Hope desperately tried to be as unassuming as possible as she entered the city that was once her home. She shivered and held her cloak closer as she noticed the aura of the enforcer scanning everything in sight. It reached her and for one horrible moment, she thought they realized, but then the aura moved on and she slumped in utter relief.

Hope had not used even a wisp of her magic for over a month now, afraid that once this moment came, the enforcers would be able to detect it. That seems to have paid off, thankfully. She dreaded to think about what would have happened if it did not.

Even now, she wanted to go back to the forest, but she knew that if she stayed in one place too long, the enforcers would eventually notice her. As her age grew, so did her magic, and it was getting harder and harder for her to control it. She feared that at some point she would not be able to stop herself from using it. That is why she was going to go to her old home. Hopefully, something had survived the enforcers and she would be able to learn more about her magic. Her home was close, she would see what she could find and leave as quickly as possible. Already though, Hope felt that she had made a mistake.

The city seemed to have changed over the years. The streets were devoid of people. Her footsteps seemed to echo across them, kicking up dust, there was a faint but awful, unfamiliar smell. As she navigated the streets, it was as if she felt the gazes of the citizens on her. It almost felt like they were waiting for her to make a mistake. She tightened the cloak more, its warmth bringing her comfort from the sudden chill. Further ahead, she felt the cold, apathetic aura of an enforcer and her heart began to race. She hurried to an alley nearby, deciding the main streets were too dangerous. There did not use to be so many enforcers around.

Hope began to make her way toward her home, moving slowly and cautiously to avoid detection. Thankfully, there did not seem to be any changes to the city layout. Every single building was just as Hope remembered them, though much more worn down and dusty, and with the Overlords banner hung everywhere in sight.

Even trying her best to hide as she was, she felt eyes on her, through windows and other alleys. Again, she tugged at her cloak. Every second felt like more of a mistake, but she pressed on. She itched to use her magic but knew it would be a terrible idea.

Alley by alley, she eventually reached her old street. Soon she could see her home and her heart sank. It was the most ruined building she had seen so far. The door was shattered, and many of the windows were broken.

Memories of her childhood assaulted her mind and Hope silently grieved for the loss of her home, and of her family. Forced to live in hiding, she had been running from the Overlord's enforcers for almost five years now. Her parents had long ago been captured by them, alongside her teacher, but they had bought her enough time to escape. Not a day went by without her thinking of them.

After her escape, she kept moving. She had few problems living in the forest thanks to the magic she inherited from her parents. She could scavenge enough food to get by and did not have to fear starvation, beasts, or disease. There were very few monsters near the forest as well, with most hunted by the surrounding cities. Anything that she needed that she could not make herself, she could easily take from some nearby villages. The guilt of stealing gnawed at her, but she did what she had to do to survive. If she interacted with people, her magic might be recognized, and she would be taken away.

Her recollection was interrupted when she noticed a small, dark-haired boy staring at her from one of the windows of her home. He quickly hid once he noticed that she saw him. She could hear him run and saw him leave the house.

She was confused but she knew that she had little time to waste. The enforcers could come at any moment and the boy might simply fear strangers. She could relate to that.

Hope's heart raced as she stepped across the threshold of her old home, determined to salvage something from it. It was not as worn down on the inside as it was on the outside. Someone had been taking residence here, judging by the trash scattered around the place. She ignored it and hurried to her father’s study. It was the entire reason she had come here. Her heart sank further, however, for she could see the outside once she opened the study door.

The entire room was simply missing, as if destroyed by a giant.

Closing the door, she almost collapsed on the spot. She felt tears burning her cheeks but forced herself to move. If she could not search the study, perhaps there could be something in her parents’ bedroom. She searched it thoroughly, ignoring the many ways the room differed from her memories. There was nothing to be found, however, and Hope almost gave up on her search.

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Only the desire for the trip to not be a complete waste kept her going. Hope moved on to her own bedroom. She used to store all the books her teacher gave her on a shelf by her bed, alongside toys and gifts from her parents.

Her tears began to fall again as she saw the state of it. The bed was missing, the windows were ruined, and the walls were crumbling. Even the shelf itself had been removed and nothing that used to be hers remained.

Again though, she forced herself to move. Next, she could only think of the basement. If there was nothing there as well, she would be forced to go search for her teacher’s old home. She did not remember its location well, but she would have no other choice.

The basement was dark, and the old manalight was missing. Judging by the stale air and smell, its door had not been opened in a while. She did not have a torch, and as she was contemplating the risk of using magic to make some light, a sudden shove from behind sent Hope stumbling down the stairs and the basement door closed with a loud thud. Her arms and legs in pain from the fall and the rough ground, she turned around to find four boys standing there, staring at her menacingly. The one standing in the back had a torch, and she recognized him as the small boy that ran away before.

All of them were human, and they each held clubs of wood, or pieces of glass as weapons. They were of various ages, with the torchbearer being the youngest, followed by the two boys who looked like they were twins. They were both short and thin, standing on each side of the lead boy, who was a teen. He had blonde hair and a thin but tall build. She did not like the look in his eyes.

He took a step forward and began to speak “This entire street is our territory girl. You need to pay to scavenge.” He took another step forward “I do not recognize you. Who are you? What group are you with?”

At his questions, Hope froze. She has not spoken to anyone in years. She finds the willpower to talk though, even if the words come out dry and trembling “My name is Hope. I am not with any groups.”

One of the twins laughs “Hope huh, hilarious.” The others begin to laugh as well, and the teen then takes another step forward “You seem to be new here, so I’ll let it go with a quick lesson this time”

At that, Hope is somewhat indignant. It has been a while since she has had a conversation, and she hopes that the boys will leave alone after they see that it is her house, not theirs, “I am not new here, this used to be my family’s house!” Hope exclaims. At that, the boy seems to freeze. He recovers quickly though, his expression shifting to one of predatory calculations.

“Your family’s house?” he asks, “This was a mage house, but you say it’s your family’s house?”

Hope realizes her mistake and begins to panic but knows that even this much is damning. The boy continues “The Overlord rewards those that turn in mages and their family. Tie her up boys.”

The three boys quickly moved to comply. The thought of being captured by the enforcers terrifies her. To escape, Hope knows she has no other choice but to use magic. Her panic does not help her control, however. She wanted to shove them aside and afterward escape through the door. Instead, ice engulfs the room. The already cold basement is now freezing.

The leader has his legs frozen, while the small boy has his arms, including the now useless torch. The twins are not so lucky, one having their front sides completely frozen, their expressions locked to one of fear, while the other has only his head free of the ice.

But she is not given the time to contemplate their state or the sudden darkness, for the moment she willed her magic forwards, she felt a connection to the wall at her side. Somehow, it felt utterly familiar, and she felt compelled to reach for it, mentally and physically. The boys were screaming but she was transfixed with the wall. It made a sound, and with a sudden light, the wall twisted and gave way to a small compartment with a singular book in it.

She touched the book, and it vanished. For a moment she thought that it had disappeared, but then she realized that she could still feel it in her mind and somehow, she knew that it would appear again the moment she willed it.

She is hit in the arm by a club the leader threw, and the pain makes Hope snap out of her dazed state. She is no longer able to ignore the screaming, cursing boys, or her realization that the enforcers would have all sensed such a large use of magic. The small boy is trying to open the door, but his arms are frozen. The leader and the twins were still blocking the staircase, and she, knowing the enforcers must already be on their way, decided that there was no longer a point in not using her magic.

Going with her original plan, with a wave of magic she shoved the boys out of the way. Not pausing to look at them, and trying to ignore the sounds of something shattering, she ran for the door. The frost almost made her slip along the way and the cold seems to seep into her very bones as she reaches for the door. Opening it she casts a swift glance around, terrified and expecting enforcers to appear at any moment.

Relieved at seeing nothing, she quickly exited her house. She will have to go as far from here as she can, and the enforcers are going to be on high alert now.

The boys’ faces were seared into her eyes. It was the first time that Hope had hurt another person, but she forced herself not to dwell on it. Nevertheless, guilt gnawed at her, twisting her stomach into knots as she yet again ran away from her home, casting a look behind her for a final time. She could still hear the screams, even as she entered an alley nearby.