Rafael crouched down as Marco had instructed, positioning his legs apart and stretching his hands forward. He grasped the barbell and lifted it to his chest, but suddenly, one of the weight plates slipped.
Rafael's eyes widened in shock as the plate dropped, narrowly missing his leg. In his panic, he stumbled backward and fell, the remaining weight plate crashing down on his leg, the metal striking the exposed skin.
"Fuck!" Rafael exclaimed as pain shot through his right leg. Tears welled up in his eyes, his vision blurring with the intensity of the pain.
The sound of heavy metal hitting the floor drew everyone's attention. People quickly gathered around the source of the noise.
The gym instructor was the first to reach Rafael, crouching down to assess the damage. A large red bruise had already formed on his leg. Marco arrived moments later, his face filled with concern.
