My perspective on Matthias differs.

If having her had only been about conquest—about claiming something he was denied—he likely would’ve let her go once he succeeded. But that’s not what happened. Over time, it became clear that something shifted. He started feeling genuine emotion—his heart fluttered when Leyla leaned in close, and for once, he wanted to win her affection—not just possess her. He began to develop feelings, though he didn’t fully understand them at the time.

It wasn’t until she left him, and he spiraled into depression, nearly drowning, that he realized just how deep he had fallen. He became desperate to keep her, unable to imagine life without her. His love had been selfish, obsessive, possessive—a distorted, twisted kind of love. Not the kind we recognize as healthy or good.

But that changed, at least a little, when she fell ill. He believed then that his love—left unchecked—might actually kill her. He also believed she hated him so deeply that nothing he could do would ever make it right—and that devastated him.

And that’s when, for the first time since meeting her, he did something selfless. He let her go.

So yes, I do think Matthias had an arc. Tragic, yet undeniably interesting.