It was a Wednesday morning.
The atmosphere in Augusto's office was heavy.
Luis sat across the desk, with Augusto and Miguel. Unlike other conversations, there was no coffee being served, no casual remarks.
Augusto's expression was serious.
More than usual.
He placed his hands on the desk before speaking:
"I called you here today because we are entering a situation… that is slowly becoming unsustainable."
Luis immediately frowned.
"What do you mean by that, father?"
Without answering right away, Augusto opened a small wooden box on the desk. From it, he took several letters, already handled many times.
He selected one and pushed it toward his son.
"Do you recognize this name?"
Luis picked up the letter.
His eyes quickly scanned the paper until they found the signature.
Eduardo Vasconcelos de Albuquerque.
"My grandfather…?" he murmured, surprised.
Augusto nodded.
"For approximately four months, he has been contacting me repeatedly."
Miguel crossed his arms, serious.
"And that is not something common," he added.
Augusto continued:
"Our family's situation… is starting to become a problem."
Luis leaned forward slightly.
"What kind of problem?"
Augusto took a deep breath before answering.
"Your grandfather has been warning us. There are people, within the new government, who are trying to completely eliminate the monarchist presence in the country."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Luis narrowed his eyes.
Augusto then began to explain, calmly but firmly:
"Post-Imperial Brazil is not like other nations. There was no civil war, no massacres… no bloodshed like in other regime changes."
He paused briefly.
"But that does not mean there are no conflicts."
Miguel nodded subtly.
Augusto continued:
"The Brazilian monarchy was always very well regarded by the people. Dom Pedro I… and especially Dom Pedro II… were respected figures."
He slowly stood and walked to the window.
"The republicans knew this. They were afraid of provoking the population with extreme measures."
"That's why everything happened in a… silent way."
Augusto looked outside for a few seconds before continuing:
"Even Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca… the man who led the fall of the Empire… had an ambiguous relationship with the monarchy."
Luis frowned, recalling information about that period.
"He admired Dom Pedro II," Augusto said, "but above all, he was loyal to the Army. And he was deeply dissatisfied with the military situation at the time."
He turned back to face his son.
"The Proclamation of the Republic happened almost in secret. A large part of the country only found out months later."
Luis remained silent, absorbing it.
He knew this.
But hearing it that way… within that context…
Was different.
Much more real.
Augusto rested his hands on the desk again.
"Brazil is too large. Information takes time to spread. That made any organized reaction by monarchists difficult."
Miguel added:
"And now… time is being used against them."
Augusto nodded.
"Many lost everything. Others were exiled. But there are still remnants within the government, the army, and especially the navy."
He looked directly into Luis's eyes.
"And that is exactly what is bothering certain people."
Silence returned.
Heavier this time.
"More than half a year has passed since the fall of the Empire," Augusto continued, "and now the republican government is beginning to act in a more… decisive manner."
Luis tightened his grip on the letter in his hand.
"And grandfather…?"
Augusto answered without hesitation:
"He has been trying to contain this situation for months."
Miguel added in a grave tone:
"But it's becoming increasingly difficult."
Augusto concluded:
"The situation… is slowly becoming unsustainable."
The weight of the words lingered in the air.
And, for the first time since awakening in that new life…
Luis realized something with absolute clarity.
He was not just in another time.
He was about to be drawn into a real conflict.
And this time…
It would not be only about ideas.
It would be about survival.