“There’s no such thing as a painless lesson. But if you can endure it, you’ll be stronger for it.” — Roy Mustang

Truth speaks in a broken whisper: “You took your brother back without giving me anything. Do you know what that cost the universe?”

Ed wakes in the real world, shaken. He says nothing to Al but touches his chest where the watch sits. The final battle takes on new weight: they aren’t just fighting Father—they’re fighting for the right to define what “equivalent” means.