HUNTED

The first scream shattered the stillness of the night. Aurora bolted upright in bed, her heart hammering as the echoes of the sound settled into an eerie silence. For a moment, she thought it might have been a nightmare. But then she heard it-the rhythmic pounding of hooves and the unmistakable crack of shattering wood.

Before Aurora could move, her bedroom door flew open, and her mother, Flor, rushed in. The faint light of the lantern in her hand illuminated her face, twisted in panic. Aurora had never seen her mother afraid before, not like this.

"Aurora, wake your sister! Now!" Flor hissed, her voice trembling.

Aurora scrambled out of bed, her legs tangling in the blanket. "Mama, what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain!" Flor crossed the room in long strides and yanked the covers off Diana's bed. Her younger sister groaned, squinting up at their mother.

"Mama?" Diana murmured, still half-asleep.

"Get up, Diana! We have to leave!" Flor's voice cracked as she pulled Diana to her feet.

The pounding grew louder. It was no longer just the sound of hooves but the heavy footfalls of men. Aurora heard the distant clang of metal and the guttural shouts of commands.

"Witch hunters..." Aurora whispered, her blood running cold.

Flor spun to face her, gripping her shoulders. "Yes, and they're here for us. Listen to me, both of you. You must leave now. Through the back window. Don't stop. Don't look back."

"No!" Aurora's voice was a sharp, desperate whisper. "We're not leaving without you and Papa!"

Flor shook her head, her expression pained. "Your father needs me. I can't leave him behind. But you-" Her voice broke, and tears welled in her eyes. "You must survive. Both of you."

Diana clung to her mother's arm. "Mama, please! Come with us!"

Flor dropped to her knees and cupped Diana's face. "I'll find you. I promise. But you have to go now. I can't lose you too."

Aurora swallowed hard, her throat burning with unshed tears. She grabbed Diana's arm and pulled her toward the window, forcing herself not to look back.

Flor moved through the house with purpose, though fear gnawed at her resolve. She found her husband in the living room, pinned to the floor by two witch hunters. His face was bloodied, his breaths ragged.

"Where are they?" the leader barked, his sword pressed against her husband's neck.

Flor stepped into the room, her hands raised. "Let him go."

The hunters turned toward her, their faces hidden behind steel masks. The leader smirked. "Another witch. This is going to be fun."

Flor's lips curled into a snarl. She swept her hands through the air, and a blast of wind knocked the men back. Her husband rolled away, gasping for breath.

"Run!" she shouted to him.

But he didn't make it far. An arrow flew through the air, piercing his thigh. He collapsed with a cry, clutching his leg.

Flor's fury boiled over. Flames erupted from her palms, and she hurled them at the nearest hunter. He screamed as the fire consumed him, his armor glowing red-hot.

Another hunter charged at her, swinging his sword. She stomped the ground, and the earth split open beneath him. He fell with a shout, and the ground snapped shut, severing his head with a sickening crunch.

Arrows rained down, but Flor conjured a wall of ice, shattering the projectiles before they could reach her. Her magic was powerful, but the hunters were relentless. One of them slipped behind her and shot an arrow into her calf. She stumbled, and a chain wrapped around her wrists, cutting off her magic.

The leader stepped forward, his smile cruel. "You witches think you're untouchable. Look at you now."

Flor's legs buckled as the hunters dragged her into the clearing. Her arms were bound, the rough iron chains biting into her wrists and suppressing her magic. Blood trickled down her legs from the arrow wounds, leaving a trail on the dirt behind her. Her husband knelt nearby, his face swollen and bruised, his cries muffled by the gag tied around his mouth.

The leader of the witch hunters strode forward, his boots crunching on the gravel. His blade glinted in the moonlight as he twirled it casually, a cruel smile curling his lips.

"Flor of the Western Glades," he announced, his voice dripping with mockery. "You are hereby condemned for practicing witchcraft, a crime punishable by death under the King's law. Do you deny the charges?"

Flor lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with defiance. "I deny nothing," she spat. "You've already decided my fate, just as you decided to murder my husband and children. You call yourselves hunters, but you're nothing more than cowards hiding behind steel."

The leader chuckled darkly. "Defiant to the end. How noble. But don't worry-your children will join you soon enough. It'll be a family reunion in hell."

Flor surged forward, despite the chains holding her. "You won't touch them!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with rage.

The hunters laughed, the sound hollow and cruel.

Aurora's heart pounded as she crouched behind the bushes with Diana, her trembling hand clasped tightly over her sister's mouth to stifle any sounds. She could barely breathe, every fiber of her being frozen as they watched the horror unfold.

Through the dense foliage, Aurora saw their mother kneeling on the ground, bound in chains. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders, streaked with blood and dirt, but her back remained straight. Even in the face of death, Flor was unyielding.

Diana gripped Aurora's arm, her nails digging into her skin. "We have to help her," she whispered, her voice shaking. Tears streamed down her face, and her entire body trembled.

"No," Aurora hissed back, her own voice barely audible. "She told us to run. We can't-we'll only make it worse."

The leader raised his sword, pointing the tip at her chest. "For your crimes against the kingdom and humanity, you are sentenced to death."