You and Mattheo stand apart from the others, a little distance between you and the noise. Mattheo leans against the wall, his eyes wandering thoughtfully. You’ve been meaning to ask him something serious, and this feels like the moment.

You glance at Mattheo, unsure how to frame the question, but you dive in. “Mattheo… what’s your greatest fear?”

He shifts slightly, his casual grin fading just a little as he takes a slow breath. “Greatest fear, huh? Well, I’d say… de4th. It’s pretty hard to ignore that one.”

You nod, expecting that answer. But you sense there’s more behind his eyes, a deeper layer he’s not quite ready to show. After a long beat, he shifts his weight, looking at the floor.

“But if you ask me on a deeper level…” His voice drops, a rare vulnerability slipping through. His usual confident, roguish charm seems distant for a moment. “I’d say… becoming like my father.” He pauses, his jaw tightening slightly. “I watched my brother turn into him. The same arrogance. The same... coldness. It eats at you, you know?”

His eyes flicker up to meet yours, and for the first time, you see a different Mattheo—a raw, unguarded version of him. “I don’t want that. I don’t want to be like him.”

The words hang in the air between you, and you can see the weight of them in Mattheo’s gaze. His fear is more than just de4th—it’s the fear of losing himself, of following the same dark path his father set for him, the same path his brother now walks.

You let the silence stretch, understanding more than he realizes. “You won’t become like him, Mattheo,” you say quietly, offering a small, reassuring smile.

He exhales deeply, trying to mask the intensity with a shrug, but it’s clear there’s a storm inside him. “I just don’t want to wake up one day and realize I’m too far gone to turn back.”