Onc2025 Stories

** 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

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."

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.

Logline: He's a hopeless romantic, she's romantically hopeless. Together? They're a match made by the gods. --- Love-cursed Verena has never known the pitfalls of true heartbreak or the euphoria of a special meet cute. Instead, she spends her days working as an event planner and sigil artist for Aphrodite and being an accidental wingman to anyone and everyone around her. Matteo is a male witch with an affinity for shiny things and romantic comedies who is single for the first time in seven years. All of his training under Freyja should've ended in happily ever after, but alas. While starting fresh in the city of Mysnia, Matteo meets Verena and the sparks fly instantly. But Verena holds a secret near and dear to her heart: she won't fall in love; not for anyone, and Matteo hopes maybe he will have the luck to thaw out her frozen heart while mending his own in the process. --- ONC 2025 Prompts: #49 (main): As a love mentor, you suddenly experience a devastating breakup. Now, you've fallen for someone who doesn't believe in love at all. Can this unique connection heal you? #133: »Obviously, where you're concerned, there is no need for me to flirt.« #134: »You did more for me in six days than he ever did in seven years.« --- New cover by @-MilaSteele!! Copyright © 2025 KC_Han_writes ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All plot concepts are my own. Characters are of my own imagination. I do not own any real-life locations or inspired locations. This book should not be copied or reproduced in any way. Exclusive to W a t t p a d.

| Round 2, Ambassador Pick | When media mogul Richard Langley demands his children declare their love to inherit his empire, the refusal of his youngest daughter sparks a bitter family feud, forcing her to choose between healing old wounds or securing her place in the business world. ✦✦✦ The year is 2025, and the world of family legacies is as ruthless as it is glamorous. When Richard Langley, a powerful titan of the industry, announces his retirement, he demands his three adult children-Gwen, Riley, and Cora-profess their love for him in exchange for their share of the family empire. Gwen and Riley fall in line, but Cora, the youngest, refuses to bow to her father's demand and offers only brutal honesty. Enraged, Richard disowns her, casting her out of the family. As his mental state unravels, Gwen and Riley fight tooth and nail for control of the Langley legacy, manipulating their father and each other in a battle of wills and ambition. Meanwhile, Cora, heartbroken but determined, builds her own path to success in the media world. But when Richard reaches out, desperate and broken, Cora must decide whether to heal the rift or walk away for good. ✦✦✦ ✦ A modern retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear x Succession ✦ Cover design by @TheWildCyde ✦ Open Novella Contest 2025 | Prompts 31, 110, 111, 129 ᴄᴏᴘʏʀɪɢʜᴛ © 2025 ʙʏ ᴀᴜᴅʀᴇʏ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ ʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴏʀ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴀɴɴᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛꜱᴏᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʀɪᴇ

My Entry for ONC 2025 (Open Novella Contest). Delia and Stella are clichéd opposites. Delia is the hard-working, introverted sister, and Stella is the outgoing, always ready-for-a-party sister. But when a handsome new neighbor turns Stella into a googly-eyed, stuttering mess, Delia unwittingly steps in to play matchmaker. Despite the good intentions, being cupid is hard, especially when the rules start to blur. Language and mature themes (16+) All characters and events in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any similarities in plot to other works, movies, books or elsewhere is completely unintentional and coincidental. I work hard to ensure my stories are original from character creation to the storyline. I never publish unless I am 100% satisfied. No part of this story may reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission. Please respect my creative rights.

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. :)

ONC2025 Round 2 Ambassador Pick 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐚 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. Unicorns are sacred in the kingdom of Unara, their magic a gift only bestowed upon the worthy-or stolen through death. Someone is hunting them, and if the killings continue, their magic will fall into the wrong hands. Determined to uncover the truth, Oskar sets out to find the culprit. But the deeper he digs, the darker the secrets he unearths--secrets that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom. A standalone fantasy adventure, The Unicorn's Blessing follows Prince Oskar before the events of The Girl with Scars, revealing the choices that shaped the man he would become. Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2025 | @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/387452246 **Main Prompt** 12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn. **Secondary Prompt** 130. Protect this with your life. ©2025 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved. Book Created & Published to Wattpad: 02.01.2025 Book Marked as Completed: 04.08.2025 Cover: Me @DesignsbyEH I used Canva.com | Cover is temporary and subject to several changes. Word Count: 26,234 / 20,000 Goals: Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔ | Round 1 Winner ✔ Round 2 ✔ | 8,000 words ✔ Round 3 _ | 20,000 words ✔ LONGLIST _ | SHORTLIST _ Honorable Mention? _ | Ambassadors' Pick ✔ Mentioned in Ambassador Newsletter ✔ Rankings: #ONC2025: #21 on 02.02.2025 | #15 on 02.03.2025 | #12 on 03.24.2025 #opennovellacontest2025: #15 on

🏆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

Dom is a worldly man who has managed to carve out a path for himself despite his humble origins: He has traveled throughout the Duchy, studied under the tutelage of monks at one of the finest monasteries, and has also served as a soldier in the Great Alliance War. This résumé should be impressive, were it not for the fact that he hung up his habit as soon as he had the chance, deserted the battlefield, and now wanders from town to town like a fugitive from justice. But, in any case, what are these but irrelevant details? On this occasion, the road has brought him to San Cipriano dei Monti, a small village over which rumors hang about a monster: a vampire of uncertain origin who has been threatening for months to drink the blood of innocent children. Of course, Dom doesn't believe in such nonsense. But when he learns that the local count is offering a substantial reward for capturing and killing the vampire, he does not hesitate to join the hunt. After all, how hard could it be to capture a beast that doesn't exist?

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?

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

Killanaus, a second-year biology student at an alien university on Xorrak, is down to one last chance to obtain research experience in the summer prior to graduation. However, Lokath, his would-be research advisor for the summer, harbors concerns about the student. As he enters the troubled waters leading to graduation, he and his advisor are about to raise questions on their system of abduction licensure. This book is written using prompts #110, 111 and 128 for the 2025 Open Novella Contest #1 in license (February 23, 2025) #1 in admissions (March 17, 2025) Ambassador pick (August 25, 2025) 2025 ONC Round 1 qualifier 2025 ONC Round 2 qualifier 2025 January-February 8-Chapter Challenge Winner 2025 ONC Long List 2025 ONC Short List

Almost all of the supernatural Ravencroft siblings are accustomed to fighting creatures of the night. Almost all of them. *** When young witch Charlotte was found by her long-lost, supernatural siblings after the death of her mother six months ago, she never imagined that joining the infamous Ravencroft family would mean taking on a full-time job hunting down supernatural threats. Trained by their mysterious father Henry Ravencroft: Morgan, Selene, Thomas and Alec have spent most of their lives studying the art of ghost cleansing and monster slaying, while Charlotte spent most of her life not knowing they even existed. Struggling with new family dynamics, the Ravencroft siblings are suddenly thrust into the most dangerous situation a supernatural agency can encounter when a blackout level case appears after years of relative peace. It's a dangerous job, but finding out what happened in the small town of Whispering Pines might be the key to uncovering their own family's mysteries. *** ONC 2025 Prompts: Main prompt: 13. When you challenge a magical being, the rules are simple: you must finish what you started, no matter the cost. 91. No one believes you. But you are the only one who can solve this mystery - for all of them. 130. Protect this with your life. 131. This girl is on fire.

Twenty years ago, magic vanished from the world, presumed forever gone. Yet it still existed, tangled within its own domain, along with Naamah, its dark personification. Naamah schemes return to complete her desire for humanity's subjugation and to avenge her earlier defeat. But with a soul barren, Naamah needed another to complete herself. Psalm, a blind young woman pure of soul, enjoyed a simple life with a loving family. She had no idea of her heritage, nor her magical potential as a powerful Oracle, nor that Naamah would target her. When the magic burst back into the world, Psalm and Naamah found their souls bound by a destiny written ages ago. This story was written for the 2025 Open Novella Contest, using prompt #129: The ink of our souls binds us beyond the pages of time.

When the mysterious teashop suddenly appears, one can't help but hear its call and wonder-what's its true purpose? *** Alicia Ward's ordinary life takes a fantastical turn when she encounters Aidan, the elusive boy once believed a figment of her childhood imagination, now real and impossibly intriguing. Following him leads her to The Crooked Kettle, an enchanting teashop hidden from ordinary eyes. But curiosity leads her astray when she steps into a corridor filled with endless doors, each one offering glimpses into magical realms where reality is fluid and the impossible becomes possible. Where each door leads somewhere and nowhere, anywhere but her world. Trapped now in this place where reality bends at whim and magic comes alive, Alicia must navigate this bewildering place and find her way back to The Crooked Kettle's parlour if she ever wants to return home. And with the help of her once-imaginary friend, Aiden, and charmingly chaotic vampire, Harley Hatter-Sinclair, who has an uncanny ability to make her heart race and cheeks turn red, Alicia might be able to do just that. Or not. Will she be forever lost in a world where dreams and magic intertwine with reality? Everything and nothing is possible within the magical worlds of The Crooked Kettle. ______ All graphics were created by myself, with their subsequent credit and rights reserved for Andre Di Rosa (me).

A woman seeking vengeance A detective chasing truth Death and secrets of the past following their every step † † † 1920s, Prague Milana has lost her home twice. The first time, when she was forced by her husband to leave St. Petersburg. The second, when the last shards of fragile affection between them died in their exile. Slowly suffocated by his obsession to become a grand author, his extremist associates, and his abuse, no day passes without thoughts of escape. Finally, the chance is presented to her. But in a horrible way: When Milana's best friend and lover, Jasna, is found murdered, she learns the one investigating is none other than Matěj Graf-nothing more than a faint memory of secret notes exchanged through a copy of "Anna Karenina" until one day ago. But now, he is back in her life, and Milana might hold the key to the only case he cannot solve. And other than their favorite novel's heroine, Milana is determined to break free alive. A once novella about crime and forbidden love, in which 'Anna Karenina' meets 'Babylon Berlin', following prompts 87, 118 and 57

2025 Leighyeann A. Mies All rights reserved An entry for the Open Novella Contest 2025 (Spin-off to "The Burden of Broken Hearts") [COMPLETED ON 30/4/2025] *** The infamous "Burden of Breaking Hearts" club is still up and running in spite of most believing otherwise. It's been six years since Rynn Heins found it out and shook it to the core. Now, the club is even more secretive. It won't leave a single trace. Entering has become even harder. So, how has Rieleigh Colson managed to get into it purely by chance? Does she have something "more" than others? Or is she simply bored?

[ONC 2025 Shortlister] * * * And so you see, you couldn't really say I hadn't been warned. You couldn't say I didn't know what lurked out there amongst the trees. Because I did. I had been told. I had been warned. But I didn't believe. I didn't listen... * * * Fern lives on the edge of a wood, about which many myths, legends and folk tales are told. But when one of these stories appears to come to life before her eyes, she has a decision to make. To believe or not to believe. But such decisions are never as easy as they first seem... * * * The Demon of the Woods has been written for ONC 2025.

50. A supervillain has a mid-life crisis and decides to become a superhero. But redemption might be harder than they imagined. Welcome to the Iridium City Recovery Center! Whether you're the sidekick of the villain looking to find ways to solve your overarching inferiority complex, or you're a big bad looking to overcome those anger issues of yours, we have got you covered. Twenty-one years and running, the Iridium City Recovery Center will work to remind you that no one is beyond saving. You, too, can be saved. Life is more than crime, and we will do whatever it takes to help you realize this.