Damon approached Alfi and Loren, holding two bottles of cold water he had bought from a nearby stall.
He handed them over politely.
"Sorry… this is all I can offer for now.
Just my way of thanking you for saving me," he said.
Alfi didn't refuse.
He accepted the water and handed one to Loren, who was still catching her breath.
Damon then took the chance to probe for information — acting completely innocent.
"P-Pardon me, sir Alfi… but may I know what happened to your companion?"
His tone was soft, harmless, curious.
Alfi replied quickly.
"Ah—nothing serious.
The heat is just too much today.
She probably got dizzy," he said, covering for Loren's real condition.
Damon pretended to accept the explanation with a nod.
He didn't press any further — pushing too hard might raise suspicion.
"Well… I'll leave you both so you can rest," Damon said.
"I should head home now."
He turned to walk away —
but before he could take more than a few steps, a phone rang.
Alfi's phone.
He answered immediately, but whatever he heard on the other end froze him in place.
"What?! You captured The Fool Arcana already!?"
His voice was loud — too loud.
Loren's eyes widened, and she quickly grabbed his arm, signaling him to quiet down.
But it was too late.
Damon heard every word.
His heart skipped.
Someone else… was caught?
Someone the caller believed was The Fool?
A surge of confusion — shock — and cold calculation ran through his mind.
Because he knew one thing for sure:
They didn't capture him.
So who did they catch?
"Alright. We'll head there immediately," Alfi said to the person on the phone.
He glanced at Loren and saw that she was recovering. Her breathing had steadied, and she was able to stand again.
Without another word — no explanation, no goodbye — the couple hurried off, leaving Damon behind.
They didn't need to say anything to him.
To them, he was just a civilian they happened to help.
But in Damon's mind, a completely different thought clicked into place.
He couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
If someone was pretending to be The Fool, and if Alfi and Loren were rushing straight to that person…
Then Damon had no choice.
He needed to follow them.
Now he would be the one tailing them — quietly, expertly — to discover who they had captured and where they were headed.
A faint smirk crossed his lips.
"Let me show you how to tail someone… without ever being seen."
He slipped into the crowd, seamlessly blending into the movement of people, already calculating angles, distance, timing, and every shadow he could use.
Damon's hunt had begun.
Nearly an hour passed with Damon silently trailing the couple, matching their pace and movements from a safe distance.
Eventually, Alfi and Loren arrived at an old underpass near Ayala — a place that looked abandoned, forgotten, and perfect for something secretive.
Damon watched as the two descended the cracked stairs.
Despite being Arcanas themselves, he could feel their anxiety.
They were afraid.
Who wouldn't be?
They believed they were about to face The Fool — someone whose ability they didn't understand and whose brutality was whispered like a nightmare.
Before following them, Damon stepped aside and made a call.
He dialed Phoebe.
"Are you and Claire settled?" he asked immediately.
Phoebe answered after a short breath.
"Yes. We're safe. Claire's resting. We're at the hotel now."
Good. That part was secure.
Damon then went straight to the point.
"Phoebe… I need your help."
He heard her straighten up on the other end of the line.
"I also need you to bring the crow mask. The one we used before.
We have a serious mission tonight, and I need to keep my identity hidden."
Phoebe's voice shifted — excitement mixing with determination.
"Say no more. I'll bring it. Send me the location."
Damon shared it immediately.
Phoebe turned to Claire and explained gently that she needed to step out, that she and Damon had something critical to take care of — something dangerous that Claire couldn't be involved in.
Claire, though worried, nodded and stayed at the hotel as instructed.
Phoebe grabbed the crow mask and her essentials…
And left to meet Damon.
It took only a few minutes before Phoebe arrived at the location Damon sent.
Thankfully, the hotel wasn't far — just a few streets away — making the trip quick and easy.
She followed Damon's directions carefully, moving through the shadows until she finally spotted him waiting near a rusted railing beside the underpass.
The moment she reached him, Damon immediately briefed her on the plan.
They would enter the abandoned underpass — quietly.
Without alerting anyone.
Not yet.
Damon was certain there were guards stationed below…
and likely more Arcana inside, not just Alfi and Loren.
Whoever they believed was The Fool was being held down there — and was in serious danger.
He also needed to learn the truth behind why Alfi and Loren were tailing him.
What exactly did they know?
And how close were they to discovering Damon's identity?
Phoebe nodded firmly, gripping the crow mask in her hands — the symbol that once struck fear into corrupt hearts.
The mission was clear.
They would infiltrate the underpass, uncover the truth…
and rescue whoever was being falsely accused of being The Fool.
Damon pulled the crow mask over his face —
the dark persona returning to life.
Phoebe steadied her breath.
Side by side, they stepped toward the hidden stairs…
Ready to walk into the lion's den.