Across from him stood the younger man—still fresh, his skin still smooth as the first bloom of spring. The term “novinho” might have been used in jest, but there was nothing juvenile about the way his eyes held the room, daring the world to underestimate his vigor. He was lean, the kind of body that had been sculpted by youthful exuberance and a promise of endless possibilities. His confidence radiated, a palpable tension that seemed to vibrate through the very air they breathed.