Eden Nocturne

Seemingly so kind and gentle... it is almost too easy to forget he bears the battle scars of a warrior.

Eden tends to stand out in a crowd. A grizzled, scarred man. Scruffy and unkempt in a rugged sort of way. A look so haggard and weary. Some may find him a little intimidating at first glance, he certainly looks the part of a brooding antihero. And yet, he smiles softly. Behind the haunted look in his eyes, there is warmth in his gaze.

Anyone who knows Eden will reassure you he is a good person with a heart of gold, a shining example of a virtuous citizen. If you were to meet him for yourself, you would immediately understand why. The vibe he presents to those around him is warm and welcoming, in a way that just makes people feel at ease. He is amiable in his interactions with others, always so polite and respectful. He is also very nonconfrontational, seemingly never loses his temper. A man of high integrity and strong morals, interacting with him often leaves people with the impression this is someone trustworthy.

Despite his natural charisma, he is very humble, perhaps even a little awkward and nervous at times. He would much rather avoid being the center of attention. No, don't worry about him. How can he help you? He is a good listener, and seems so earnestly caring.

Deeply compassionate, he strives to bring comfort and support to those in need. He is selfless and altruistic, always willing to go out of his way to lend a helping hand and put others before himself, never asking for anything in return. He really seems to have a way of bringing light to the lives of those around him.

Stressed, depressed, and honestly just a mess... but he's trying his best.

However, although he is a friend to all, he is not really close with anyone. In truth, he struggles to open up and let people in, very few people truly know him at all.

Very few people know that, behind his bright smiles and cheerful demeanour, he hides an ever-present internal battle. He's not as okay as he lets on, far from it. Feelings of doubt and hopelessness constantly plague him. He's an anxious wreck, always stressing and overthinking. He fears both past and future, and often finds himself dwelling on regrets and the memories of what he can’t change.

And when you stop to think about it, it's almost concerning just how much he gives. He spends so much time and energy looking after others, but neglects to look after himself. He struggles to set boundaries, because he believes the wants of others are more important than his own needs, his desires are irrelevant. He sees himself not as a person, but as a tool to be used and discarded.

But it's okay, he's okay with it. It is his duty to carry the burdens of everyone else, to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He genuinely wants nothing more than to make others happy, to alleviate their pain, so no one else has to suffer like him. But he has never been able to save himself from his own misery. There are times when he really struggles to hold himself together.

He is so tired. But still, he keeps fighting, continuing to push himself past his breaking point, covering up his fears with a smile so that others don’t worry... whilst silently fighting these waves of despair that constantly threaten to drown him.

Eden had always known his life would be a dangerous one. But he didn’t care, he had always been prepared to live and die for the sake of others. Thus was the burden of a Demon Hunter.

He, alongside his younger brother Carver, and their father, under the guidance and leadership of the angel Aura, were the last surviving members of the ancient organisation. Their lives were devoted to slaying the powerful immortal demons, dangerous monsters of evil-incarnate who lurked among the shadows and preyed on humankind. It was a noble tradition that their family had upheld for countless generations. Being the last heirs of a dying bloodline, they were both always expected to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors, to carry on that tradition.

It was a fate which Eden embraced wholeheartedly. He wanted to do good, to protect those who could not protect themselves. He truly felt it was his duty, his purpose, his destiny. However, Carver had other ideas.

The two brothers had been so close as children. Due to the unique nature of their upbringing, there had always been a disconnect from peers their age. But they had each other, and they were each other's best friend. Eden always tried to look out for his little brother, and there was once a time when he believed they could talk about anything.

But as they grew older, they began to grow distant. While Eden continued with his training, Carver outright refused to. They hardly spoke at all anymore, and whenever they tried, it quickly escalated into arguments. Carver was always disputing against their ideologies and challenging their doctrines. It seemed almost as if he was beginning to hate his own family as well. Eden didn't understand what had caused such a sudden shift, but he tried to be respectful of other’s opinions and beliefs, despite his own views. However, their father was far less understanding, which only made things worse. It was heartbreaking to watch as the cause that meant so much to him was what tore his family apart.

And it was heartbreaking, being helpless as one day he watched Carver and their father argue, prompting Carver to storm out of the house into the dead of night... and not return.

Carver's sudden disappearance was a shock to what remained of the family. Eden had known his brother was never quite as enthusiastic about hunting as him, but he hadn't realised the extent of how bad it was, not until it was too late. Should he have paid more attention? Was this all his fault? Months went by, still no sign of what had happened. Hope rapidly faded into dread, as the fears Eden could not bear to accept were beginning to seem more and more likely. Would his brother never come home? Was he dead?

In truth, it would have been a mercy to live his life believing that. Because when he and Carver were once again reunited, it was in the worst circumstances imaginable.

Returning home from a hunting trip one day, Eden was shocked to find his brother in the house, except this was not the brother he once knew. No longer a man, Carver had become the very creature he had sworn to destroy – a demon – and he held in his hand a bloody knife as he stood over the lifeless body of their father.

How could he do this!? Eden felt shattered to his very core as he chased Carver away with scars to remember. But despite his devastation, he could not bring himself to kill the brother he had once loved. So he let Carver run and escape with his life, both swearing revenge, while Eden was left alone with nothing but grief, and an emptiness that could never be healed.

In the wake of that loss, Eden found himself in a dark and lonely place. He doubted he would have made it through the following years if it were not for the support of a friend.

With the recent events leaving the demon hunters on the brink of collapse, Aura tasked Eden with locating and retrieving the legendary divine weapons, those wielded by the original hunters, so that there may be a chance of rebuilding the order in the future. The problem was, most of these weapons had been lost for decades, if not centuries. He had no idea how to track them down, where would he even begin to look? It seemed like an insurmountable task, especially when he was still recovering from fresh grief. But as always, Aura would not accept no for an answer.

Fortunately, his search led to him crossing paths with someone much more qualified for the task. This is how he met Harriet, a researcher of magic who was also seeking the enchanted weapons of legend, a companion who was able to help him with his mission.

He was reluctant to accept her help at first, he didn't like the idea of dragging someone less experienced into a potentially risky quest. This was his burden to carry, he was willing to put himself in harm's way, but not others. But her knowledge was the best lead they had. He had to accept he couldn't do it alone.

Also, she understood the nature of the supernatural better than most. That had always been an aspect of his life he could not share with others, aside from Carver. Never before had he been able to open up to someone in that way. But he wanted to be honest and upfront with Harriet. If she was going to get involved with the demon hunters, and all the danger that comes with it, she had a right to understand exactly what she was getting herself into, no secrets withheld.

This helped to establish a bond of trust and connection between the two, as they learned to work together throughout their adventures. They got along well, and over time, they grew to become very close. He admired her determination and tenacity; he appreciated her patience and understanding. Slowly, he learned to let his walls down around her. Although he was hesitant to be so vulnerable at first, she was so supportive, and he was grateful to have someone he could confide in as he navigated his personal struggles.

They had been through a lot together, but amid the chaos of their journey, they shared many happy memories together as well. He enjoyed her company, he found himself smiling more when he was with her. Eventually he could no longer deny that the feelings he felt for her ran deeper than just friends. At first he was ashamed and terrified by the idea. He had never felt this way for someone before, he had never even allowed himself to think about that. For a long time, his sole focus had been on his mission, he had dedicated his whole life to his duties as a demon hunter. He had never considered what kind of life he wanted for himself, it was hard to plan for a future when he was just trying to survive one day at a time. He had spent so long lost and alone in a haze of grief and depression. But he didn't feel alone anymore. He was starting to feel that, maybe, he looked forward to living life, together? Turns out, Harriet felt the same.

Of course, life was never easy, especially not the life of a demon hunter. But they had each other, and they supported each other through thick and thin. Slowly, things were starting to look up. They were together for many years. During that time, they did manage to get their hands on some enchanted weapons, Eden even taught Harriet how to use them. After their questing had come to an end, for the time being, they began to consider settling down together. Eventually getting married, and later having a child together, Joshua. Eden finally had a family again, and everything seemed perfect. For the first time in years, he was truly happy.

But happiness never lasts forever...

It had been over a decade now since that last encounter with his brother. And, truthfully, Eden barely considered it anymore. He could never forget that pain, but he wouldn’t let it haunt him anymore. He had forged a new life for himself. He had put his past behind him and moved on. But perhaps that was a mistake.

Because he was completely unprepared when Carver appeared again, to fulfil his vow for revenge. It was so sudden and unexpected, he caught Eden in an ambush. The two brothers fought, but still Eden could not help but hold back – and that cost him dearly. He hesitated at a critical moment, giving Carver the chance to strike him down. However, just before the demon standing before him could deal the killing blow, Harriet intervened.

She recklessly fought back against Carver, sacrificing her own life to save his. Eden could only watch in horror as that monster slit her throat. He couldn’t even help her, injured and in no shape to fight as Carver held him back, forcing him to watch as she bled out. By the time he finally broke free, it was too late. She was gone. Carver left then, deciding that letting Eden live with that loss would be a worse fate than death.

Eden had barely kept himself together when his father had died. Now, all alone, he completely fell apart. He knew keeping Josh around wasn’t an option – the life of a Demon Hunter was fraught with danger, for themselves and others, and this tragedy served as a terrible reminder of that. It was no place for a young child. So he asked Harriet's sister if she could take custody and foster him, she agreed to raise the boy.

And after that, he stopped caring. He was all alone, he was a wreck, and he... he had failed. He had failed to protect the ones he loved. He should have done more, it should have been him in her place. How could he live with himself? Everything he had ever worked and lived for was starting to seem pointless. The fragile stability he had spent so long building up began to crumble, he fell into self-destructive habits, and his recklessness while hunting became borderline suicidal. There were times he considered actually attempting, but... No. He held on. He promised himself he’d keep fighting. But trying to get better was a very slow, very hard climb. And truthfully, he was never really the same again.

The loneliness got to him a lot. He had loved Harriet so much, he could never bring himself to move on. And his relationship with his son was strained to say the least. They didn’t see each other often, and when they did, Josh was always distant. Turns out he wasn’t too happy about being abandoned by his father. Eden really made an effort to get along with his son, but the damage had been done, and the animosity only deepened as he grew up. One day Josh angrily told Eden to leave him alone and get out of his life.

Those words hurt Eden so much, they broke him, but he respected his son's wishes and obliged. Some time after that, Josh was reported missing, suspected to have been a suicide. The devastation, the regret, the guilt... it broke Eden all over again, and this time he stopped trying to get better. What did he even have left to fight for, anyway?

So it came as a shock, when some time later Josh appeared on his doorstep, with Carver by his side. It happened just like before, such a cruel irony. The two demons attacked him, and Eden barely even put up a fight against them. What did it matter? After all that had happened, he had become so apathetic to the thought of death now. He let them win. He let Carver push him around and beat him down. He didn’t bother to fight back as Josh held a gun to his head. Drained. Defeated.

He gave up.

The last thing Eden saw were his son’s tormented eyes as he pulled the trigger.

• He was raised very religiously, his faith is an important aspect in both his personal life and well as his work as a demon hunter. However, this situation gives him a different perspective to that of most people.
• Highly skilled fighter, a master swordsman. He has also been trained in many different forms of combat, but swords are his favourite.
• His main weapon is Soleil, a hand-and-a-half longsword enchanted with fire magic. It's a family heirloom.
• Why is he using an ancient melee weapon in a modern-ish urban fantasy setting? Well you see, he doesn't really like using guns or anything like that, because their effectiveness against demons is actually quite limited. They're an annoyance at best. You need magic to do any real damage, and the only way for a human to use magic is by wielding an enchanted item, which are very rare.
• His house is full of so many weapons, it is mildly concerning. Some are practical, some are purely for display/collection purposes. He has a strong appreciation for the artistry of skilled craftsmanship.
• He got sick of getting stabbed all the time, and so attempted make himself his own armour. Although, it was a learning process, and went though a few trial-and-error prototypes. But he also found it a very satisfying project, and it sparked an interest in leathercraft as a hobby.
• He and Carver learned piano together as children. Later, Harriet taught him guitar. However, he rarely plays either anymore, due to the painfully bittersweet memories they carry.
• Hates cold/rainy weather, it makes him feel desolate. inversely, his favourite time of the year is spring, as the renewal feels uplifting.
• Always tired, requires copious amounts of coffee to function.
• Very animated and expressive with his body language. Makes lots of hand gestures when he talks. Also very restless and fidgety, especially so when nervous. It's hard to get him to hold still, and if he is subdued, that's usually a sign something is wrong.
• A bit of a workaholic, but has a bad habit of overworking himself to the point of burnout. Always needs to keep busy as a method of distraction, because if he stagnates in his thoughts for too long he stars spiralling.
• Despite how good he is with people, in truth he is naturally very introverted and socially anxious. He has just learned how to be good at masking the awkwardness and discomfort he feels.
• Studied a degree in community service, but in the end he struggled to pursue a secure career in the field, his hunting work keeping him preoccupied.
• Tries to do charity and volunteering work as much as he is able to.
• When he was younger he rescued a stray dog off the street, and managed to convince his dad to let him keep it as a pet. (Carver hated it.)
• Kept the skull of the first demon he killed as a trophy. (Carver and Harriet hated it.)
• Feelings toward sexuality are complicated. He spent a long time thinking he was "broken" but in reality he is just AroAce-spec. If he knew specific terminology, he would likely identify as demiromantic, demisexual, and greysexual. Most people might not expect it from the guy with a wife and child, but despite appearances, this does have an impact on the way he navigates his relationship. Also ambiguously not-straight in an unlabelled way, feels as though he doesn't really experience attraction based on gender at all. But it's hard to draw any definitive conclusions from a sample size of one.