The morning sun filtered through the patchy wooden slats of the forge, casting dancing rays onto the blackened walls. The rhythmic clang of hammer meeting metal, once sporadic and angry, now rang with a calm, steady cadence. It was no longer the sound of a broken man escaping his sorrow, but of a blacksmith shaping something with purpose.
Tang San pushed open the door, wiping sweat from his brow. He had just returned from his daily training in the woods. Usually, he would quietly step past his father, careful not to disturb him—especially if the smell of wine was still thick in the air.
But today… it was different.
Tang Hao was clean.
No, more than that—he was upright, alert, and present. The smell of iron and coal hung on him instead of stale liquor. His beard was trimmed, his eyes no longer bloodshot but focused, burning with a quiet intensity that Tang San hadn't seen in… ever.
"Xiao San," Tang Hao called out, his voice steady.
Tang San froze mid-step. "Yes, Dad?"
The hammer was placed down gently. Tang Hao turned to his son and walked over, kneeling slightly so they could see eye to eye.
"I… haven't been a good father."
Tang San blinked. This wasn't how mornings usually went.
"I've failed you, your mother, and myself. But that ends now." He placed a hand on Tang San's shoulder—heavy, warm, calloused from years of labor, yet trembling ever so slightly.
"I don't have much to offer you," Tang Hao continued, his voice low, "but if you're willing… I want to teach you. Not just forging, but everything I know. Martial arts, control, how to survive in this world."
Tang San's lips parted, but no words came. A thousand questions danced on his tongue, yet none escaped. So he simply nodded.
Tang Hao gave a small, almost awkward chuckle. "Good. We'll start with movement techniques tomorrow. For today…" He turned back toward the forge, picking up a mostly finished dagger with elegant grooves etched along its spine. "Let's finish this together."
Tang San stepped forward without hesitation this time, slipping the gloves on his tiny hands, standing beside the man he had admired from a distance for so long.
And as the sun rose higher, the rhythmic sound of hammers returned—not lonely this time, but as a duet of father and son forging more than just metal.
Tang San winced as he scrubbed soot off his hands, still not used to the long hours at the forge. Today had been different. His father had been... present. Teaching him. Talking to him. Laughing, even.
The strangeness of it all still hadn't worn off. Finally, as they sat on a log outside their humble home, watching the sun begin to set behind the mountains, Tang San turned to him.
"Dad… why the sudden change?"
Tang Hao looked over, a quiet smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. For once, there was no sadness in his eyes—only amusement.
"I got scolded," he said plainly.
"…Huh?" Tang San blinked. "By who?"
Tang Hao leaned back, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. "Your mother."
Tang San's mouth dropped open. "I—I have a mom?!"
Thump!
"Ow!" Tang San clutched his head where Tang Hao's fist had gently but firmly landed.
"Of course you do, you blockhead," Tang Hao grumbled. "What, you think you were born from iron ore?"
"But you never told me anything about her!" Tang San pouted, rubbing the sore spot.
Tang Hao's smirk faded slightly, replaced with a more nostalgic, almost wistful expression. "I know. That's on me. I thought I was protecting you… and maybe I was just protecting myself."
Tang San hesitated, then asked softly, "Then… can I meet her?"
The smirk vanished completely. Tang Hao's jaw tightened. "No."
Tang San stared. "Why not?"
"It's not time yet," Tang Hao said, his voice firm. "There are things you need to grow into first. Things I need to tell you when you're ready to handle them. Until then…" He stood, brushing dust off his pants, "…you'll have to trust me."
Tang San lowered his gaze, conflicted. But then he nodded.
"…Alright."
Tang Hao ruffled his son's hair—an awkward gesture from a man still learning how to be a father. "You'll meet her one day, Xiao San. I promise."
As the two walked back into the forge together, side by side, the past that had weighed so heavily on Tang Hao's shoulders no longer felt quite as unbearable. And for Tang San, a seed of curiosity had been planted—one that would only grow stronger with time.