Onyeka, though human, possessed dangerous knowledge of future vulnerabilities and temporal manipulation techniques. He was secured in a magically reinforced detention chamber beneath the Alpha's Den a section traditionally used for training new wolves to control their first, chaotic shifts. The room was lined with rare earth minerals that dampened his temporal abilities.
Samuel and Esther faced a moral dilemma. Onyeka was not a mindless beast or a creature of pure Shadow like Fortune; he was a human from a dark future, driven by a twisted sense of preemptive justice.
"He believes he's saving the world by ensuring the Shadow controls it," Esther mused, reviewing the notes recovered from Onyeka's person. "He saw a future where the Golden Leaf failed. That means our solution, while stable, might have a long-term flaw."
"His methods are unacceptable," Samuel stated, his voice firm, standing watch outside the dampening chamber. "But his intelligence is a weapon. We need to understand why the Golden Leaf failed in his timeline."
The interrogation began simply. Samuel, in his partial shift, his massive body radiating controlled power, stood across a heavy, reinforced table from Onyeka.
"The Golden Leaf is stable. The Àṣẹ secured the timeline. Your future is averted," Samuel stated, allowing the scent of powerful, anchored wolf to fill the chamber.
Onyeka, pale but defiant, smiled faintly. "Averting a timeline is not erasing it, Alpha. It is merely delaying the inevitable. The Golden Leaf Casket is a patch, not a permanent solution. It is sustained by the residual energy of the Stone and the power of the Àṣẹ."
"What is the flaw?" Esther asked, stepping forward.
Onyeka's eyes, sharp and calculating, fixed on Esther. "The flaw, Keeper, is Owo. The original Kingdom of the Ondo Pack was founded on a nexus of powerful, primal magic. But the Foundation Stone was established here, in Port Harcourt, a place chosen for its strategic port and accessibility, not its magical nexus."
"The magical current is weak here," Samuel realized, the truth hitting him with force. "The Golden Leaf is sustained, but it can't draw enough new energy to last for millennia."
"Precisely," Onyeka confirmed, leaning back, savoring their realization. "The Casket is depleting slowly. In my time, it withered, and the Folium Aethel seeds which I see you have secured were all that remained. Chaos consumed everything. You need to move the Foundation Stone back to its true nexus in Owo, where the land itself breathes primordial magic. Fail to do so, and your Golden Leaf will fade."
Samuel and Esther exchanged a look of profound shock. The immense, ancient Foundation Stone the geographical and magical heart of their city's safety had to be physically moved hundreds of kilometers back to its ancestral home in Ondo State.
"You speak the truth to ensure your survival," Samuel challenged. "What do you want in return?"
Onyeka simply shrugged, his gaze calm. "Freedom, Alpha. And a chance to ensure the future is built correctly. I am an architect. Let me help you build the new foundation."