Yes, Matthias was a selfish creature. Even now, he’s telling himself these feelings he has for Sam are borne of that. Sam was his, after all. His chosen companion for all these long years. But… didn’t that make Matthias’ Sam’s, too? Sam could part ways with him at any time. That was the deal: until one of them tired of the other.

Was the demon capable of love? He wasn’t convinced. All this could just be the byproduct of comfort mixed with his natural possessiveness. Yet, whatever doubts he had didn’t stop him from uttering, “I will accept you as my only one.”