—Meanwhile, back at Damon's apartment—
As the pot boiled on the stove and laughter began to return to the room, Claire looked briefly toward the window—expression suddenly distant. Her fingers twitched, almost as if responding to something she couldn't quite hear.
Phoebe noticed. "You okay?"
Claire nodded. "Yeah... Just had a weird chill."
While they were peacefully resting and enjoying the meal Damon had prepared, Claire once again reminded Damon of her request—to see the tarot card of The Fool, which she was very excited to witness in person.
She also wanted to confirm if what was written in Damon's diary was true—that ordinary people couldn't see the card, except for those like them.
"Alright, hold on," Damon said as he set down his glass of water after taking a sip.
He stood up, reached into the pocket of the jacket hanging on the wall, and pulled out the tarot card. He then handed it to Claire.
Claire's excitement was palpable. She hoped there was something special about her—that she would be able to see the card's true form. But there was nothing.
All she saw was a blank card.
A hint of disappointment crossed Claire's face. Deep down, she had hoped to see the tarot card's design, or even the abilities described in Damon's diary—but not a single thing appeared before her eyes.
After they finished eating, Damon began clearing the table. But before he could finish cleaning up, Claire suddenly spoke again.
"Didn't I say I had an important piece of information to share with you?" she said, her eyes still fixed on every detail of the blank tarot card she was holding.
Then, she suddenly looked straight at Damon and said,
"Kevin. Kevin Ignacio—the Arcana you've been trying to avoid."
Damon was caught off guard. A thought immediately flashed through his mind:
That's right… I wrote even Kevin's name in the diary.
"What do you know about that man?" Damon asked, his voice cautious. He added that Kevin was dangerous, especially because of his ability, and they needed to be extra careful around him.
But before Damon could continue, Claire interrupted,
"Don't worry. I would never be in danger around Kevin."
"Why? How can you be so sure?" Damon asked, confused.
"Because that man… is my relative. He's my cousin—and he would never hurt me," Claire said with unwavering confidence.
It was a shocking revelation. Phoebe and Damon exchanged stunned glances, clearly struggling to believe what they just heard.
"He was actually there too," Claire continued, "the night you saved me during that horrific event with those worthless politicians were me and the other girls were nearly killed."
"It just so happened that you arrived first before my cousin did. But I'm sure… if Kevin had gotten there first, he would've wiped out everyone at that place too. Based on how I know him, it would've been total chaos. He wouldn't have cared who got caught in the crossfire—as long as I was saved."
"But that night, after you saved us and left us at a restaurant, Kevin came and picked me up. At the time, I had no idea about his abilities or what he truly was. But the entire ride home, I could see the fury on his face… and he kept muttering the name 'The Fool' over and over, like someone he was determined to destroy."
"I was shocked when I read your diary. I never imagined that my cousin was one of the Arcana—and worse, your mortal enemy," Claire admitted.
"But don't worry. Even though he's my cousin, I won't let him do anything terrible—especially not to you. I just ask that… if it ever comes down to it, please don't kill him. I'll tell you everything he plans to do—every move, every scheme. For now, the last I heard is that he's working with the police to track you down," Claire said seriously.
Damon and Phoebe were left speechless. The information Claire had just revealed was huge—something that could change everything.
Many questions swirled in Damon's mind—things he wanted to ask Claire about Kevin, knowing it could greatly impact their future plans. But before he could speak, a sudden sharp pain struck both Damon and Phoebe at the exact same moment.
They both instantly dropped to the floor, clutching their heads in pain, as if a strange, piercing sound was torturing their minds. It was unbearable, and neither of them could stop the sudden wave of agony that overwhelmed them.
"Damon! Phoebe! What's happening?!" Claire shouted, completely panicked, unsure of what to do. She couldn't understand what was going on or why the two people who had been talking to her calmly just moments ago were now writhing in pain before her eyes.
Moments later, someone suddenly threw what seemed to be a gas canister into Damon's apartment.
"Help! Help!" Claire shouted repeatedly, her voice echoing as the gas rapidly spread throughout the room. Her vision began to blur—Damon and Phoebe slowly faded from her sight as the thick smoke clouded everything.
She began coughing uncontrollably, dizziness taking over as the fumes overwhelmed her senses. Whatever substance had been released through the apartment window was clearly strong, and Claire could barely keep her eyes open.
"Daaamooonn..." she weakly called out, her voice fading as she struggled to stay conscious. But it was too much. Her strength drained, her eyes grew heavier, and the last thing she saw before blacking out were several figures in military-like gear bursting through the smoke.
"Make sure that one doesn't get injured. And put your gloves on unless you want to drop dead the moment you touch patient D.A.," ordered a man with a commanding, deep voice.
And then, everything went black for Claire.