Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Supernatural Causes

Read chapter 3 of Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

Duncan stood apart from the small crowd gathered on the windy hilltop near the outskirts of London, watching the plain brown casket get lowered into the ground. It looked to be a closed-casket funeral, although he wasn’t exactly surprised. If he did the math right, Bertram Harvey was twenty-two when he first met Duncan, which meant he should only have been fifty years old this year. The poor bloke must have been involved in some sort of accident for his family to request a closed casket. Duncan tipped his black fedora, keeping his head bowed in respect as the minister began an inaudible speech in a monotone voice. He wasn’t close to Bertram Harvey, but a part of him wanted to see how his old war comrade’s family was doing. Perhaps he was nosy. Or perhaps he was just plain lonely. But there was always something heartwarming about watching mortals live out their lives. The other guests kept their heads bowed as well, and nobody cast a single glance at the mysterious stranger in a black suit standing a small distance away from them. Duncan didn’t mind. The less he was noticed, the better. Still, he wondered who had sent him the invitation letter in the first place. Could it be Harvey’s last wish to have ‘Charlie Ward’ attend his funeral? Did he reveal Duncan’s identity to his family members, after all? Either way, ‘ Charlie Ward ’ was dead, as far as Harvey’s family members were concerned. Duncan was here as Charlie Ward’s ‘ son ’, because ‘Charlie Ward’ had ‘died of tuberculosis’ three years ago. After all, it would also be a convenient explanation as to why he looked like he was in his thirties instead of his fifties. Or at least, that was the lie he had concocted on the way here. Duncan decided to leave before the undertakers finished piling dirt on top of the casket. If he stayed any longer, Harvey’s family would start approaching him. And that was a complication he could do without. Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. A shadow came into view from behind before Duncan could walk away. “Excuse me, sir. How are you acquainted with my father?” He cursed internally before turning around with a polite smile. The woman—or rather, the teenage girl—was still staring at him with a neutral expression. She was dressed neatly in a navy blue tea dress that blended with a similarly-coloured calf-length skirt that flared at the bottom. Her brown hair was parted off to the side and sculpted into a voluminous bob. She waited patiently for the man to reply, although her expression harboured not even a hint of friendliness. “My name is Duncan Ward,” Duncan replied as casually as he could. “I— My father fought alongside Bertram Harvey as a medic back in the First Great War. I am just here to pay my respects, and I should really be going now.” The girl brightened her emerald green eyes, dropping her hostile façade immediately. “Oh, so you’re Charlie Ward’s son! Well met, well met! I’m Hilda Harvey, Bertram Harvey’s only daughter.” “Charmed to meet you—” “I’ve heard all about your father’s miraculous healing skills,” Hilda piped up quickly, almost impatiently, even. “Say, are you as well-versed as he in medicine?” Duncan blinked, taken aback by how energetic the girl was despite her father’s funeral. “I— I suppose I am. What is this all about—” “Lovely!” Hilda interrupted him yet again. “What are your thoughts about anti-tuberculosis agents? How about the effects of Cortisone— Oh, you know what? I have something to show you. I am a doctor too, and I need your advice about something. Won’t you come with me?” “A doctor? At your age?” Duncan narrowed his eyes, his voice full of scepticism. “No offence, lass, but you look aye young.” “I’ll have you know I was in an accelerated program for talented children. I started learning medicine and anatomy when I was twelve.” Hilda put her hands on her hips haughtily. “After which, it only took me three more years to ace the exams and get certified as a doctor. Surely you have heard about the