Marvel: Familia System

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Edward pushed his way up the frozen path, the cold biting into his skin, but that wasn't what bothered him. His metal arm dragged at his side, heavier with each step. 'I should thank Winry if I see her again.' He gritted his teeth, pushing forward. The automail she'd made was lighter than the usual iron limbs, but it still wasn't his flesh and bone. The metal joint creaked slightly as he clenched his fist, focusing on the next ridge above.

Looking at the distant peak, Edward exhaled sharply, watching his breath fog in the icy air. "Still a long way to go." He muttered, dragging his metal arm higher up the jagged terrain.

Only if I could use alchemy. He thought to himself, before dismissing the idea. But he was too stubborn to use it; he wouldn't use it. He was determined to finish this challenge on his own, with just his body—flesh and steel.

It took another full day and night for Edward to finally reach the summit. His breath came in short gasps, the cold air cutting into his lungs. Standing at the peak of Everest, he could see nothing but a sea of white beneath him.

Edward looked ahead and saw a figure sitting serenely at the peak, the wind tugging at her robes as she brewed tea. Despite the freezing winds biting into his face, she remained undisturbed, as though the cold didn't exist for her. It was surreal, almost otherworldly.

"Ah, you arrived just in time," she greeted with a calm smile, gesturing toward a rock across from her. A small table, nothing more than a wooden plank placed on the snow-covered ground, separated them.

Edward, exhausted but intrigued, took a seat opposite her. He accepted the steaming cup of tea she offered, the warmth immediately soothing his frozen fingers. "Thanks... The Ancient One." He sipped it carefully, studying her as he spoke.

The Ancient One raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. "You know me?"

A small grin crept onto Edward's face. "My path was to seek you out. It'd be pretty pathetic if I didn't even know my own goal, don't you think?"

The Ancient One chuckled, acknowledging his words with a nod. "True. Though, many who seek never realize the gravity of what they're searching for." Her gaze turned sharper, but her tone remained light. "Are you ready for what you seek?"

Edward leaned back slightly, letting the warmth of the tea settle in his chest. "I wouldn't have climbed all this way if I wasn't." He set the cup down, his metal fingers tapping against its rim. "I'm not here for shortcuts. I'm not looking for any quick answers either."

The Ancient One's eyes flickered with something akin to understanding, perhaps respect. "Not many can resist the temptation of power, especially when it's right in front of them."

"I've seen what shortcuts cost," Edward muttered, his expression tightening briefly before he shook it off. "That's not why I'm here."

She gave a slow nod, seemingly pleased with his answer. "And why are you here?"

Edward looked up, scanning the Ancient One's calm, neutral expression. He then brought his hands together, palms pressed in the familiar motion he'd repeated thousands of times in his life. The snow around them trembled, shifting under his will. Slowly, jagged rocks broke through the frost, rising in a controlled wave around them.

"I have enough power already," Edward said, his voice firm yet calm. "What I'm seeking is knowledge. I want to master Eldritch Magic. I heard Kamar-Taj is the place for it."

The Ancient One watched the rocks rearrange themselves before gently settling back into the snow. Her eyes, sharp and focused, lingered on Edward's mechanical arm, then his face, studying him with an intensity that betrayed curiosity. "Interesting," she said, a note of intrigue coloring her tone.

It wasn't every day that The Ancient One found herself unable to glimpse someone's past or future. But Edward Elric was one such anomaly. She had foreseen an intriguing individual reaching the summit at this time, but beyond that, there was only uncertainty. He was like a void, something rare in her extensive experience, which made this encounter even more curious.

She folded her hands on her lap, studying him. His frame radiated both exhaustion and unwavering resolve. Though he wore the weight of his metal arm heavily, it didn't diminish his presence. His gaze, hard and determined, showed a man who was no stranger to suffering or perseverance.

"Interesting," she murmured, her eyes still on him, though she wasn't addressing anyone in particular.

Edward said nothing, sipping his tea. "So, what do you make of this place?" she finally asked, her voice calm, with no hint of the gravity that typically accompanied such a question.

Edward placed the cup down, fingers lingering briefly on its edge before speaking. "Cold," he muttered. "But I've dealt with worse."

The Ancient One chuckled softly, her lips curving into a small smile. "Indeed. And you didn't use alchemy." Her tone was half a question, half an acknowledgment.

"I didn't come here to take the easy way out." His voice carried no arrogance, only fact. The refusal to use alchemy was more than just a choice for him; it was part of the journey, his way of proving he could overcome his limitations without relying on the power he'd dedicated his life to mastering.

She nodded, "And where did you hear about Kamar-Taj?"

Edward gave a brief smile, his lips barely curling up. "A guy I knew with a broken spine was playing basketball."

The Ancient One arched an eyebrow, but no words were needed. Edward's answer was vague, but clear enough for someone like her. She understood. Eldritch Magic, under the right discipline, could heal wounds even the most advanced sciences would call hopeless. It wasn't rare for some who lacked the hunger for power to heal themselves and leave, living the rest of their lives in peace.

He sipped his tea again, the warmth spreading through him as he lowered the cup.

"Interesting choice of words," she said, her voice light, but probing.

"It's the truth," Edward shrugged. "But that's not why I'm here."

She observed him for a moment, then smiled, a small, knowing smile. "You've come a long way, both in distance and in spirit. So, what is it you seek?"

"I already told you. Knowledge," Edward said flatly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Power... it's a tool, but without the wisdom to wield it, it's just destruction waiting to happen."

The Ancient One's eyes gleamed with understanding. She placed her cup on the table and leaned back, folding her arms beneath her robes. "And you believe Kamar-Taj is where you'll find this knowledge?"

"It's a start," he said, unphased by her scrutiny.

"Mastering Eldritch Magic won't be as simple as alchemy. You're asking to learn a discipline that defies the very rules you've built your world around." Her tone wasn't patronizing, more like a teacher giving a stern but necessary warning.

"Don't get me wrong," the Ancient One continued, her voice smooth as the mountain winds swirling around them. "Alchemy is no simple art. In fact, it's likely more intricate than what I can teach you. You've already sacrificed enough to understand its depths. But it is that very commitment that makes learning something new so challenging." She paused, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto Edward's. "It's like someone who has mastered walking on their hands trying to switch back to their feet. Theoretically easier, but your body has learned to move differently."

Edward's fingers twitched around the cup. He felt the subtle shift in her words, the quiet challenge embedded in the analogy. "I'm not one to shy away from a difficult path," he said simply, setting his cup down with a controlled movement.

She tilted her head, watching him closely. "That much is clear. But you do realize, this isn't just about determination." There was a pause, and the sound of snow crunching under the distant wind filled the gap. "The rules of Eldritch Magic don't align with your mastery. It requires a different mindset—one that bends, twists, and reshapes reality without breaking it. You've built your life on the principles of equivalent exchange, on solid ground. But here... that ground can shift in an instant."

Edward chuckled, the sound low and dry. His laughter caught the Ancient One off guard for a moment.

"I once learned about a way to gain power beyond even the laws of equivalent exchange," he began, his voice taking on a cold, matter-of-fact tone. "But it required a different kind of sacrifice—human soul, a lot of them."

The Ancient One's serene expression shifted just a little. A frown pulled at the corner of her mouth. She had made her own bargains in the past—ones that had prolonged her life and given her the strength to protect the world. Her gaze sharpened.

"If there's one thing I've come to understand," Edward continued, his gaze steady, "it's that there's always a price for power. Nothing comes free, not even here. You mentioned Eldritch Magic could shift the ground beneath me in an instant." He paused, letting the implication sink in. "But what's the cost of that shift?"

She looked at Edward and nodded. "Indeed, we draw energy from other dimensions to fuel our spells."

Edward's expression remained flat. "Figured as much."

There was no need to dwell on it; the idea wasn't new to him. The fundamentals might differ, but the cost was always there—nothing came free. Not in alchemy, not in magic. He wouldn't need to spell it out either. The woman sitting across from him likely understood more than she was willing to say.

"Is there anything else you're not telling me?" Edward asked, glancing at her.

The Ancient One smiled, her tone measured, "Plenty. But you'll find out in time."

"I'm sure." Edward leaned back on the rock, shifting his metal arm in his lap.

"So, you really not after power." She raised an eyebrow, as if she was trying to draw more out of him.

He snorted softly, "I didn't climb up here to end up like the guy I once tried to fix." The unspoken implication lingered between them.

The Ancient One didn't need more clarification—she'd likely dealt with enough people clawing for power to recognize someone steering clear of that path. Smiling, she rose gracefully and, with a subtle wave of her hands, traced a fiery circle in the air. The flames licked the edges of reality itself, and within moments, a portal shimmered into existence. Through it, Edward glimpsed a new realm—Kamar-Taj. "Welcome to Kamar-Taj, Edward." She paused, her eyes twinkling slightly. "I still don't know your name."

Edward stood, his body aching from the climb but still steady. "Edward. Edward Elric. Pleased to meet you, Ancient One."

She nodded, her expression unreadable. "A pleasure indeed.

Edward followed the Ancient One through the fiery portal. As he stepped into Kamar-Taj, the shift from the icy Everest peak to the hidden sanctum felt almost surreal, as though he'd crossed an entire world in a single step. The air here was calm, filled with a strange energy that buzzed beneath the surface, and even the stone walls seemed to hum with latent power.

The Ancient One led him through winding corridors, as they passed monks and students, who acknowledged the Ancient One with respectful nods but cast curious glances at Edward. When they reached a quieter room, she gestured for him to sit on the floor across from her. Edward settled down, as he looked around. The room was bare save for intricate patterns etched into the floor, forming symbols he didn't recognize.

He was floating, his perspective altered in a way that was disorienting yet strangely liberating. Below him, he saw himself still seated across from the Ancient One, his physical form faintly visible, almost like a shadow. The realization clicked immediately—this was his astral self.

"Observe," she murmured, her own voice somehow reaching him despite the vastness of the void surrounding them. She stretched out a hand, and suddenly, they were gliding through countless worlds, dimensions unfurling around them like a map of the multiverse. The laws of physics, the rules he'd built his life around, were utterly irrelevant here.

Edward couldn't help but let out a small, surprised breath as he witnessed energy flowing between realms, life forms both recognizable and alien flickering past him. He caught sight of entire dimensions collapsing and reforming, vast cosmic entities, and energies that felt both vibrant and menacing. It was beautiful, overwhelming—and undeniably powerful.

"This is the basis of Eldritch Magic," she explained. "To manipulate, reshape, and draw upon energy from realms beyond your own. But unlike alchemy, which has its boundaries, Eldritch Magic requires intuition, trust in the unseen, and an acceptance of chaos."

Edward focused, watching the complex interactions in the endless void. He was silent for a moment, absorbing the implications. "So this is where the cost comes in," he said finally, his tone flat. "We're pulling energy from somewhere else. That power must come from something or someone."

"Correct." Her gaze sharpened. "Every spell, every manipulation has a consequence. Here, the cost is not fixed like in alchemy. Here, the price is paid in ways you may not foresee or control."

Edward nodded once, the information already shifting into place in his mind. He could feel the weight of it all, a discipline as layered and unpredictable as the worlds they had just glimpsed.

When he returned to his body, he opened his eyes slowly, meeting the Ancient One's steady gaze. "You're not teaching me a skill," he said, his voice quiet but certain. "You're teaching me how to let go of control."

A flicker of approval crossed her face. "You understand quickly. But knowing and mastering are two very different things, Edward." She paused, studying him with that penetrating gaze. "We'll see how far you're willing to go. I'll warn you now—if you choose this path, it will change you in ways you cannot reverse."

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