The wind howled through the abandoned alley, Arlie huddled in the shadows, her hair whipping around her pale face. She knew better than to wander the streets after curfew, but desperation had a way of dismissing caution. Especially when you had magic in your veins.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and Arlie pressed herself closer to the damp brick wall. The last thing she needed was to be discovered.

Arlie's breath came in short, gasps, each one sending a cloud of steam into the frigid air. She'd heard the rumors, whispered tales of the mage hunters, the masked enforcers who roamed the city at night in search of mutants and magic users like her. But Arlie had never seen them in the flesh, until now.

A shadow emerged from the darkness, its sleek black form gliding towards me like a hungry predator. I froze, paralyzed with fear as it drew closer, its boots scraping against the ground.

"You've been found guilty of magic use, a crime against the state." The voice was mechanical, devoid of emotion. "Come with us now or face the consequences."

My heart raced, my mind frantically searching for an escape. I might have been only sixteen, but i knew what those consequences were. The mages' graveyard, a place where the city's most powerful sorcerers and mutants were said to be buried alive and stripped of their powers, was the only option for those like her who broke the law.

As the figure reached out to grab me, I did the only thing i could think of.

With a scream that seemed to emanate from the deepest part of my soul, I thrust out my hand, unleashing a torrent of magic that i'd never been able to control before. A wall of shimmering energy erupted from my fingertips, striking the hunter with such force that he was sent hurtling backwards, crashing into the opposite wall, the effect scared even me.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins as i watched the hunter struggle to regain his footing. My magic had always been unstable, unpredictable. But this time it had saved my life.

I knew i couldn't stay there. Seeing one of the hunters meant there'd be more lurking around

I took off down the alley, my shoes pounding heavily on the ground. The hunter immediately began to chase after me, I could hear his foot noises heavy behind me. I ran through the dark streets, my magic kept flaring up, drawing more hunters to my location, I was like a magnet and the hunters were little pieces of metals.

The city was a labyrinth of shadows and secrets, and my only hope at this point was to lose myself in its twisted maze of alleys. The hunters' footsteps echoed behind me, their calls for me to surrender growing more desperate with each passing second..

I turned a corner, the pulse of magic in my veins growing stronger with each step. I ducked into an alley feeling so scared that I'd end up in the Mages graveyard like others of my kind, i desperately searched for a place to hide. But the hunters were closing in, I could hear their footsteps getting closer with each passing second.

Just when i thought all hope was lost, I spotted a small gap between two buildings and squeezed myself through, it was a narrow space and I could barely breathe. It was dark, barely large enough to stand in, but I had no choice but to manage and stay Hidden.

the sound of the hunters' footsteps were growing closer, I pressed myself against the damp, cold wall and held my breath, my chest tight with fear.

As the seconds ticked by, i felt my magic begin to flare up again, its power surging through my veins. "Oh shit" I cursed as I fought to control it, knowing that any slip could give away my position. But the magic was wild,It was almost like it had a mind of its own.

I could hear the Hunter's voices and heavy boots echoing in the alley, they all kept saying, "The witch must be found, she's too powerful and dangerous to be left alive"

My heart pounded in my chest as they drew nearer, I shut my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the inevitable.

Just as the hunters reached the gap between the buildings, my magic burst forth like a tidal wave. It washed over me, filling me with an almost euphoric sense of power and clarity, it was as if another soul had possessed my body, like I wasn't in control anymore.

the first hunter peered into the space where i was hidden, a blinding flash of light erupted, sending him reeling backwards. The second hunter stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the blinding light .

I stepped forward, my eyes alight with magical energy. "leave me alone, I don't wanna hurt anyone" I said authoritatively, at this point my eyes had turned completely white.

The second hunter snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You think you're powerful? You're just a scared little girl. We'll break you like we've broken others."

"Have it your way then, hope it was worth it" I said, with a calm and steady voice .

I raised my hand and immediately, the magic around me crackled and surged, the air thick with the smell of ozone.

"Surrender now," the hunter growled as he tried to attack me

I brought my hand down, and the ground beneath the hunters' feet erupted in a violent burst of raw magical power. They screamed as they were thrown backwards, the concussive force of the blast reducing the alleyway to rubble.

I stood amidst the destruction, my hands trembled, i'd never unleashed my magic like that before, and the power of it frightened even me.

The smoke and debris began to settle, and i stepped cautiously forward, my senses were on high alert. I could feel the hunters' magic, even in their incapacitated state. They were powerful, but so was I.

I heard a sound behind me. And immediately whirled around, ready to attack whatever threat stood behind me,a magical shield already formed in my hand.