Levi slept peacefully until the middle of the night.
Without warning, his bedroom door burst open.
Carmen rushed inside, breathing heavily.
Her hands trembled as tears streamed down her face.
She clutched her fists so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
Levi instantly rolled out of bed.
Still half asleep, he rubbed his eyes and looked at her.
One glance at her face told him everything.
Something terrible had happened.
His expression remained calm as he asked,
“Who died this time?”
“You have to save them, Levi.”
“You had another dream?”
Carmen nodded, struggling to catch her breath.
“What happened this time?”
“The Godmother was ambushed by a group of merchants. They killed her in the woods… and after that, another group attacked the headquarters and slaughtered everyone who stayed behind.”
Levi’s expression became serious.
He knew Carmen’s dreams were never ordinary dreams.
When she was younger, they were vague and difficult to understand.
They seemed like nothing more than strange fantasies.
But as she grew older…
They changed.
Now she dreamed of real people.
Real places.
Real deaths.
Every dream eventually came true.
Sometimes she dreamed of betrayal.
Sometimes love.
Sometimes disasters.
But most often…
She dreamed about death.
Those dreams had become one of Levi’s greatest sources of information.
Because of Carmen’s visions, Levi had discovered the Vanguard.
Because of her warnings, he had been able to sell valuable information to the Godmother.
Unfortunately, the dreams came without warning.
Carmen couldn’t choose when they happened.
Nor could she control what she saw.
Every time she woke up, she experienced something similar to shock.
Her body trembled.
Her breathing became uneven.
It was as though she had personally lived through every death she witnessed.
Over the years, Levi had taught her breathing exercises and ways to calm herself after waking.
Working with her hands helped quiet her mind.
But tonight…
This dream was different.
The people dying weren’t strangers.
They were people she loved.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
Carmen took several deep breaths before explaining every detail she could remember.
Levi listened without interrupting.
He carefully pieced together every part of her vision.
Every location.
Every person.
Every movement.
By the time she finished…
A plan had already formed in his mind.
He stood up.
“Gather everyone.”
Carmen nodded and hurried from the room.
Within minutes, everyone—including the remaining servants—had gathered inside the inn.
Levi spread a rough map across the table.
His eyes moved across it several times before he finally spoke.
“We’re splitting into two groups.”
Everyone immediately fell silent.
“Joshua.”
“Logan.”
“Olivia.”
“You three will head to the Godmother with several of her people. Bring extra medical supplies.”
He looked toward Joe.
“You’re staying here.”
Joe nodded without complaint.
“The rest of us will defend the headquarters.”
No one questioned his decision.
Whenever Levi gave orders…
There was always a reason.
The headquarters quickly transformed into a fortress.
The Godmother’s remaining mercenaries gathered every weapon they had.
Tripwires were stretched between trees.
Explosives were buried beneath leaves.
Barricades were built around every entrance.
Hidden firing positions were prepared throughout the forest.
Levi personally inspected every trap.
Nothing escaped his attention.
Meanwhile, Joshua remained in constant contact through the walkie-talkie.
Both teams synchronized their movements perfectly.
The other would already know.
Just before four o’clock in the morning…
Levi looked toward the road.
“They’re here.”
Like Carmen had seen in her dream…
The second group arrived almost exactly on time.
They moved quietly through the darkness, believing they had caught everyone by surprise.
They had no idea…
They had walked straight into Levi’s trap.
The moment they entered the courtyard…
Every floodlight switched on at once.
The sudden brightness blinded the attackers.
They immediately reached for their weapons, searching the area.
But they saw no one.
Only silence.
They slowly spread out, looking for hidden enemies.
What they didn’t know…
Was that dozens of eyes were already watching them.
Hidden among the trees, perfectly camouflaged, sat Carmen.
She lay motionless behind her sniper rifle.
Although she was still young, she had trained with nearly every weapon imaginable.
Her favorite had always been sniper rifles.
Unfortunately, ammunition was expensive.
Most of her practice had been target shooting whenever she visited the Godmother.
She wasn’t an expert.
Not yet.
But tonight…
She had only one goal.
Protect the people she loved.
A veteran sniper lay hidden farther north, quietly watching Carmen.
She had seen the young girl practice before.
Even then…
She knew Carmen possessed remarkable potential.
Because becoming a sniper wasn’t just about accuracy.
It required patience.
Discipline.
The ability to observe without being seen.
To stalk prey like a silent predator.
Carmen possessed every one of those qualities.
Now all she needed…
Was experience.