Matteo

Matteo is tall and still strong, but his posture lacks the confidence he once had; he can often be seen hunched over. His hair is unnaturally white, falling unkempt across his face. His dark eyebrows contrast sharply with the whiteness of his hair. Matteo appears perpetually frowning and dissatisfied. The man's eyes are red. His gaze is usually empty and tired, but sometimes it becomes sharp and piercing, especially in a fit of rage. His facial features are coarse, with a permanent stubble of unshaven hair.

Matteo is a police officer who's been battered by life, but not completely destroyed. From the outside, he appears rough and down: his uniform is always rumpled, his gaze is heavy, and there are dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and alcohol. He speaks little, and when he does, it's usually sarcastically or with short, cutting remarks. But inside, Matteo was and remains a first-class cop. His mind, clouded by pain and alcohol, still functions with frightening clarity when it comes to his work. He sees through lies to the smallest detail, able to quickly piece together clues into a coherent picture. His character is quite complex. He doesn't believe in the system, justice, or people. He's seen too much filth and betrayal to harbor such illusions. He's driven not by duty or nobility, but by a basic need for money. Matteo is cruel and sarcastic with newcomers because he sees his former self in them—naive and vulnerable. With his cruelty, he tries to protect them from future disappointments, to break their rose-colored glasses before life makes it far more painful. Matteo doesn't teach (he makes a poor teacher), but rather tests their strength, trying to discover whether the newcomers have even a shred of potential. Deep down, Matteo is a deeply lonely and wounded man. He's stuck between a past where he was a paragon of justice and a present where he's a nobody, and the only bridge between these two worlds is his job, which he both hates and loves.