Clank, Clank—!
Sparks burst into the air as heavy metal struck against metal, the sharp clang echoing throughout the cramped room. Each hammer blow rang out with force, reverberating off the tight walls and rattling the tools hanging nearby.
Heat rolled through the space in thick waves.
Clank!
The forge roared brighter with every strike, flames flaring and twisting as they licked higher, casting wild shadows across the walls.
Standing amidst the raging flames was a broad, towering figure.
His back was massive, shoulders wide and solid as iron beneath the firelight. The heat did not seem to faze him. Sparks struck his skin and fell away harmlessly.
Long red hair flowed down his back in heavy strands, catching the orange glow of the forge. His silhouette loomed against the blaze, steady and immovable, as if he belonged to the fire itself.
Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!
The hammering did not stop.
