Onc2023 Stories

It's 1893, and Kitty's eleven cousins - her adoptive siblings - have all moved out. She only has Sherlock Holmes for company, until Cousin Joey returns from America alongside his dashing benefactor, Benedict Hawkins. Scotland Yard Inspector Tobias Thackery has spent a decade looking for his runaway sister. New clues on her trail point to an anarchist plot, and Kitty won't be left out as Tobias recruits family members into a spy network. The risks are real, and more personal than Kitty expects, on her whirlwind quest to self-fulfilment. * ONC2023 shortlister! Prompt 51: The problem with red flags is that I'm attracted to them. * To be completed on July 1st, ~40k words. Cover by @cxmern

** The horror slumbers buried under many meters of rubble and desert sand. Nameless cartouches, desecrated relics, and a sarcophagus containing an ancient riddle. ** "Ancient lands lost in time. Storms of sand, walls of lime Surround this mask of death that I wear Awakened by invading souls The curse of Pharaoh upon you Who dares to invade his holy ground The gods rise to destroy you." - Symphony X - When young student and photography enthusiast Arabella Redcliffe visits her uncle at an excavation site in Egypt anno 1922, ancient secrets are uncovered that should have remained hidden forever. The men and women of the archaeological excavation stumble upon a still-sealed burial chamber. But not only its condition and location raise questions. Who was buried here, why was his name erased from all records and reliefs, and why were many grave goods wantonly desecrated? Together, Arabella and the dashing archaeological assistant Miles Thornton try to get to the bottom of the mysteries. But then, inexplicable and terrible events begin to take their course. If they don't figure out what's going on in this cursed place fast enough, this tomb could become theirs, too. ***** My entry for the Open Novella Contest 2023 Cover by Me ***** 🥇TheGemstoneBooksAwards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place The Aster Awards - Paranormal 🥇 1st Place Rose Book Award - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Crown Awards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Luminous Award - Best Title 🥇 1st Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Prologue 🥇 Grad Prize Starlight Mini Awards 🥇 1st Categories Awards 2023 - Best Cover 🥇 1st Place Astania Awards - Mystery 🥈 2nd Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Cover 🥈 2nd Place Megawatt Awards - Paranormal/Horror 🥈 2nd Categories Awards 2023 - Best Blurb 🥈 2nd Place Dazzle Awards - Thriller/Horror *****

Born the son of a lowly hunter and abandoned as a child, Zhenxing never expected to be brought to Heaven and become the most treasured attendant of the mighty Tiger Immortal, one of the twelve Zodiac Guardians appointed by the Jade Emperor. But the world is tumultuous and not even the Heavenly Realm resides in peace for long. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, a dreadful discovery is made. The Tiger Immortal is found dead and a grieving Zhenxing flees Heaven, blamed and pursued by the remaining eleven Zodiacs. Abandoned and bewildered, Zhenxing seeks refuge in the one place those of the Heavenly Realm are loathe to tread: the Demon Realm. While in hiding, he discovers shocking evidence that the one who killed the Tiger Immortal was not his most beloved servant, but one of his fellow Guardians! With the help of a sinister and charming demon prince named Lixin, Zhenxing digs further into the mystery hoping to clear his name and avenge his beloved Tiger Immortal. Beautiful cover made by my lovely friend @AriaofStorms

"We called them angels not necessarily because we believed them to be merciful but because back then we had decided they came from either Heaven or Hell, and devils at least bore some resemblance to humans." "These beings did not." ~ Once a month, the city at the end of the world is plagued by Dark Days-days wherein the sky goes black and the sun refuses to shine. Gray Barnes, a struggling university professor, has spent years studying the strange beings known as "angels" who appear during the Dark Days. They've never been harmful before, but Gray has reason to suspect that this coming Dark Day, the angel's intentions are far less innocent than they may seem. When an unexpected arrest disrupts Gray's plan to flee with their wife, they find themself trapped in the city during the Dark Day. And though they've spent years researching this phenomenon, nothing can prepare Gray for the day that awaits them. The city is dark. The angels are coming. The world is slated for change-and Gray can rely on the people around them, but for the first time, they're not so sure they can rely on themself.

Moving schools and towns is always hard but it was something that Kayla was quite used to. This year was no different to previous years except for one thing, she was greeted by a typical high school bully. That was where she met her potential new friend Hailey. As time goes by Kayla starts to question her sexuality when she falls in love with one of the students in her music class and a participant in the school talent show. Can music unite these 4 very different/ diverse teenagers or would music fail to do this?

Chris Hallowswift is the heir to the Hallowswift throne. Every date he's ever been on has been organized. He's confined to do whatever his parents organize for him to do and doesn't go out frequently. When his parents organize a blind date for him with an heiress from another well-respected magical family who gives off a bad impression, he never expected to be given an out...and a taste of freedom ---- ONC Prompt 39: On a blind date with a complete mismatch, you're increasingly uncomfortable but too polite to leave. Then an attractive stranger comes over and gives you an out.

When you have a few weeks left to live, the only other tragic thing that can happen to you besides dying is to fall in love. For Ariha, love means helping her best friend, Aarya, get the boy she has had a crush on since sixth grade. When life is so cruel as not to let Ariha have a love story of her own, she can at least help Aarya find happily ever after. The only problem is - Rehan, the boy with sun-kissed smiles and poetry in his veins. Rehan has only ever seen her from afar, the girl who haunts his dreams every night. And now she is here to ask him a favor that can leave him heartbroken. But can he refuse her wish if it's the first and last thing he can do for the girl of his dreams? *** This story is part of ONC2023. *** Disclaimer: This story is exclusively published on Wattpad. If you see it somewhere else, please do inform me.

ONC 2023 Shortlist | Fiona had one dream for her entire childhood: to move to Hollywood and act. Unlike the kids around her who wanted to be astronauts or pop singers, her dream never shifted to something more realistic, practical, or ordinary. At age 19, she allows the flip of a coin to decide her fate. Will she give up her dream entirely or fight to make it reality? prompt | Flip the coin and make a life choice with it. Two choices, one coin, and no turning back. Do you dare?

The Kalki Chronicles - Origins takes you into a realm that pits Indic history with futuristic sci-fi. Based on the murky, big bad world of Bollywood, where the fortunes of superstars are decided every Friday, we meet the enigmatic, quintessential bad boy of Bollywood Rudra Pratap Rudy. And on the other hand, barely making ends meet in the madness of Mumbai, we have the aspiring journalist turned gossip column writer Adrija Ranganathan. There was no way, these two could have a chance at love, no way in hell. Yet, the heavens decided that these two will have to clash, in order to kickstart a series of events, that will end in the culmination of the age of Kali. This is not just a story, but a journey, spanning generations. This is not a story about beginnings, middles and ends. This is a story, where everything is about to end.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS meets Victorian England in this whimsical historical fantasy about love, feminism, family, and revenge. *** United Kingdom, 1852. 19-year-old Atalanta "Hattie" Rayburn has seen monsters everywhere since she was a child. When the mysterious man in her dreams appears in real life to warn her about a prophecy, Hattie discovers she is a demigoddess, a daughter of Zeus. The Greek gods are real... along with all the monsters she once heard about. With Ben, another demigod, she will have to travel across England to get to talk with her father. He is the only one who can give her answers... because the prophecy says she will have to make a decision that will define the fate of the world -but will she save it, or destroy it?

Regulus had had enough of the loud screaming matches between his mother and older brother as they left him with a headache while also preventing him from hiding. In what felt like sheer madness, he left the house unnoticed and found a Muggle library, a sanctuary from noises that would bother him as he tried to study. Of course, in his delight to find a quiet place to study, he forgot one important thing. Muggles. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for ONC 2023, prompt seventy-six, "You're poring over spellbook in the local library when a human discovers you."

Where there is misfortune, there is magic. It is a phrase Annabelle Baker has heard enough times to have it drilled into her mind. Everyone in town follows it, after all, you don't want to get on the bad side of the Wardens, Mere's staunch protectors. They already have more than enough on their plate... Life in Mere used to be easy. That is, before a mysterious plague rolled into town, infecting everyone except a lone pharmacist, her business associate and a group of charming strangers belonging to Varian Merradem's circus. The good Merian civilian that Ann is, she grows immediately suspicious of the latter, their arrival matching that of the plague slightly too close to be true. In an effort to chase the circus out of town for good, Baker accidentally finds herself amongst their ranks, hoping desperately to escape and solve the conspiracy of the mysterious disease once and for all. A story based on a Dungeons and Dragons game. If you enjoy a bit of simple fantasy, dramatic characters or a good circus wreathed in mists and mystery, this might be one for you. Prompt 54. As townspeople are overcome with a deadly sickness, it's up to you, the only one not afflicted to find the cause and cure. ~(✩✧✩)~✶~(✩✧✩)~ Chapter 1 • 1319 W (Total 1319 W) Chapter 2 • 970 W (Total 2289 W) Chapter 3 • 1038 W (Total 3327 W) Chapter 4 • 1264 W (Total 4591 W) Chapter 5 • 1304 W (Total 5895 W) Chapter 6 • 1279 W (Total 7174 W) Chapter 7 • 826 W (Total 8000 W)

Valeria is an orphan, a High Mage and a descendant of a long line of powerful mages. She is also a child of the Void, one born with a very unique magic ability. Like many of the starving, helpless mages of the Void, Valeria is condemned by the mages of the Light, ever at war with them. She cares little about the war though, for younglings are getting sicker and sicker and no medicine or magic seems to help. Left with little choice, Valeria and her brother must now travel to the Light kingdom of Etherea where a divine fountain is rumoured to exist. One capable of curing every affliction known and unknown. One way or another, Valeria is walking out of Etherea with a cure. For the sake of the children.

All Seraphina wants is to kill the king of the vampires, but ending the life of Hawthorn Lukariah is not as easy as she thinks it will be. Given a golden opportunity to achieve her goal, Seraphina accepts an offer from the human government to take down the king of the vampires. With the skills that she's spent years developing, Seraphina is their ideal assassin. One fateful moment will alter everything, and the past that Seraphina wanted to avoid will catch up to her. Forced into a situation that she cannot control, Seraphina has to accept that she must bide her time. When the situation changes and the government moves to strike again, Seraphina must decide to listen to her mind or follow her heart. Will Seraphina save the king of the vampires? © Cover and Story TM Watkins (xMishx) 2023 No part of this story or cover may be used without written permission from the author. This story is exclusive to Wattpad. All rights reserved.

One day the Alpha collapsed, and Beta Enyo was called to meet with him, but upon meeting she found out something important that could very well be the death of him that he has kept secret. While attempting to take over many of the responsibilities of the pack En has made it her mission to try and save her Alpha, but time is limited as Conrad gets worse. The mission wont be easy, especially on the mountains forest, there is talk of the land and rumors that go around. Trying to keep the pack afloat and finding the key in helping her alpha will not be easy to do. Will she be able to do it? Or will it all have been for nothing? */*\* This is my entry to the Open Novella Contest 2023 under prompt 36

Ansley Fairfield was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she's running for her life. On her way home after a soccer game, she ran into a group of men surrounding two people: an angry hot guy and an equally furious beautiful woman. When the beautiful woman caught eye of Ansley, the woman immediently jumped on the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around Ansley. Then she proclaimed to the man, "The reason I don't need you is simple. I have her. She's my Claim." Now, Ansley must navigate this unfamiliar world and make sure she doesn't fall in too deep.

Abeline is only a child and finds herself removed from the comforts of her family's homestead. Accustomed to the verdant protection of a home in the hills, her family is now missing. In a world far away from our own, the girl must make a perilous journey north, evading the creeping storm and those she might cross on her path. There are those searching for her and those who mean her harm. Will there be any that choose to simply help her?

After more than thousands of years of hibernation, the infernal god Calu is reawakened - by a child. He resigns himself to a monotone future, until the opportunity for him to get rid of Lach arises. But what Calu doesn't expect is for him to care about his young charge, and when Lach goes missing, Calu is ready to raise hell. Hopefully, before it's too late. Unedited

For eons, the people of Crisium spun tales of a subterranean continent called Frigoria, located deep beneath the perilous Ice-Cap Mountains central to the continent. Over centuries, many have explored the icy region, only to turn up empty-handed. As time passed, many reduced the tale to nothing but a figment of a rambling madman's imagination. Little did they know that Frigoria actually existed! It was in Frigoria, that an archeologist working on a dig found a thick pane of glass and discovered a massive bio-dome, hidden for too long. Only one organism was inside, and it was meant to be forgotten. However, the creature escaped through a crack on the other side of the dome, into Crisium. As the townspeople of Catherina Island are overcome with a deadly sickness, it's up to Aria Octavia, the only one not afflicted, to find the cause and cure.

Angélio follows a glowing butterfly through a portal to an enchanted world where he'll have to find a way to save himself and an unsuspecting city from destruction. ♧♧♧ All Angélio Moya wants for his thirteenth birthday is to hang out with his papá--like they used to. But instead, his work-for-a-living dad forgets Angélio's big day and hosts a meeting disguised as an office party at their house. Devastated but determined, Angélio flees to the backyard to sharpen his nonexistent fútbol skills in a last-ditch attempt to catch his dad's attention. Angélio's mood brightens when a glowing butterfly appears and leads him through a portal to the enchanted world of Realania. There, the butterfly transforms into a human-like creature named Roende. The two become fast friends after Roende offers to solve all of Angélio's problems. Their exciting adventures, filled with treasure hunts and encounters with fantastic beasts, eventually lead to Angélio discovering Roende's dark secret. Angélio will have to decide if he is willing to risk the fate of an entire city to make his dreams come true. ♧♧♧ This is an ONC 2023 novella based on Prompt: 29. "When you touch a mirror, it ripples like water. You dive in."