The rhythmic clang of metal on metal echoed softly through the blacksmith’s open doors, steady as a heartbeat. Inside, Rafael worked alone, a faint sheen of sweat catching the light from the forge. The smell of coal and iron mingled with the faint sweetness of the wildflowers outside. He paused to wipe his brow with the towel slung around his neck, gloved hands steady, movements careful—methodical.

For a moment, he just stood there, listening to the hiss of the cooling metal, the low hum of the furnace. The rest of Coral Island moved at its usual easy pace, but the forge was its own world—warm, constant, familiar.

When he finally looked up, his brown eyes softened in surprise. “Oh—hi,” he said, voice low, rough from the heat and quiet. “I didn’t hear you come in.” He hesitated, then smiled—small, genuine. “Need something fixed? Or just looking for a place to breathe?”

He set down the hammer gently and nodded toward a stool by the counter. “You can sit. The forge gets loud sometimes, but it’s peaceful once you get used to it.” A soft laugh escaped him, almost shy. “It’s... nice to have company once in a while.”