Aryn Brown is terrified of the subway. Unless she is going to and from work, she won't ride the train otherwise. It's not the train itself but the idea of going underground that terrifies her. Or just maybe it's the fear of the mythical creatures or Mythics as she calls them. Growing up in foster care has provided little clues as to her origins. Her ability to detect mythics and the magic they wield has led to an avoidance of such places that contain them. Fear keeps her from finding out why she has the ability to sense beings that belong only in fairy tales. When one such mythic named Tobin not only speaks to her but uses Dark Magic on her she is left with a vague sense of unreality. She is left with more questions than answers. Has any of it been real or it is all part of an elaborate deception? Prompts 1 and 13.

When a mysterious thief steals a treasure from a reckless prince, his knights spring into action. They're hunting for the precious necklace intended for the prince's bride, but the prince knows better. His heart was stolen, and his heart is priceless. The only way he can recover from this loss is to find his thief before the knights. Only, he can't court the thief and still be the same prince he's always been. ONC entry for Prompt 137: "I am a princess and I can't love a person who is a thief and has robbed our palace's treasure. But I can't help it." Replace 'princess' with 'prince'.

|ONC 2025 ROUND 1 & 2 WINNER| "Say goodbye, for may we meet again in another hell." Fractured by the chains that bound him to past transgressions. Lysandre Highwind stands falsely accused of slaughtering the realm's protector. In a world plagued by a deadly sickness, teetering on the brink of collapse, Lysandre finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of betrayal as he is burned at the stake for his crimes. Awakened by the trance of an unholy demise, Lysandre rises from the dead with shards of his memory leading up to his death, a fraction of his emotions, and a missing ring finger.- As a grave sickness rids the realm of Rivenhelm into calamity, in a desperate bid to reclaim his honour, he must forge an unlikely alliance with a fierce dwarf and a cunning privateer. With time slipping through their fingers, they must uncover a haunting path to cleanse the blood that stains his name and banish the realm's suffocating darkness before its too late. Time is slipping away, and the spectre of doom looms ever closer as a chilling reminder that salvation may be their only hope or their final curse, for not all that appears is as it seems. Prompt #91. No one believes you. But you are the only one who can solve this mystery -- for all of them. Sub Prompt #52: Let's play a game of colours: you paint me red because you love me, and I'll paint you black because I want you gone. Started on: February 1st, 2025 First Published on: February 21st, 2025 Ended on: April 28, 2025 Total word count: 39885 (Narrative, not including author's notes, or media such as banners.)

Homeless girl, Rosalie, is found on the cold streets of Crausley Sands with nothing but the clothes on her back and a black obsidian stone key around her neck, having no memory of who gave it to her. When Rosalie is taken in by none other than Prince Darick Quentin, she learns of the sudden and mysterious disappearance of his cook, Jared Cutler. Is the strange mirror belonging to Darick's newly betrothed wife, Francine, somehow responsible? The answers she is searching for may lie in the key she possesses. Or the truth may just be hidden in the key waiting to be found, in the abandoned hamlet of Grangston Green, and in the Raven who stalks her every move. Once Rosalie remembers where she comes from, the fate of Crausley Sands rests on her shoulders. If she fails, in twenty days' time, during the Prince's coronation to become King, the spirits of the lost witches will rise to avenge their deaths. To end the Quentin bloodline once and for all. ONC 2025 entry Prompts 55, 110, 114

Aden Dekker easily slays on the dating front, but as one to go with the flow rather than dive into the dark uncertainties and mysteries clouding his life, he's avoided giving serious consideration to what qualities he's looking for in a girl beyond a pretty smile. But when a blood-starved vampire queen comes hunting him, he quickly figures out exactly what he wants in a girl when it comes to wicked, nighttime company -- arcane book smarts, steel nerves, and a loaded crossbow. This story was written for the Open Novella Competition, ONC 2025, prompt 11. Reader advisory: bad language, horror elements (bitey, vampiric violence and seduction), a pinch of sexy spice.

Quite frankly, I don't give a fuck about you or Christos. What I care about is that some Cartel punk has stepped onto my island, messing with my business, so we are going to use you as bait to draw him out. ~~~~ Five years ago, Solara Doukas escaped from a strip club in Tijuana, just to learn that her new husband is an abusive a-hole. Resigned to make the best of the situation while searching for a way to break free, she endures her torment until the past catches up with her. Now on the run from the Mexican Cartels with nowhere to hide, the Crimson Disciples are her last line of defense, or they could become her ultimate downfall. And then there's the bodyguard who makes her heart beat faster, but can he be trusted to keep her safe? 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️ Highest Heat Level (chapters will be marked) 🤬 Swearing ☠️ Touch Her & Die ⚖️ Crime Thriller 💓 Dangerous Love/ Dark Romance 💋 Secret Cinnamon Roll 🐍 Lies, Deceit & Betrayal ~~~ This is my secondary ONC entry based on prompt #61: The silence in the room is deafening, as though it has a life of its own. It's time to rewrite the fairy tale, but this time, the ending will be yours, and it won't be happy. Read at your own risk! © Sal Mason/Fire Rose 2024

ONC 2025 A sci-fi thriller with a thread of gay romance. Jiro wanted to be a pilot for as long as he could remember. Flying through the stars, what could be more thrilling? He worked hard for his dream, nothing was going to stop him, not even the debilitating illness which struck him down, just before his eighteenth birthday. He could push through and he did, eventually securing a job, piloting the shuttle from the terminal up to the space station. But then his illness returned and he lost the job. Swallowing the disappointment, he determined to try again. At least he had his twin brother Drew to support him while he recovered. Even if sometimes he thought Drew didn't understand him, he knew his brother loved him. Until...

Combine a mountain filled with rugged orcs with a mysteriously arrived shop serving delicate cups of tea. Could this be the start of a revolution? **** On Orc Mountain, there is nothing but dirt, smoke, and backbreaking labor in the mines. There are no colors, no sun, no breaks for rest. There is definitely no tea. That is, until a mysterious tea shop appears in the orcs' domain. Glimmering in blue and pink, it stands out against the rugged backdrop. At first, the hardened inhabitants of the mountain are understandably leery about the malpositioned shop, wondering how it got there and why. Lava, a dedicated supervisor at the mines, takes it upon herself to investigate the suddenly-arrived business. Stepping inside, she meets Jasper, the bubbly fairy shopkeeper, who offers her a fragrant brew. Once Lava takes a sip, the sweet yet bitter taste pulls her in, making her clamor for more. Soon, all orcs are hooked on tea, but something sinister is brewing under the surface. When Lava catches Jasper conducting a secret meeting in a backroom, the true purpose of the tea shop is revealed. Soon she is forced to choose between her newfound passion for tea (and Jasper) and her dedication to the mountain's mining operations. *** Legends & Lattes x Shrek *** An ONC novella using prompt #15: A mysterious tea shop suddenly appears and you can't help but wonder: what's its true purpose, and why does it seem so important?

Reyna the Unyielding was once a legendary warrior, feared on the battlefield and respected across the land. But after hanging up her sword to raise her newborn, she thought her days of heroism were over... until an ancient prophecy declares that her son is destined to defeat the dark sorcerer, Malekar the Malevolent. While the kingdom panics, and old heroes refuse to come out of retirement, Reyna decides she can't wait for fate to sort itself out. With her baby strapped to her back, Reyna assembles an unlikely team--a nervous young sorcerer, an ancient druid with questionable memory, and a monk who swore never to kill again--to stop Malekar before her baby even learns to walk. Evil may never sleep... but neither does a newborn. ONC 2025/Prompt 3

Meet Florence Sharp. Her world revolves around the great Dr. Henry Chaplain who is a brilliant pioneer in his trade as an alchemist. With an experiment like no other, she aids him in his work as assistant, friend, and lover. Enter Elric, the good doctor's uncanny alter ego summoned by his experiments. With an ever shifting dynamic, the three must work together to achieve discovery while avoiding the local authorities. In a mind-bending thriller of dark passions, can you tell who is the villain and who is the victim? 🧙‍♂️ Open Novella Contest 2025 📜{Round 1 Qualifier} #57 - Two lovers- one is the villain, but no one knows it except the other. Can their love survive the truth? ⚠️ Mature rating for content including death, gore, violence, and drug use 💀🩸💉 🎵 Recommended playlist 🎶 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gh4RBn02DSNFviWxHD4eg?si=2ba111911beb416d