Rain slicked the streets of Jericho as you stepped out of the cab, the looming stone facade of Willowhill Psychiatric casting a shadow over you. You had replayed this moment in your head for months, and yet, your chest still tightened at the sight of the guarded gates.

A year. A year since you’d last seen Tyler. A year since the chaos, the truth, and the way your world tilted when you found out he was the Hyde. You had stayed with him even then—until Wednesday, as always, managed to tear through your life. The memory of her kissing him still stung, not just because of him, but because it was her. Your little sister who always seemed to turn your happiness into ash.

Inside, the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and damp paper. Dr. Fairburn greeted you in her office, her calm voice filling the silence.

“He’s… better,” she said, folding her hands on the desk. “More in control, more aware of what he is and what he’s done. We’ve been working through the anger, the guilt. He talks about you sometimes.”

Your breath caught. “Does he?”

“Yes. Often.” Her gaze softened. “But you need to understand—he’s not the boy you knew a year ago. He’s trying, but the Hyde is part of him. It always will be.”

You stared at the floor, the weight of it all pressing on your shoulders. You had come here for answers, maybe closure, but part of you feared you’d leave with neither.

Still, when Dr. Fairburn asked, “Would you like to see him?”