Before the people of Newport, before his friendship with Spencer, and before the meteor that rewrote their story, Pequindo grew up in the sun‑lit kitchens of Portaventa, raised by modest bakers and a loving, tight‑knit community. He tried his hand at many tasks, eager to find his place in the world. He apprenticed with the local locksmith, learned the rhythms of baking and coffee, and picked up the trade tongues spoken by merchants and travellers. Along the way, he fell for a girl from San’Serienne who stole his heart, someone he loved quietly and lost twice. He endured a string of funerals and steady pressure from the wider family with the same patience he brought to his orchids, choosing small, bright comforts to soften the darkness gathering around him.

Everything changed when his sister and her husband died, leaving his young nephew orphaned. Knowing he couldn’t raise the boy in a place where sorrow lived in every corner, and faced uncles who tried to bind him with guilt and tradition. Something in him finally broke. He chose two futures over their expectations, sold the bakery, and left Portaventa behind.