Everything was dark. Dark was the only way he could describe it. Visibilty: zero. He didn't feel anything either. Like he was floating in the middle of space. Empty space. Not that he knew what space was like, but he assumed this was what it felt like.

It must have been years by the time the voice spoke to him. It didn't come from any certain direction. More like it was all around him.

"Welcome, Edward."

"Where… am I?" His voice was new and strange. "And… who are you? Are you… God, or something?" The voice snickered.

"No, I'm not God. I'm far beneath any God. And you are inside the Gate."

"The Gate?"

"Yes, you came here after you died." Surprise crackled through his body.

"I died? I'm dead?" His voice trembled. A hand suddenly protruded from the darkness, a light grey with a luminescence about it. The hand was followed by an arm, which led up to a shoulder, a neck, and finally, a face. The face was soft and androgynous, presenting no obvious gender. Two grey eyes peered at him as the hand cupped his cheek. A half-smile quirked the face's mouth.

"Yes, Edward. You don't remember? No matter; I'll take care of you."

"Take care of me? Who are you? And why am I here?" A grey finger was pressed to his lips.

"Shh…" The eyes softened and the being smiled gently. "I'm the Truth. The real Truth." Edward's golden eyes widened. He opened his mouth to voice his surprised, but the Truth shushed him again. "Don't worry, you're safe here." The grey hand stroked his hair, and he found the gesture oddly comforting. "You've met the Guardian, the little brat outside the Gate. He's the one who takes care of the Equivalent Exchange. I'm sure he made you believe he was the Truth. But he doesn't have the knowledge of the World. He only retains what people bring him. I, on the other hand, know everything."

"But… how did… how did this happen? How did I get here?" The Truth smiled sadly and a second arm appeared, and he was pulled into a gentle embrace.

"You… you killed yourself."