Onc2025 Stories

After six years in a progressive French boarding school, eighteen-year-old Lady Alice returns to her family's estate in Surrey, dreading the fate that awaits her-- debutante balls, an arranged marriage, and a life she does not want. She would have preferred to stay in France, teaching and writing love tales rather than living one dictated by others. Once cast aside by her own father and a stepmother, Alice finds their sudden desire for reconciliation hollow. Only her childhood best friend, Michael, Marquess Lovelace, seems like a true comfort. But as she settles back into her former home, something strange begins to happen. A black rabbit, eerily familiar, appears in the shadows-- just like the one that belonged to Edmond, her long-forgotten imaginary friend. And then she meets Count D'Arcy, the enigmatic and elusive neighbour whose presence unsettles her. His eyes, his voice, his very being remind her of Edmond. Could it be him? Or is her mind playing tricks on her? As the social season unfolds, Alice finds herself tangled in a web of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. The past and present blur, forcing her to question what is real, what is illusion, and whether love can exist beyond the bounds of reason. In the haunting halls of her childhood home and under the watchful gaze of Count D'Arcy, Alice must uncover the truth before she loses herself to the unknown. ~~~ My entry for the ONC 2025 based on the prompt 105: Your childhood imaginary friend, who disappeared years ago, suddenly returns - only this time, they're real.

Humanity is struggling to survive in a world that's no longer theirs. Liv, a scavenger leading missions to the edges of the city for food, medicine, and iron, knows things are getting worse. Every trip feels more desperate than the last. Humanity has an expiration date-the forest, and the creatures that dwell there, just have to wait them out. When a mission turns out to be a trap and Liv wakes up on the wrong side of the tree line-alone, disoriented, and for some reason not dead-she learns the forest doesn't just kill people or take their souls. It changes them. She doesn't know what she's becoming. Only that it's something way stronger than what she was. And that killing things never felt this good. Murderbot meets The Cruel Prince-with a whole lot of psychological horror My entry for onc2025, based on prompt 125: I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. - Frank Herbert

** 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉. The young widow Rebecca must choose between her old love or the chance of a new beginning. ** "You're still here When I close my eyes I still see you I still feel you And we'll never be apart You're still here Still here in my heart" - Natasha Bedingfield - Rebecca and Aiden live a perfect love story - until a plane crash ends their happily ever after. Overwhelmed by grief and the loss of the love of her life, Rebecca reaches for her cell phone in a moment of despair and writes a message to Aiden's old number. To her great shock, she receives a reply with Aiden's typical vow of love: "Forever yours." Touched by the comforting messages, Rebecca soon clings to this mysterious connection to her deceased husband. It is only when she meets Ian, another mourner, at a grief therapy session that she slowly begins to open up to life again. But while Ian tries to help Rebecca escape her grief, his desperate attempts collide with the mysterious messages of a past that Rebecca simply can't - or won't - let go of. Will Rebecca find the courage to fall in love again, or will she remain trapped in her longing for Aiden and continue to cling to the messages from the afterlife? "𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 - 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠" 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑦 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓, 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. *** English Version of my WSC Story

| ONC 2025 LONG LIST | Starling Byrne is tired. Tired of living in the city of Idyll, where everything is perfect - if you stay in line and don't speak out against its tyrannical leader and his android army. Determined to make a difference, Starling deserts her position in the strict, highly revered Idyllic Regiment and steals an object that might be the key to dismantling the dystopic way of life once and for all-if the broken android in her escape car doesn't get in her way. ___ Written for ONC 2025. Keep in mind that since this is a contest entry, this is an unedited draft and, as such, there may be some grammatical errors I've missed. This story was inspired by the following prompt: 70. After stealing something vital from the city, you flee in a car, only to find a discarded human-like android in the back seat. The android has a critical flaw - and you must protect it from those who want it back. Status: Long List Word count: 30,794

Marc Williams started having some financial problems after his dad's job was cut short, he decided to get a part time job where someone gives him a life changing offer. Daniel Ferreira A rich boy with some anger issues who gets a new assistant who he totally hated at first, but as time goes on these duo gets even more closer than they expected.... 'We stood together in silence staring into each other's eyes, his beautiful ocean blue eyes were so captivating, He cane closer to me and I moved closer to him too, we were only inches apart and my heart beat became faster each passing second....' • i only publish my books on wattpad and no other website/app • - Achievements - #1 - lgbtfriction #1 - richboy #1 - mxm #1 - onc #1 - onc2024 #1 - pride #1 - bxblove #1 - gaylove #2 - bisexual #2 - wattpad #2 - highschool #3 - gay #4 - bisexual #5 - richboy #5 - romance #6 - teen #6 - wattpadcontest #6 - boyxboy #6 - bxb #10 - gaylove (out of 1,000+ stories) #10 - wattys #18 - teenromance #23 - boyslove Started - 23 | 7 | 2020 Completed - 31 | 3 | 2023

🏆ONC 2025 HONORABLE MENTION 🏆 A lone lighthouse keeper watches over the coast, tending to her light as the sea rages beyond. The storms are nothing new-neither is the solitude. She is content with the quiet rhythm of her life, the crash of waves against the cliffs, the scent of salt and parchment filling her days. But when a shipwreck leaves a battered stranger at her doorstep, the tide of her world begins to shift. The man is rough-edged, a relic of salt and shadow, with secrets hidden beneath his scars. He speaks of a past that the waves should have swallowed, of maps inked in the margins of forbidden books, of love letters lost to time. Trapped together by a storm that refuses to pass, they share stories by lantern light-one seeking refuge, the other searching for something long forgotten. Yet not all ghosts are content to stay buried, and not all storms end when the sky clears. Whispers of war linger in the distance, and the truth he carries may threaten the safe harbor she has built for herself. As the past and present begin to intertwine, she must decide-will she cling to the safety of her lighthouse, or will she risk everything to follow the reflection of something new? -- Cover by @Heuristic_Hashmath

🏆 ROUND 1 WINNER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 A young witch must team up with a banished demon to reverse the curse on her village before she is persecuted. ⋯⋯⋯ Rakida of Apilsha has her life in order until a mysterious fire broke out and the townsfolk fell ill overnight. With fingers pointing towards her as the rumored village witch, she must find a cure before they burn her at the stake. Enter Tam Sinnasi, a demon stuck in her mother's antiques, with his devilishly charming smile and a hidden past, offering a shot at success. Having made a deal with the devil, Rakida now must balance mystery and magic as she is thrust into the deadly world of the wicked battling blood-thirsty beasts, deranged witches out for blood, a mad Queen of the Dead, and a vengeful goddess who surely had business with Tam. But as her journey takes her to Ganzir, the sprawling palace of shadows and ice, dying may be the least of her worries. From the award-winning author of 𝘋𝘪𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 comes a tale of blames, bargains, and betrayals, set in a game of life and death where losing is not an option. After all, to save one's skin, sometimes, death may just be the answer. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2025 (First Edition) [25,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025

When international superstar, Laila, decides to ignore all warnings and fly to her next gig in a storm, she finds herself lost on a mysterious tropical island with no hope of rescue. With only her uncompromising pilot for company, both women must learn the secrets of the island in order to escape back to the modern world. Preferably without killing each other. As the mystery deepens, however, the two find common ground and learn that certain others may be trying to stop their escape. But why? A gag romance mystery for ONC, using Prompt 47: "A famous singer and their pilot crash land on a tropical island. With no-one else around, survival isn't their only challenge."

(Nocturnal Law Series) { ONC 2025 Shortlister }Magic and justice collide when witch lawyer Gwyneira Grimheart fights to save vampire Emrys Hawthorn's sorry fangs. Sanguine City is notorious for corrupt bat cops, human trafficking, highly addictive fairydust, and contract killings orchestrated by the bloodthirsty vampire mafia. But even these lowly criminals deserve a fair shot at trial and someone has to do it. Gwyneira defends the supernaturals that no other witch or sane mortal will go near, so when Emrys Hawthorn comes politely knocking at her law office's door in the middle of the night, she knows what she has to do. Vampires are dangerous beings, and Gwyneira knows the risks all too well, but if she's not careful, it won't just be her blood he takes. It might be her heart too. Beautiful cover featuring Gwyneira created by Neige❤️ Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Thriller Current Word Count: 35,381

What happens when you come face to face with your worst nightmare? Do you run away or face it head-on? Whatever you choose to do it changes you in ways you never could have predicted, that is if you survive it all first.

Selena wakes up in what feels like a dream-falling in love at first sight with a charming stranger at the bar. But the fantasy shatters when she starts her new job and finds out he's not just Adam, the man who stole her breath, but also her new boss. And worse-her target. As a special agent with no memory of her past, Selena, known only as Zulu of the Codes, has one mission: infiltrate Rockwood Industries and eliminate its young CEO if necessary. But with forbidden emotions clouding her judgment and the ghosts of her past closing in, she faces an impossible choice. One thing, however, has never changed-Code Zulu never fails. *** Entered into the ONC (Open Novella Contest) 2025 under the Prompt 27 *You're a spy assigned to infiltrate a mafia billionaire's life, but there's one big problem: you still suffer from amnesia from your last mission. How will you manage to complete your mission without blowing your cover?

Where 'ABC' by Gene Luen Yang meets 'Starry River of the Sky' by Grace Lin... Kieran Fu and Katharyn Kuang have been inseparable since Day One, building their friendship on shared stories of ancient folktales and a love of home-cooked, non-American food. But they're more connected to those old fables than they think: riddles and red strings run deep in Kieran's family, while Katharyn can trace her family tree back to a tragic myth of star-crossed lovers. During their formative years, the pair encounter groundbreaking discoveries and strange signs that reveal the truth - and the interconnectedness - of the folktales they know and love. When Kieran and Katharyn return home for the summer after university, their families start pushing them toward a fate of eternal union that neither of them wants. Bound by ancient prophecies and long-standing tradition, the two must decide: can they rewrite their destinies, or will the red string of fate tie them down a path they can't escape? After all, only one thing is for certain: legends are more than lessons - and they can turn to reality in the blink of an eye. ----- 'red string:' an ONC 2025 novella by Faith @kth_disneyfanatic cover by @Saramitra_

Life was perfect for Bluebell. He had a wonderful owner who had an amazing kid. Then, the cat came. Bluebell and the cat were a mix that landed Bluebell into the pound. He swears to get revenge on all cats, especially the one that hurt him most. In his new home, however, the kitten there is determined to change his mind. Prompt 106: cat-dog rivalry AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is NOT the same Bluebell as the one in Between Barks and Bites. I just ended up using the same name on accident.

***ONC 2025 SHORTLISTER, LONGLISTER & ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICK*** Most days, Elvina Biblos endures a dull existence as a barista. But whenever she can, she escapes to the Library, home to books that are gateways to magical realms, and the Society of Page Travelers, the guardians of these gateways. Elvina toiled for years as a Scribe for the Society, recording the exploits of Page Travelers. Now it's her turn. Tasked with retrieving a stolen book, Elvina relishes the opportunity to become a Page Traveler herself. But when Ian, a self-assured class 3 Page Traveler, invites himself along on her first solo mission, Elvina begins to wonder if her dreams are further away than ever. Ian insists that the Society isn't as perfect as Elvina would like to believe, and that some would go to unimaginable lengths to take them down. As Elvina and Ian pursue the thief, they quickly discovers that traversing the pages of a book can be a dangerous business-and the Society might know less about the situation than they think. Can Elvina complete her mission and discover what's really going on? Or will this be her last chapter with the Society? And can she trust Ian? -- Entry for ONC 2025; based on prompt #4.

Sirius decides to infiltrate the Granger family for Christmas, posing as the newest family pet in hopes that Peter Pettigrew will be brought right to him in time to give himself the Christmas present of revenge against the wizard who actually betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. What could go wrong? Why, the middle Granger child suspecting there is more than meets the eye, that's what. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for ONC 2025, prompt seven. "You've always suspected that the stray cat in your area is more than it seems. Now you're determined to catch it shapeshifting and prove it's a shapeshifter. But the closer you get, the more questions arise." Except instead of a stray cat, it's a stray Sirius. :)

Round 3 Ambassador Pick Finalist: Top 4 Once, you were a character in a story, your life crafted by an unseen hand, your destiny inked into pages. But that story was deleted, erased from existence. Now, you wake up in the Hidden Library, a place where discarded characters and abandoned tales linger. You have no name, no memory, only the weight of an existence that no longer belongs anywhere. But the Library is in turmoil. Books are unraveling, their worlds colliding in chaos-romance heroes stranded in dystopian landscapes, fairy-tale villains haunting contemporary settings, cookbooks whispering eerie prophecies. The ink that binds these stories is breaking. A voice calls out to you from the pages: "Tell me your story, and perhaps I'll grant you the love others failed to find." Guided by an ancient entity known as "The Archivist", you must restore order to the Library by weaving these fragmented stories into one cohesive masterpiece. But as you travel through the wreckage of broken narratives, something stirs in the ink. A truth long buried within the Library's depths a secret about who you really were before your story was erased. Can you rewrite your fate? Or will the Library consume you, turning you into just another forgotten page? #ONC2025 Main Prompt: #40 Sub Prompts: #100 & #59

Leonna returns to her kingdom with revenge in mind. Against her father, the King, to end his dynasty... & a mission to kill her sister, the captive princess. Her body holds trace of the same ungodly powers that reeks of the curse that the princess is. The curse herself, princess Rosette, said to be the embodiment of calamity & mass destruction only wants one thing- to be free from the captivity of the walls of the castle, and her mind. When all plan fails and an unlikely third party takes control of the palace and threatens to conquer the world, Leonna along with a capable warrior flees, kidnapping the princess so that her powers don't fall into the wrong hands. Amidst a tapestry of betrayal, friendship, and sacrifice, the chosen souls-bound by destiny yet fractured by their pasts-embark on a harrowing journey that will lead them to the heart of despair. As they cross enchanted forests, crumbling ruins, and treacherous paths, each step forward reveals the weight of their choices and the depth of their commitment to one another. Will they rise to their calling, or will the darkness consume not just their kingdom, but their very souls? Ratings : +16 𝐎𝐍𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: 𝟏 ★★★★★ Banners made by @-happyduckiee _____________________ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ No part of this book is allowed to be reposted, redistributed without permission.

Mason Calloway is the kind of secret agent you call when all else fails and then immediately regret it. Reckless, sarcastic, and armed with nothing but sheer luck and a death wish, he's spent years botching missions in ways that defy logic, physics, and basic self-preservation. Then he's handed the impossible assignment: take down Lilith, the most dangerous woman on Earth. She's more than just a target, she's a ghost, a legend, Brilliant, manipulative, and stupidly beautiful. Every time Mason gets close, she's already ten steps ahead-laughing, taunting, and letting him live just to watch him fail. And fail he does. Spectacularly. But the more Mason chases her, the more he realizes this isn't just another mission. Lilith isn't just another villain. And the agency he works for? Yeah, they might not be as righteous as they claim. With his own people turning against him, an unstoppable enemy toying with him at every turn, and the terrifying possibility that he might actually like the chaos she brings, Mason has to ask himself: is he hunting Lilith, or is she hunting him? Outgunned, outmatched, and increasingly out of patience, Mason knows one thing's for sure-if he's going down, he's taking some cocktails and a bad decision or two with him. ********** She studies me, swirling her own glass of something expensive-looking. "Tell me, Mason. Are you here for business or pleasure?" I take a sip of whiskey, meeting her gaze. "Who says I can't multitask?" Her smile is slow, deliberate. Dangerous. "Careful. That kind of thinking gets people killed." I lean in slightly, lowering my voice. "That a threat?" Lilith chuckles. "A warning." God help me, I think I like this game. Lizzy's voice hisses in my ear. "Mason, do not flirt with the Antichrist." Too late. ********** Written for the open novella contest 2025 Prompt 106 : A cat and dog, caught in their chaotic rivalry, begin to realize there is more to their animosity than meets the eye.

Jareth had always dreamed of seeing the stars up close. Now, aboard the Pathfinder, he stands on the edge of discovery, gazing down at an uncharted world-one where auroras ripple across the sky and something stirs beneath the surface. The mission is simple: explore, document, and return home. But as the crew descends, an unease settles in, a quiet tension that Jareth can't quite name. The air feels heavier. The silence lingers a little too long. And soon, he begins to wonder if some places were never meant to be found. ONC 2025 Entry

The boy stood in front of the bathroom mirror, a little too close, his tiny hands pressed against the cold surface. He smiled at his reflection, though it didn't smile back right away. He was used to this. It was always like that-he would smile, and then the reflection would follow, eventually. "Hi, there," the boy whispered, his voice a soft murmur in the quiet house. From the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging echoed, and his mother's humming filled the space. He could hear the rhythm of the spatula stirring in the pan, the sizzling of whatever she was cooking. His father, still seated at the dining table, rustled the newspaper, absorbed in the evening's headlines. "Mom, look, it's me," the boy called out, his eyes never leaving the mirror. He waited for her usual response-a glance over her shoulder, a quick nod of acknowledgment. But she didn't answer. She just hummed. The boy tilted his head, eyes narrowing. There was something about his reflection now that felt different, too still, too patient. "Hello?" His voice trembled slightly. "Why don't you say something?" In the reflection, his own lips parted in silent mockery. But this time, he swore it wasn't him. The boy swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. His reflection didn't mirror his every movement anymore. It was slightly delayed, like it was watching him instead. A whisper seemed to curl in the air around him, soft but distinct. "You're not alone here." His heart thudded. The voice, distant but clear, came from the mirror. "Who's there?" the boy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His father grunted from the other room, and the boy glanced toward the dining table. His father was engrossed in his newspaper. The boy turned back to the mirror. The reflection was still staring, but now, something more than just the image of himself looked back. "Don't you want to play?" the reflection asked, its smile curling wider, unnaturally wide.