Should I learn Rust or C as my second language after Python?

I'm at an intermediate–advanced level in Python and I've done several projects. Now I'm looking to pick up a second language that brings me closer to systems-level programming.

Initially, I was leaning toward C because it's closer to the metal and widely used for low-level work. But I've heard a lot about Rust being safer and more modern — though also harder to learn, especially with its ownership model.

I want to understand how things work under the hood and eventually build low-level tools or libraries.

So, should I start with C and then move to Rust later? Or jump into Rust directly and learn systems concepts along the way?

Would love to hear what worked for you, especially if you also started with Python.