Rejected by the shadow god

Chapter 23: "The Stoic Demigod"

Flynn had known Eden for what felt like an eternity, yet he still struggled to crack the demigod's stoic facade. For three hours, Flynn had attempted to engage Eden in conversation, but his efforts were met with dismissive monosyllables.

"How was your night, buddy?" Flynn asked, trying to sound casual.

"Fine," Eden replied, his expressionless face a mask of indifference.

Flynn's eyes rolled heavenward. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"No," Eden said, his tone flat and unyielding.

Flynn's thoughts drifted to the enigmatic demigod. "Does this dude even smile?" he wondered.

As if on cue, Eden's voice echoed in Flynn's mind. "No."

Flynn's eyes snapped back to Eden, surprised that his friend had picked up on his thoughts. He left his telepathy open, allowing Eden to hear his musings.

"Hey, did you know that Roham got married three years ago?" Flynn asked, attempting to spark a conversation.

"Yes," Eden replied, his voice devoid of interest.

Flynn pressed on. "Roham married Ryder's younger sister, a siren lady."

Eden's response was a noncommittal "Hmm."

Flynn's eyes sparkled with mischief. "But I heard she died, committed suicide. Geez, Roham couldn't even treat his wife properly."

Eden's expression remained unreadable. "Rumors."

Flynn's grin faltered, but he continued. "Roham's now with a blood witch named Nelly."

Eden's response was a curt "So?"

Flynn sensed a flicker of annoyance beneath Eden's calm exterior. "Hey, let's talk about something else. How about Priestess Diana?" Flynn asked, his tone light.

Eden's eyes flashed with anger, and he spat out a single word: "Out."

Flynn's eyes widened in surprise. He knew that Eden harbored a deep-seated hatred for the priestess, who had cursed him to be consumed by his inner demon until the moon goddess granted him a soulmate.

As the tension between them dissipated, Flynn realized that some wounds ran too deep, and some secrets were better left unspoken.