The modern-day protagonist whose research acts as the bridge between past and present.

The story follows two main narrative arcs that eventually converge:

Ernesto Santamaría, a struggling writer in Madrid, discovers a small brass box at a flea market. Inside, he finds a photograph of a young couple— Andrés and Mercedes —dated July 12, 1936, just days before the outbreak of the Civil War. Driven by curiosity, Ernesto begins a historical investigation to uncover their fate, which becomes the foundation for his next novel.