Naina, a crazy girl, exiled from her hometown, accused of practicing black magic that took her parent's life. Her unique ability, unknown to the world. It burnt down along with her parent's body. Her name itself held deep meaning. Too many secrets she stored inside her, regretting every time why she did not heed her parent's warning. He was a scar, a scar cursed by the unknowns. Hidden in the deepest darkest forest of Azerbaijan, a dense forest, only to appear out of hiding after the sunset mingling with humans in his human form. Not even a single mortal could stand his original form. A monster who could turn anybody into ashes by a mere click of his fingers. Fate played a disastrous yet remarkable game with them both. Bringing them together as the one had the restorative of freedom of the other. ********* ONC 2021 Entry using Prompt No. 56 as the main theme and prompt 22 and 50 as its substitutes. Prompt 56: "You can see the future by looking into people's eyes. However, if you tell them about it, it will not come to fruition. One day, you lock eyes with yourself in the mirror." Prompt 50: "From Dusk till Dawn, you're human. During daylight hours, you are a creature straight out of even the most hardened individual's worst nightmare." Prompt 22: On occasion, an accusation of witchcraft has the power to set one on a wonderful, dangerous path.

Dr. Madeline McKinnon has just returned from a service trip counseling victims of Child Soldier recruitment in South Sudan to work for the FBI. She's been given a gun, a badge, and a rigid partner. Special Agent Jake Parker has been working for the Federal Bureau of Investigations for a long time and he doesn't appreciate Dr. McKinnon's tendency to doubt him. It's brains versus brawn as these two learn to work together to solve the most brutal homicides under the Bureau's jurisdiction. But, as they solve the case and work to catch the killer, they learn that not everything is what it seems. Even when it comes to your very own partner. Originally submitted during the Open Novella Contest 2021. Trigger Warning: Please be advised that this story contains violence, sexual themes, alcohol and drug use, and casual depictions of violence by characters whose jobs make them susceptible to detachment.

When Tara Walters discovers the disturbing truth about a new virtual console called AfterLife™, she must risk everything in order to expose the enslavement of digital Sims. ___ Cover made using CANVA PRO. Status: complete but unedited. Editing begins July 1, 2021. Word count: 20,231/20,000

Despite the fact their hearts no longer beat, vampires really aren't all that different from human counterparts. Some are kind, some are vile, and most are stuck trying to navigate the muddy middle. Enter our two vampires: One would never manage to fit all the candles on her birthday cake even if she desired to celebrate it. Armed with her fangs, centuries of knowledge, and ferocious desire for justice, she will do whatever she deems necessary to achieve her goals. The other is modern vampire who before being turned enjoyed life's simple pleasures: video games, surfing, and flirting.

When an angry, prejudiced Alien King, Albatross, is hell bent upon unleashing his wrath over humanity, how will Earth's peacemaker, Avni, convince him that peace is always better than bloodshed and war? __ He's a volcano: erupting with fiery hot lava, to smolder evil-minded wrongdoers. She's a river: flowing with calm, peaceful persistence to soften stone-hearted sinners. He can stay dormant & she can cause havoc - it's their potential, but not their true nature. They're Galaxies Apart. The universe holds its breath & watches in awe, as they crash and burn till they either have change of heart or tear each other apart. __ Avni Singh is a peacemaker - a lovely woman under whose amazing & honest leadership, India leads at COEXIST - a global government that solves world problems as a united front. Her peacekeeping efforts are infamous over the globe for diffusing escalating tensions between countries at the brink of World War 3. With a Nobel Peace Prize to her name, a revolutionary mind & a golden heart, she leads with confidence & the world follows her example, even though some mock her idealistic ideologies behind her back. Albatross Vrokzad King is the ruler of Volzites, an emotionally & physically advanced alien species that lives on a clean, peaceful planet Volzolks in Artulis galaxy. King is furious at heartless humans; he wants to punish the parasites whose cruel & selfish ways hollowed the beautiful blue planet inside out. He kidnaps Earth's top leaders & offers them a chance to fight, not for survival, but for an easier but inevitable death. To King, human doom is non-negotiable. To Avni, giving up without a fight is unbearable. When the stakes skyrocket, what will Avni choose - her morals & peacekeeping ideology, or billions of innocent lives? Will humans finally pay for their sins? What is the fate of humanity at the hands of a furious alien & a helpless peacemaker? Will his hatred win or will her love & sacrifice conquer all? ©Paramagnetic