The Emotionless Wolf's Journey

Arthur studied Sylvia Carrington as she sat across from him. Her posture was perfect, her suit pristine, and her expression composed. His eyes scanned even the slightest movement.

However, behind her calm faced, Arthur could easily sense something many others would overlook, the tense form of her shoulders, how she gripped her purse just a little too tightly.

Sylvia glanced briefly at her watch, "I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice," she began, "I'll be frank, Mr. Nightshade. I don't have much time. My being here is…complicated."

Arthur's gaze remained fixed on her, unreadable, "Then let's not waste it. Explain what you need."

"I need you to same someone for me...Save my sister before it's too late." Sylvia said, taking another deep breath to calm herself down.

Arthur gave her all the time she needed to regain her bearings, and after a couple seconds, she did.

Then, Sylvia continued speaking in an almost weary tone, "I come from an old, noble line among the elves, the Carrington family. We're what you might call 'Pure-Blood Elves,' the kind raised with the belief that our ancestry places us above others. It's a lineage that goes back centuries. My mother, Rachel, was one of the few who rebelled against these traditions."

Arthur nodded as he listened, not really surprised. Elves were one of the most discriminatory races in the world, with a high belief that only Pure-Bloods were truly worthy of living, and everyone else was a stain of the Elven line.

Sylvia shifted in her seat, her expression momentarily pained. "You see, my mother's marriage was…not by choice. My father, Lucius, is an influential figure in Elven society. My mother's parents gave her to him as a political ploy, and when I was born, my mother made the decision to leave the Elven territory. She fled here, to Solacea."

Arthur just nodded. In fact, the reason he chose to live in the country of Solacea was due to its rather loose laws when it came to immigration and setting up a life here, unlike many other places with more stringent requirements.

"After she arrived in Solacea, my mother severed ties with her family, leaving behind everything she knew. She found solace in Redux City, built a new life here. Eventually, she even remarried, a Werewolf named Edmund, who treated her with the kindness and respect she'd never known. Together, they had a daughter, my half-sister Morgana."

Arthur's fingers steepled in front of him, listening intently but with no sign of reaction. "So you've been living in Redux City ever since?"

"Yes," she replied. "My mother raised us here, hoping to keep us away from Elven politics and Lucius's grasp. But as you might imagine, her decision didn't sit well with our family back home. They believed she was dishonoring our lineage, and worse, diluting it by marrying a Werewolf and having a half-blood Were-child."

Arthur's mind worked quickly, piecing together the implications, "And now they're pressuring you, I assume?"

He asked. Out of all the races, although Werewolves were perhaps the strongest amongst Mortals, they were also the ones who were feared and discriminated against the most.

This was due to the fact Werewolves, unlike their Wolf Spirit Ancestors, would lost control of themselves under a Full Moon, wrecking immense havoc.

Due to this, discriminatory Elves especially saw Werewolves as Feral Beasts, killing many of them indiscriminately.

Sylvia's expression tightened. "Even worse than that. For years, we lived in relative peace. My mother, sister, and I built our lives here, away from Lucius and the politics of the Elven elite."

Arthur leaned back, considering her words, "I've heard the Carrington name before. Elven nobility isn't particularly keen on mingling with humans and especially not Werewolves. They see us as beasts."

Arthur said. Although he was a Wolf Spirit, he still portrayed himself as a Werewolf, mostly to live an easier life and not deal with all the problems that exposing his status as a Spirit would bring.

"Yes," she agreed, a bitterness creeping into her tone, "They see my mother's life here as a betrayal. But to her, it was liberation. She loved this city, its diversity, the freedom to live without being defined solely by her bloodline. She wanted the same for Morgana and me."

Sylvia took another steadying breath, the tightness in her shoulders softening only slightly as she began to speak again, "Five years ago, everything changed. I had to take over Vendoza Industries, not by choice but by necessity. My mother and stepfather…they were murdered."

Arthur just silently nodded. From the information Ethan had told him about Sylvia, he did know that her mother passed away 5 years ago, but the details of her death weren't available to the general public.

"My stepfather, Edmund, was more than just the man who took care of us. He was known to the public as the Werewolf hero Ignite," she explained, her voice strengthening again. "He was Tier 5, and he dedicated his life to protecting this city. No one knew he was married to an elf or that he was my mother's lifeline. We had always been careful to keep our family separate from his work."

Arthur made a mental note, browsing through his memory and then coming up on the Hero Ignite. From what was said publicly, he had just died a mysterious death fighting a Supervillian, yet it seems it was a-lot more complicated than that.

"When they died," Sylvia continued, her hands resting in her lap now, "the police couldn't give us justice. They tried, but Elven influence runs deep, even here. Lucius, my biological father, has connections that can corrupt even those who serve the law."

Sylvia's voice was laced with both bitterness and rage as she finished that last sentence, probably due to the betrayal she felt from the justice system.

"Without any legal recourse, I was forced to step into the public eye to manage Vendoza Industries and to keep a low profile for my sister. Morgana's safety became my singular focus." She leaned forward slightly, her green eyes meeting Arthur's with fierce intensity. "I swore to protect her, even if that meant I had to shield her from everything, from our family, from the media, from anyone who might see her as a target."

Arthur's expression remained impassive, though his mind absorbed each piece of information. "So this brings us to Morgana. They started coming for her directly?"

"Yes," Sylvia said, her voice quiet. "She's… special. Even among the elves, my sister has potential that would mock everything the Pure-Blooded faction stands for. Although she's young, she's very talented with Magic." 

Arthur knew the elven Pure-Blood faction's hatred of half-elves was longstanding, honor killings weren't rare. In fact, it was very public information about how many honor killings there were every year.

It was a scare tactic by the Elves to stop humans or other races from dating Elven Men or Women.

They were completely rooted in an elitist belief in their own superiority, and a half-blood like Morgana possessing immense magical power would be a direct affront to their ideology.

"At first," Sylvia continued, "I tried to ignore the threats, brush them off as intimidation tactics. I hired private security, and I kept our affairs private. But as time passed, they became more aggressive."

"Kidnap attempts?" Arthur's voice was calm but direct, cutting through the tension with clinical precision.

"Yes," Sylvia replied. "They began about a year ago. At first, they were small incidents, a failed break-in, suspicious figures watching us. But then they escalated. And a week ago…"

She paused, clenching her fists, struggling to hold back the anguish that flickered in her eyes.

"A week ago, they took her," Sylvia finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "I don't know where they've taken her or who exactly has her, but I'm certain Lucius is behind it. Morgana is his granddaughter, and he'll do anything to remove that blemish from his bloodline, as he would put it in his words."

Arthur met her gaze, his own unreadable as always. "And you need me to save her."

"Yes!," Sylvia replied, "I've exhausted every resource I have at my disposal. My family's influence in the Elven courts has already stifled official investigations, and most contractors either refuse or are too afraid to take the job. Most Superheroes don't dare either or have other commitments. You're my last option."

Arthur just sat in silence, weighing her words. If he accepted this job, he'd be going directly against the elitists of Elven Society. Arthur didn't fear them or anything, he had his own power, but he thought of the potential hassles.

After a short while of thought, he gave a brief nod, "I'll take the job. Tell me everything you know about her last whereabouts and anyone who might be able to help us."

Sylvia exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, her tension easing, though the worry in her gaze remained. "Thank you, Mr. Aegis. I'll provide all the details I can. Just… bring her back. Please."

Arthur stood, signaling that their meeting had concluded, "I'll begin immediately. Any further communication should be discreet. I assume you're aware of the precautions you need to take?"

She nodded, a faint smile ghosting over her lips. "More than you know."

With a firm handshake, Sylvia left, leaving Arthur alone in his office, thinking about where and how to begin this investigation.