outside, it looked playful, carefree. But I caught the set of his jaw, the way he pushed harder than necessary, as though he was trying to outrun the weight of that failed array.
        I leaned back against the tree, letting their laughter wash over me. Bright and innocent, it filled the summer air, but beneath it I could still hear the silence of the library, the echo of what Ed couldn’t quite manage. Closing my eyes, I let the warmth of the sun soften the edge of that thought... if only for a moment.

~~~***~~~***~~~

        I don’t know how long I drifted, half-asleep, maybe, but I jolted awake to Nina’s piercing scream and the sharp intake of breath from Ed and Al. My heart dropped. Nina was on the ground, tears streaming, blood running down her leg. The brothers knelt beside her, fumbling for words of comfort. I was at her side in seconds, brushing her tears away.
        “Hey, hey, little sis. Look up at me.” My voice was soft, steady, though my chest ached seeing her in pain.
        Through her sniffles, she met my eyes, tears clinging heavy to her lashes. “I-It hurts…”
        “I know it does,” I whispered, gently resting my hand against her injury. “You got it pretty good, didn’t you? But don’t worry. Just count back from five, and it won’t hurt anymore.”
        She hiccuped but nodded, beginning her shaky countdown. As she did, I let my energy flow. The wound glowed faintly red beneath my palm, the torn skin knitting itself back together. By the time she reached one, the scrape had sealed completely.
        “All better,” I said with a smile, giving her hair a playful ruffle.
        Her wide eyes darted to her leg. “It’s gone! And it doesn’t hurt anymore!” She gasped and launched into my arms, squeezing me tight. I held her close, relief washing through me.
        But over her shoulder, I caught Ed and Al staring. Not with relief; at least, not only. Their eyes were wide, fixed on me like they’d just seen something impossible.
        “Pretty cool seeing it in action, right?” I joked lightly, though my chest tightened under their scrutiny.
        “You didn’t use a circle,” Ed said flatly, almost accusing. His golden eyes narrowed. “You didn’t even clap your hands like I do.”
         I kept my smile in place, answering smoothly. “Oh, that. With Alkahestry, once you’re skilled enough, you won't need circles for healing. Just contact with the injured area is enough. Now, if I’m using alchemy and transmuting something else, believe it or not, I still need circles. Imagine my surprise when I found out you could transmute without one.”
        The tension lingered for a moment before Ed and Al exchanged a glance and gave me a small, silent nod. Nothing more was said. Together, we returned to the library, the weight of unspoken questions trailing behind us. Not long after, the shrill ring of the phone cut through the quiet. Nina’s face fell; she already knew what that sound meant. I gave her a reassuring smile before rising quickly to answer.
        “Tucker residence... Yes, this is she... Mhm... Oh no, that sounds awful! I’ll start heading that way now... Wait, really? That’s interesting... Okay... Okay... Yes, I’ll be out in a minute.”
        I hung up, though my hand lingered on the receiver a moment longer.
        “Everything okay? That didn’t sound good,” Al asked gently.
        I swallowed hard and forced myself to let go of the handle. “It’s not. They need me over by the Central Library; urgent enough that they’re sending a car. That’s... not usually like them.” I started gathering my supplies, trying to keep my hands steady.
        “It sounds serious if they’re sending transport,” Ed said, moving to help me pack. “Just... please, be careful.”
        “I always am!” I grinned at them, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. “When I get back, I expect that arm to be fully healed, deal?”
        The brothers chuckled nervously, and I slipped out of the room. Upstairs, I changed quickly into my uniform, grabbing my bag and stuffing in extra supplies. My door creaked open mid-motion, and before I could react, Nina and Alexander barreled in. Nina flung her arms around me, nearly knocking me over.
        “I love you. Be good for Daddy, okay?” I whispered, crouching down to her level.
        “I love you too...” Her voice wavered. “But please don’t be gone so long this time.”
        I hugged her tightly, hiding the sting of guilt in my eyes. “When I get back, I’ll play with you as much as you want. I’ll read you as many stories as you can handle.”
        Her face lit up with a bright, bouncing smile. “Promise?” she asked, holding out her pinky.
        I giggled and hooked mine around hers. “Promise.”
        Unlinking, I reached down to Alexander, scratching his belly. “And you, be a good boy. No more squishing the little guy, got it?”
        I rose and took Nina’s small hand, walking her outside with the brothers trailing quietly behind. After a few last goodbyes, I caught sight of my father at the window. He didn’t wave, didn’t smile; just stared, blank and unreadable. A prickle of unease crept up my spine, but I forced it aside. With one final wave, I closed the gate behind me and slid into the waiting black car.

(Later That Night)

**Ed P.O.V**

        “Before I earned my State Alchemist certification, our life was terrible,” Tucker said as we sat with him in the lamplight. His voice was low, almost tired. “I joined the military years ago, before Nicole was born, and life was… alright for a while. But then Nicole was born terribly ill, and no one could figure out what was wrong. We went to so many doctors, tried every treatment we could afford, and our family kept growing. We were so poor in those days...” He trailed off for a moment, then sighed. “My wife couldn’t take that kind of life. She left us. That’s when I earned my State Certification, to finally give us the life we deserved. I can’t afford to fail this assessment. I don’t want to go back to those days. I don’t think I could.”
        "Don't worry, Daddy; it's okay! You and Sissy will both pass and stay State Alchemists!" Nina exclaimed.
        The three of us chuckled.
        "...Hey Nina? I've got an idea. You want to play with Daddy tomorrow?" Tucker asked with a small smile on his face.
        "Really?!" She looked up, smiling. "Sissy too, right? When she comes home?"
        "Yeah," he told her as she ran and hugged him.
        "Alexander! Daddy says he's going to play with us tomorrow!"

~~~***~~~***~~~

(The Next Day)

        “Looks like it’s going to rain…” Al murmured as I pressed the doorbell to the Tucker house.
        The sun was smothered by heavy gray clouds, the kind that made the metal in my automail ache where it fused with skin. I rang the bell again, waiting a beat longer this time. Still nothing. A knot of unease tightened in my stomach. Slowly, I pushed the door open.
        The house was dark. Too dark.
        “Hello? Mr. Tucker! Thanks for having us again today!” My voice carried through the silence, unanswered. “Mr. Tucker! Nina! Nicole!”
        We moved cautiously through the rooms, calling out, but no voices came back. My gut twisted harder with each step until, inevitably, we reached the laboratory.
        I rapped my knuckles on the door and pushed it open. Tucker’s hunched back emerged from the shadows, kneeling low on the floor.
        “Mr. Tucker!” Al said, relief slipping into his tone.
        “There you are… so you are home,” I began, but the words trailed off when I noticed he was bent over something.
        “Yes… I did it,” Tucker finally spoke, voice thick with pride. “A chimera that understands human speech.”
        Al and I edged closer until we could see it. A pale, white-and-brown-haired creature crouched beside him, its eyes glowing too bright in the dim light. We froze, staring.
        “Let me show you,” Tucker said softly, coaxing the creature as he pointed at me. “That person over there, that’s Edward.”
        The chimera’s gaze shifted sluggishly from Tucker to me. Its lips moved, stilted, broken. “…That person… Ed…ward…”
        “Yes! Very good. Well done,” Tucker praised, stroking its head.
        “That’s… incredible. It actually talked,” I said, crouching down to study it closer, though a chill rippled down my spine.
        “Now I don’t have to worry about losing my State Certification,” Tucker said as he rose to his feet.