Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Familiar Territory

Read chapter 12 of Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

Liminal spaces. A place betwixt the familiar and unfamiliar. A state frozen permanently in both change and stagnation. To many, they represented the unsettling dread of curiosity, not too much different from the ‘call of the void’, as termed by the French. But to the few outliers, they instilled a sense of forlornness or nostalgia brought about by the freedom from change. Normally, such places were artificially created since they could only be formed under extremely traumatic experiences. As such, a liminal space was usually owned by a ‘nasty’, otherwise known as a spirit owner. Like faefolk, these beings would impose arbitrary rules in their territory, which were more often than not linked to their own trauma. However, liminal spaces could be naturally formed as well. Places that had seen too much death and heartbreak. Energetic places that had been neglected all too suddenly. The remnant spiritual energies in such places were enough to warp reality and create a distorted, alternate environment. Unlike artificially created spaces, they were also largely unregulated. Beings, born of the liminal space’s collective negative energy, rule their territory in an uneasy coexistence, all too eager to trap anyone unlucky or foolish enough to wander in. Similar to artificial space, these spirits could also take the form of a singular being, although that would require them to be bound and influenced by external magic. But as it was, the World War One trenches near the English Channel happened to be both types of liminal spaces at the same time. Duncan stepped onto an abandoned train platform after dispelling the protection charms on the liminal space. Unlike the hospital that the Marked Emissaries had created, this place was naturally formed due to the adverse conditions of World War One trenches. And yet it wasn’t without a host, since there was clear evidence of black magic concealing this space from the average tourist. If he were to wager a guess, Miguel Chukyunwelu must have taken over this natural liminal space to save himself the trouble of constructing one. Thankfully, this meant that the black magic wielder did not have the power to impose his own rules on this place, since something else seemed to already be occupying it. That also meant that Duncan could make rather educated guesses about the natural rules of this liminal space based on his past experiences. After all, he had also created a few liminal spaces himself, mostly to house his potion-making lab back when he was still a young witch obsessed with alchemy. They were never as big as a train station, though. Those required way too much energy to sustain artificially. “Are we in the right place?” Hilda tugged at Duncan’s sleeve, looking around her. “It’s empty.” The train platform looked almost like London’s Waterloo Station, except that it was completely devoid of people— another huge sign that this wasn’t the real Waterloo Station. A few clocks hung on the brick walls as well, although they had no hands to tell the time. “Trust me, Hilda. It’s not .” Duncan’s magic senses were already flaring erratically at the choking supernatural presence in the air. “Aye, a couple of ground rules here. First off, bide with me as much as you can. If you get lost somehow, just stay put. I’ll be there to fetch you.” “W— What if it’s dangerous?” Hilda gulped, looking more nervous by the second. “Then hide, obviously . This place is formed by all the negative energy from the First Great War. There’s no negotiating with the entities in this place. If we catch their ire, we’d best get rid of them,” Duncan said. “On that note, here’s the second and last rule: bear in mind what I say next. See that?” He pointed at a set of staircases. One led up, while the other led down. Both led to pitch-black darkness. “If you ever find yourself on the run, never climb down the stairs. Only climb up. Climb down, and you’ll never see the end.” Hilda nodded. “Next, train announcements are normal. But if you