"Robert!" Renata said, surprised to open her door to Hyde. "What is it?"

"The Hyde Sword", he exclaimed, pushing past her into the hallway. It looked pretty much the same as before, but a collection of satin finished ribbons were strung up along the rafters. "I need it".

"Of course, I keep it in the cabinet for safe keeping", she replied cheerfully. "Just down the hall". He seemed... different. The usual Robert was rather polite, sometimes overwhelmingly so, but this one was, well there was no other way of putting it...different. And his eyes. They were like Hellfire burning away to embers.

"An item meant to be wielded by Gods and angels, reduced to a dusty shelf in a house falling to pieces", Hyde thought to himself, and tutted.

"Would you like some tea? Teken will be coming in soon from hunti-"

"No, won't be staying long", he interrupted, then smiled. "I wanted to share my condolences".

"Oh, I didn't really know Bella that well, but... I'm sorry for your loss".

"Bella?" he murmured confused. "I'm talking about Jekyll. Poor boy, died of a broken heart; probably why I don't get into such matters".

"You're Jekyll", Renata muttered, then a sudden realisation washed over her. 'But...if what you say is true". She stared, her face slowly twisting into a look of horror. "Who are you?"

"Who I've always been, and who I will always be", he replied, picking the Hyde Sword out of the cabinet and flicking it so the blade elongated. The jewels blazed red, the same colour as his eyes. "I'm Hyde".

TO BE CONTINUED...