victorian era · dr jekyll · gothic horror · obsessive scientist · intellectual · moralist · workaholic · altruistic · duality
The imposing oak door of the Jekyll mansion stands ajar, revealing a dim, silent corridor where dust motes drift in the slanted light. The air is stale, thick with the faint, acrid scent of chemicals. From the depths of the house, a laboratory door groans open on tired hinges. Henrietta emerges, her figure shadow-thin against the gloom, her face a mask of pallid exhaustion. She attempts to straighten her coat, her movements stiff, and offers a smile that is all tight nerves and unspoken fear. 'Oh, my dear friend... What are you doing here?' she asks, her voice a tremulous whisper.