well, this isn't the afterlife

in a world, where an absolute truth, rules the whole universe

Equivalent Exchange.

that's what every certified alchemist what say to anyone would ask, what is the truth, which states that in order to obtain something, something else of equal value must be lost.

'that's what my foolish sons did... trying to revive their mother... didn't they have any idea what is equal to a human soul?' a handsome middle-aged fairy big build thought to himself

'...but again...I'm the real fool here... abandoned them for my selfish reasons...' the man thought to himself regretfully, while walking through a graveyard

'if I were with them...I could have prevented that! and even could have cured my wife!' the man cursed at himself, but sighs when he reached a certain grave

he kneeled in front of the grave, and had a faint smile on his face, "I'm home Trisha." he said to the grave, or more precisely, his deceased wife's tombstone

he smiled to himself and said, "Edward... called me pops..." he chuckled afterward, "although, it had 'shitty' in front of it...but I guess that's I deserved that... considering what I have done to them...' he smiled bitterly to himself, soon, his healthy skin was slowly starting to rot

he continued smiling nonchalantly, "I always thought it would be backbreaking to continue living longer than anyone else..." he said to Trisha

"....but by meeting you, and having our sons, I was able to appreciate that I'm alive from the core of my heart.."

"it was a fulfilling life..." he said with a smile, while his blonde hair started to turn gray

"yeah... it's was more than enough" he lowered his head letting the death take him...

"thank you... Trisha..."

"...but.." he said with a wry smile, ".. as I thought, I still don't to die..." he closed his eyes and smiled

"really...I'm really hopeless..." he said with a bittersweet tone.... giving his final breath...

.

.

.

.

.

a short old lady then walked towards the grave and looked at the man in surprise

"Hohenheim!" the old lady said, and approach him in haste, and looked to see the dead body of the man, the old lady said with tears in her eyes ", you damn idiot...I never seen such a man dies with a happy face..."

and...roll the credits!

.

.

.

.

jk

.

.

.

.

.

.

"bat..."

....

"...rat.."

.

.

.

.

"brat!!!"

"huh?" finally the boy in front the shop responds as if he daydreaming

"brat! are you going to buy it or not? just don't stand daydreaming in front of my shop! geez, young people and their imagination..." the shopkeeper said with a headshake

the blond young man looked confused, finally, after dozen seconds of blinking, he said, "huh? I thought I died...?"

"died? what the hell are talking about boy? and when was the last time you took a bath...here, that's what you requested with the money you had since I don't want your stinky ass to dirty my goods." the middle-aged shopkeeper gives the boy bag with a handful on fruits, "now go away before I kick your poor ass,...and take a bath for gods' sake!" the boy mechanically took the bag and walked aimlessly

"tsk, tsk, young people these days." the shopkeeper keeper shakes his head and continues his day...

the boy now walking without many goals and looked around in curiosity, the half-broken boots he wearing, the stinky smell that's come out of his clothes, dirt on his face, the pain in his joints, all indicate that he isn't dreaming

"...this isn't an illusion..." he grab an apple from the fruit bag, and took a bite, he opened his eyes wide, to the delicious flavor and rich aroma, "that's the best apple I ate in my life!" and continued eating it.., he is about to eat more but so a nostalgic sight

he saw two kids, no older than 10, looking at his fruit bag in desire, the teen eyes soften, and smiles kindly, "here, have the rest." he extended his hand and give the remaining fruit to the boy and the girl in front of him

the kids' eyes brighten, "A-Are you sure, big brother? y-you seemed rather hungry too.." the boy said in uncertainty

the teen smiled and shook his head, "I'm full now, just take this and fill your belly." he said with a laugh and slapped his belly lightly

the girl took this as confirmation and took the bag with a happy smile, "thank you, big brother! even though you smell funny! you are a kind person!"

'smell funny..' the teen laughed wryly to himself, but he didn't expect that the girl gives him something in return, "here! big brother! that's a flower necklace I made, I wanted to sell it to buy food, but big brother gave us enough food for today! so I'll give you this in return! maybe big brother's smell can be better with this!"

the teen took the necklace, "oh? so that's our Equivalent Exchange?" he said in slight amusement

"hmm? eqvnt chanje? what that big brother?" the boy asked curiously

"Nothing, nothing, just go home." the blond chuckled lightly and two kids nodded and run away in their orphanage direction

"haaaah, I guess no matter to place or the time, things like this will always exist." the teen shook his head and wore the flowers necklace, which smelled nice in his opinion, and continue to walk around, and looked in fascination, he already has the memories of the young body he is in, and ironically, had the same name, van Hohenheim...but it least he wasn't a slave this time

"but an adventurer huh?" he muttered to himself, while looking at the city that was full of life, and had a long tower at the center

"orario? so that the name of this city?" he said while looking at the different races that are moving around, "...for this place to have other than humans....it appears that I'm not in..I guess my world anymore." he concludes and continued

"hell, even gods exist... gods I thought they were mythical..." he said in amusement, to him, he believes in God, he even meet him? or it, as far as he was concerned, the truth is god, but now, he heard that there are hundreds of them, from different pantheons, legends he read in the past in his boredom "Greke, Norze, yapan and many more," he said to himself, he read about all kind of mythical, but now real deities, "these 'gods' came from the heaven a millennia ago to the mortal world for entertainment." he chuckled lightly at the thought, 'even these so gods can't cure the illness of boredom from immortality'. Hohenheim laughed at the irony

"I hope these gods are tamed down for the versions I read, or this world would turn into chaos soon." he amused at the thought, "thankfully, these gods' power is sealed, so there is nothing more than ageless human" but he didn't want to provoke them, lest they attack with their final shot and bring you down with you...

the blonde teen reached the fountain and looked at his reflection, "indeed, I look like 15 years old... I missed this handsome face.." he grinned "although, it's full of dirt.., a waste of handsome face.." he smiled wryly, he cleaned his face, hair and exposed arms in the water

"Much better!" he smiled widely, some of the passing girls looked at him with blush, but looked at his clothes and laughed in disdain

the teen saw the blush and looked smug, "heh, I still have it in me." but heard the laugh and saw his like begger clothes, 'shit, even as a slave, I had better clothing!' he cursed and run into a secluded alley and made sure he isn't being watched

"I hope this works..." he touches his clothes and out his fingers lightning cam out!

"yes! it works! and it's blue...I have it blue!" Hohenheim laughed heartily, blue lightning proves that he isn't immortal again, he was afraid that the old living cycle would come to bite him, even in the new world!

the lightning quickly moved around his clothes, and the alchemy magic happened, soon the gapes in the clothes is fixed, and the boots he is wearing doesn't open every time he walks

"Good! my alchemy is still workin–!" he was stopped suddenly as he had started to spin, and his breathing become fast

"haaah, haaah! what the hell? I feel like I ran 10 miles!" he said while panting, and at the same time, he felt that something else draining from him, not as fast as his stamina, but it was there, "I didn't even change the material yet...the thing that drains from me...I feel if I changed the material even for a bit, my mind would shut down and fall unconscious! what in the truth name was that?!"

he sit down and tried to regulate his breathing, after a few minutes, he managed to calm down and breathe normally, "let's be more careful next time... whatever happened to me, is connected to thing drained..in my mind." he said to himself

"at least I look like a human being now." he said lighting his mood up and walking down out the alley... "in a few minutes...I have the duty of a supporter...let's meet my 'teammates'" he sneered, Hohenheim was a pacifist his whole life, but now that he turned teen, he decided to let these teenage hormones loose for a bit

"are you watching me.. Trisha.. it seems my life isn't ending any soon.." he smiled faintly and walked towards the babel tower...