《The maskerade of DR. Jekyll and MR Hyde》 CHAPTER 1: The 5 Steps to Infamy, Part 1 Roland Fellows, born into privilege but marred by tragedy, found solace in the care of his devoted servants after losing his parents in a fatal plane crash. Though excluded from the family military contracting business, Roland, indifferent to wealth and power, pursued his childhood dream of becoming an actor against his late parents'' wishes. No matter how many reports they received on their son''s talent, Mr and Mrs Fellows scoffed at a child performing so well, thinking their tutors wished to suck up to the family heads using their son as a step ladder to do so. While his uncle provided a modest allowance and loyal servants, Roland''s focus on acting flourished. Despite his late family''s scepticism, he navigated the industry with shrewdness, avoiding unfavourable contracts and playing the long game. His distinctive red hair and flawless complexion made him a sought-after talent, gaining him a dedicated following and B+ celebrity status by adulthood. Roland''s acting life unfolded effortlessly on and off the stage. The allure of constantly changing personas fueled his passion as a child, but as success mounted, the thrill waned. Mastering roles, deceiving his fans and public alike, it all became second nature - leaving him unchallenged. Convinced that the world held no more obstacles, he embarked on a daring descent into the criminal underworld, seeking a new kind of challenge in the shadows. He was soon assassinated by his uncle when his skill began to turn the man''s investors to his side. ___________________________________ In the heart of the city, nestled between the towering clockwork structures, stood an inconspicuous bookshop. Its faded lettering that read "Corono¡¯s Corner", hinted at the contents of its innards being that of history books. This bookstore was now run by a young man. Said man was only 17 years of age, although his known reclusive personality made him appear to others as an old hermit. A somewhat frail man with neck long, slightly curled brunette hair, was sitting on a simple wood chair. In fact, all of the furnishings; from the wardrobe, the bookshelves, and the very desk he sat by were simply crafted. Any 3rd party would have seen his form, and would tell you he was weak when compared to even the average citizens. This could be chalked up to his slim frame that lacked any muscle that an engineer or farmhand at the time would usually possess. No, from his soft skin, to his kind hazel eyes, and even the moss green vest that he would wear over a plain white shirt pointed to him being a librarian. The man flips through his journal, a common leather bound book that showed signs of being worn, until he got to the first page. If anyone had seen what this young man wrote, well, shock would only come natural to them. The passage that was written read as such: Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡®I have saved the coins I stole for this journal as a way to collect these facts exactly 1 week into my possession of this body. All following entries will be made 2-3 days after the event, so be assured readers, everything written is factual as of the time.¡¯ ¡®A baseline analysis as of that time revealed that I was in the body of a 11 ? year old boy. I found this out by asking others around me questions. This is how I discovered that this gang of street urchins had been friends of the body, and who expected me to die from the severe cold that he had at the time.¡¯ The man read further entries while a glint was present in those eyes. ¡®It would seem that after my ¡®exit¡¯ in front of my uncle, I had been reincarnated in a corps. It was disadvantageous that I was without adequate funds or support, but I played the part of a friend and child thief like any professional.¡¯ ¡®It should also be taken into account that although this city makes use of both magic and steam in ways that would be seen as impossible in my past life, the city that I have seen within the slums was nothing special. Almost all of the city''s people are separated into districts, with only the royalty present in the palace being an exception.¡¯ ¡®The following are the rankings of the districts that I uncovered: 1. The Palace (royalty, noble guests and guard resistance) 2. The 1st district (Nobel housing with high end boutiques) 3. The 2nd district (only used for low - mid Inns, restaurants and shops) 4. The 3rd district (houses for the commoners who work) 5. The slums (no paved roads, mostly shack housing, home only to gangs and orphans)¡¯ ¡®I soon departed the group 2 weeks later to enact the plan that I had decided after learning the city layout and collecting useful information. My plan was to become friends with the bookstore owner, who at the time, showed signs of his apparent age.¡¯ ¡®After helping organise the books on the first day, it became apparent to me that I can subconsciously translate this world''s language. All profit made by the sales of books went into feeding both me and the shop owner, who was apparently named Izel Hazelwood, only the bare minimum to stay alive.¡¯ ¡®I of course used this to have the books arranged alphabetically, brightening the old man''s mood, who gave up due to his faulty eyesight. I am now officially hired by him and paid with meagre food scraps and the free access to the 100 strong history books present.¡¯ ¡®For those unaware, let me tell you reader why I have used this plan over others. As I had discovered while taking part in the urchins¡¯ small heists, the only place deemed ¡®untouchable¡¯ in these slums was this very shop. This was due to its conditions, that being the lack of customers leading to the old man not having to pay the tax off the gangs, and the books themselves not being worth the effort to steal and sell.¡¯ ___________________________________ A later chapter was read by the man. ¡®It has now been officially 5 years since my possession, and 1 year since the passing of old man Izel, leaving me with the shop. This puts my body at 16 ? years of age. Although I have the official Will that he wrote during his last days, not one person over this past year has questioned my position as owner. I had learnt that, although the man had a granddaughter still alive somewhere in the city, they had fallen out and as such he had no one but me to inherit this place. Although wishing that I could say I got a warm fuzzy feeling inside from helping the old man pass on with far fewer regrets, that would be far from the truth.¡¯ ¡®I have lost my empathy since I first became an actor for the masses, it was¡­ easier, that way. Due to living within the slums, and without any income for that matter, I had to use my experience doing my own stunts to escape after stealing money. This led to a bad taste forming within my mouth, why should I have to run from others when I can be so much MORE? The man reads the final line of that date. ''I have named this plan: The masquerade of DR. Jekyll and MR Hyde¡¯. CHAPTER 2: The 5 Steps to Infamy, Part 2 ¡®This plan may just be the most thrilling game that I have EVER thought up! One so complex, yet with premises so SIMPLE, I can hardly handle these feelings that well up from simply thinking of the terror people will soon feel!¡± The man''s face shows a frown as his eyes skate over the words he wrote all those years ago, yet he continues to the next entry. ¡®I would like to apologise to any reader who also feels disgust by my last entry 2 days ago, I let my love of games entice me too far. I have taken a step back and now wish to explain the premise of my plan. This is with the hope that when I die, let us hope not to old age, my crimes will be made public as a last laugh in the face of the city''s detectives. ¡®My plan consisted of the following:
  1. Obtain some way to disguise myself, it could be a magical potion or a mask and cloak.
  2. Use basic medical knowledge to improve the lives of other orphans, thus gaining a positive reputation and the title of ¡®DR¡¯.
  3. Train with an optimised routine with a range of meats from the market to gain a slim, but muscle layer body.
  4. Discover if I possess any elemental affinitys, by making use of the meditation techniques described within my books.
  5. Work my way up from the Slums to other districts, at night killing those who are corrupted under the guise of MR Hyde, only to then appear during the day as DR. Jekyll.¡¯
¡®It will take 1 year to successfully set up the board and half a year to gain the needed infamous reputation.¡¯ ___________________________________ The man turned to the final chapter that he himself wrote not an hour ago. ¡®for those who have been following my entry''s, 2 years worth in total, I will explain all my accomplishments in as few entries as possible.¡¯ ¡®To start us off, I can only hope that you are wondering what change in schedule would cost me a further half year to manage. To this I must make you aware of a wonderful discovery, that my body has an unexpectedly high affinity for the ¡®Illusion¡¯ element. I used this discovery to create a far superior MR Hyde disguise that I could transform between in only a few seconds (8-10 to be precise).¡¯ ¡®This disguise would have once hindered the frequency that I could commit myself to crime due to the 2nd district''s high end makeup being essential.¡¯ ¡®Now MR Hyde looks like an ashen skinned man, possessing both a head of flaming red hair and noticeable bags under his eyes. By taking off my padded under clothing, it is made apparent that, unlike the harmless shop keeper, MR Hyde has a toned body unlike the heavy set build needed for most jobs. My disguise is completed when I straighten my back, that is ever so slightly slouched as DR. Jekyll, while pairing it with slightly taller shoes.¡¯ Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®The mastery of such a skill was not easy, and had to be learnt from scratch by half a year''s worth of trial and error. In this time I also used my knowledge on sewing and the like to create my own set of clothes from those worn by Izel Hazelwood, the previous owner. This era finds it normal for slum and common workers to have 2 sets of clothes, as leisure clothing is considered only a necessity for the Nobles. I used scraps to put together a worn out ensemble for MR Hyde, while DR. Jekyll had clothes comparable to the working commoners instead of the Slum''s rags.¡¯ ¡®I will finish off this explanation with the reveal that my plan has been a success, all of the common people and slum workers know of MR Hyde. All that Is left is to strike fear into the Nobel''s who believe they can commit these acts in broad daylight without pressure from the knights-watch. They will soon be so terror struck I believe private army''s and knight task forces will be created to capture me - what fun!¡¯ ___________________________________ MR Roland Jekyll placed the book back into the hollowed out book labelled ¡®Professor Plum¡¯s guide to clocks 101¡¯. He then watched as the sun set on the owner of the kingdom¡¯s palace while a soft smile danced along his lips. His patchwork clothes did not seem to suit him, that Is until the air surrounded his figure shimmered, only to seemingly stick to his teachers like a mask. MR Hyde strained his slightly slouched back and tied the lakes of his dock worker boots, giving him a total of 1 inch extra height. His now slightly taller then most frame was recognisable to all as the night¡¯s killer- well almost all. He left his house through the shops¡¯ back window only to then hop from roof to roof on these tightly packed buildings. Using his career on stage to move gracefully and silently despite wearing such heavy shoes. EXTRA: ------------------------------------------------------ THE FOLLOWING IS THE WORLD / EMPIRE THAT ROLAND DISCOVERS DURING THE 8 YEAR TIME SKIP. In this unique world, a mediaeval monarchy reigns over lands imbued with technological marvels unexpected in the Victorian Era. A realm where knights in shining armour share the streets with steam-powered carriages, and towering clockwork structures. I have seen castles and citadels stand proudly, adorned with intricate ironwork while being powered by advanced machinery. Police are replaced by knights who use their elemental based magic to increase their strength and speed. Those with high stores of what''s referred to as ¡®Mana¡¯, can take up jobs where they infuse their element into stones that are then used akin to batteries. This is how machines are created and copyrighted by the Royal Palace, who funds these jobs through taxes. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The following are the rankings of the districts that he uncovered: The Palace (royalty, noble guests and guard resistance) The 1st district (Nobel housing with high end boutiques) The 2nd district (only used for low - mid Inns, restaurants and shops) The 3rd district (houses for the commoners who work) The Slums (no paved roads, mostly shack housing, home only to gangs and orp hans) CHAPTER 3: Baron Crevet Baron Crevet was an open book. Although positioned on the lowest rungs of this empire''s nobility, he has made little to no effort to cover the deeds committed both in his youth and present day. At 52 years old, he was a notorious scoundrel and sadist, possessing a list of crimes to make the most horrendous criminals appear saintly. Due to his business skills and thriving monopoly on the Empire¡¯s clothing, he could not only buy his title using his wealth, but commit such crimes. In case you got curious during that explanation, let me tell you this. That old man had killed at least 8 prostitutes and had his wife ¡®disappear¡¯ when rumours of her questioning the Church about a divorce arose. His only children are his prized son and daughter from his first and only marriage. While his daughter is treated as leftover baggage, having no say due to being born without Mana, the son fails to divert from his father''s path. At just 19 he had accomplished all that his father had and more. He was an particularly cruel young master, who would rip the fingernails off maids who refused his advances. Both him and his father would feel terror by sunrise. He has a head of black hair that¡¯s been slicked back by some solutions, with a slight weight gained from his love of food, typical nobleman¡¯s son. My targets were as wealthy as, if not more then the nobility above them, that being Viecount, Earl and Marquis, but not the Duke. Such wealth meant that only those most skilled in battle were hired to guard his estate within the 1st district. It should be noted that as I possess a Grade Epic affinity, I can enhance my already toned body to take down knights who have practiced for years to increase their Mana stores. Jumping off the wall surrounding the front of the mansion grounds, I sprinted forward, using my Mana to power my dash. Making use of my past life stunt experience, I parcored to the window and broke its¡¯ lock. To guarantee success, I dug my fingers into the ceiling as a crawledalong the ceiling. Spoting the 2 guards petroling I landed behind them with a solid ¡®THUMP!¡¯. It would be unlikely that these and other guards would be anything over the Rare grade, the number of taken out sentrys provided that answer. I felt lucky that only Mana users are allowed to become knights due to the dangers they must face, this meant I would not accidentally kill one of them. The man known to soon to be titled ¡®MR Hyde¡¯ swept through the new few guard patrols using this same tactic. As the door to the Baron¡¯s study was seen, Hyde put his plan into action. ___________________________________ Baron Crevet peeked at his door, frownimg. Perhaps he was hearing a passing patrol, those lousy knights needed to put in far more effort to earn the salary he paid them. Hearing another sound, he quickly grew furious at such an interruption from his own knight. ¡°Who¡¯s there at this ungodly hour, WELL?!¡± With powerful strides that did not suit his old age and shorter then average frame, he reached the door from his desk. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The study''s door flies wide open. The old Baron looks all around for the perpetrators, soon finding a silver coin layed next to some dirt. ¡°How DARE those knights bring this filth so close to me, I should have them fitted!.¡± He looks one more at the coin. ¡°But I suppose I could always cut their pay instead¡±. After he picked up the coin and closed the study door, the sound of a typewriter could once more be heard within. 30 minutes later, the clock struck 10:00pm, its'' chimes letting Crevet know that the time for bed was due. Perhaps he should invite another Harley into his bed, after all the good work this gentleman had to do today, he deserved to let off some steam. Locking the papers within his drawer the man hund His keys around his neck and stood up. ¡®THUD!¡¯ A noise from behind startled him. Powerful hands grabbed his neck and rung all of the air out. ¡®How did they get past the room''s magic barrier? Only the finest assassins could have disabled it!¡¯ Before his life gave out, he figured what the assalent must have done. ¡®To think, someone would crawl along the ceiling when I bent down to get the coin¡­ THAT SON OF A WHORE TRICKED ME!¡¯ ___________________________________ letting go of the body, MR Hyde took a look at the protection jewellery he wore. Although top grade, snapping his neck could be done just by taking him by surprise, not letting him activate the items. Even if the Baron could use Mana like his son, snapping his neck would have been the best strategy, as the evidence would be little. Speaking of evidence, those ¡®detectives¡¯ of the capital should now be dispatched with a noble having been killed this time. His last few victims had all been abusive and drug supling commonees, so the scene was not properly investigated. Now, ¡®the game is afoot!¡¯ ___________________________________ Cindy Crevet was a pitiful girl. Without Mana, her chances to inherit the household were abysmal to say the least. Staring out of her window, questions began to arise about her future. ¡®I¡¯ll probably be weded to one of fathers business partners¡¯ she thought. Looking at her waist length dark hair, paired with immaculate skin, besides having only an average chest, she was a beauty that matched any other nobleman''s daughter. Before turning away from the window, a smudge caught her eye. Despite rubbing it with her night gown¡¯s sleeve, it did not disappear. ¡®Is that-¡¯ the thought could not be finished, the smudge had disappeared. She knew it was a crazy thought, one that would get her laughed at by her friends, if she had any. Reaching her terrifying father''s stude, the out of breath girl ever so slowly pushed open the door. Reacting to her Crevet blood Cindy was not halted by the magical array her father had set up for his protection. Seeing her father''s snapped neck, and remembering the boot of humanoid shadows she had seen standing above the office¡¯s roof, her tears begin to feel. Slowly at first, the tears soon streamed down her face, glistening in the moonlight. Her face rose into the first true smile of her life. Muttering to the assalent under her breath, ¡®Thank you'' *Sniff* ''I-I promise to repay this kindness with everything I have.¡¯ Cindy left the study and went back to her room. Still crying, still grateful. ___________________________________ Dawn had risen, and with the head butler¡¯s alarmed cries, chaos induced the resident''s. Knights and detectives were summoned to collect evidence from the scene almost immediately. Detective inspector Ros¨¦ pollendeaner served the room with those same cold eyes. ¡°Hand me the letter Isaac?¡± She asked, agitated by the lack of organisation. Her personal squire hurriedly brought along the unopened letter, found on the Baron¡¯s body, with a pale face. Opening the letter up, she scrolled past the list of the Crevet family head''s crimes, only to read the final sentence, a flame lit within herself. ¡®Greeting to all¡¯ - sighed: MR Hyde