Since Esmera was abandoned on a stranger's doorstep as a baby, the only person who has looked out for her is herself. Until a lark starts visiting her, leaving behind exotic flowers and iridescent pebbles that the internet doesn't recognise. Esmera can't believe her eyes when she recognises the lark in a painting in a museum. Her investigation takes her to the home of the museum owner, Tauram - a man who is more than he seems. When a magical force summons Esmera and Tauram to Milatanur, the hidden kingdom that is their home, they have no choice but to answer the call. Soon, it is not their decades-long betrothal that binds them but feelings they must ignore for the sakes of their fractured pasts and precarious futures. Around them, nature rebels under the unjust rule of a cruel sorcerer, threatening to engulf Milatanur. The formidable King Ruagu has spies everywhere, and those who aren't on his side turn to it out of fear. Loyalty will rot into betrayal, blood will be paid, and Esmera will be presented with her destiny to wield a weapon of unparalleled power. But only if she can elude her dark past long enough. *** Cover by @-DeeIsDead-

[SHORT LISTED IN THE 2022 OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST] [Featured in @mythandlegend's "ONC 2022 Myth and Legend Makers"!] The Oracle of turns into ash every century, reincarnating again to keep peace and balance in the realm of Epora. The Lord of Law and the Lord of Chaos may never impose as long as the Oracle is standing strong. But, what happens when the Oracle is gone for good? Pom and her sister are thrust into an unforgiving and confusing world where they have no choice but to make decisions that will shape not only the fiber of their souls, but the fate of all life as they know it. Genre: Fantasy Length: 20k Words This work contains mature elements and themes including: death, mourning, unrequited love, blood, strong language, etc. Please read with caution. UPDATES: • Featured in @mythandlegend's "ONC 2022 Myth and Legend Makers"! • Woo! We made it to round two! 🥈 • WE MADE IT TO THE FINALS! 🥇 • WE'VE BEEN LONG LISTED 🎉 • SHORT LISTED!!!! 🏆 😭 ˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚ Open Novella Contest 2022 (Fantasy Entry) Prompt 41 & 45

Rik couldn't afford college, so he took a janitor job at a virology lab. One night, he cleaned up a broken test tube. Soon, his beard stopped growing. His Cheetos-and-donut paunch disappeared. Suddenly, when he talked, people actually listened. Sure, he could see spirits, too, and a high-ranking devil may or may not be hunting him, but mostly this was great. Then his sister caught the virus. And others. If the virus spread out of control, what would happen? An angel apocalypse? The hordes of hell's minions could not afford to have the human race turn into angels. To stem the spread of the angel virus, they invaded. Suddenly, it was up to Rik and Trixie to save the city, and themselves, and maybe the whole human race. --- Complete. Still polishing. As might be inferred from the title, this story deals in a loose way with Christianity, one of the five major world religions. It is not, however a "Christian story" in the sense of illustrating actual religious experience or practice. I just thought I'd be plain about that here, so readers can decide whether to turn the page or not. This story is an urban fantasy and it is entirely fictional. Content rating: teen. Winner! 2nd place, Punk Rock Awards 2022, paranormal category. Copyright 2022, Guy Worthey, all rights reserved.

~ turning point (noun) a time at which a decisive change in a situation occurs, especially one with beneficial results. ~ Morgan Lin has spent the last four years trying and failing to move on from a devastating loss. Settling into a comfortable rhythm of working from home and spending time with those closest to her, the last thing on her mind is romance. Her life may not be 'exciting', but it's safe and steady. The two things she needs as she attempts to recover. When Gabby Vásquez moves in across the hall, sparks fly - and not the good kind. Gabby's dealing with her own heartbreak the only way she knows how, with loud music and kickboxing. The former of which drives Morgan crazy. The latter of which may just be the key to helping her move on. But the more time she spends with Gabby, the more Morgan realizes that, not only is her heart starting to knit itself together again, it may just be opening up to new possibilities. If only she would let it. One apartment block, two souls in need of healing and a turning point that will change everything.

Asphodel City is for those stuck in the Between, the plane that separates the living and dead. In it, Azrael is living the life as the top bounty-hunting Angel. The only problem is that Jophiel, a rival hunter, is not only threatening his position after rising to rank #2, but is a constant thorn in Azra's side. When a mastermind called "The Devil" begins killing off angels and putting whole dimensions in jeopardy, Azra and Jo have to band together in order to stay alive and save the world. But will they be able to put aside their rivalry to do so? ~~~ Based on prompt #102 of ONC. This story contains blood, violence, suggestive & inappropriate language. Read at your own risk.

❖ ''ZF 16 Ariomma to unknown vessel. Please identify yourself. Over.'' ❖ Farah and Kazem are twins working aboard the Ariomma, a trading airship that sails the edges of a flat world. Out here is a frontier far from civilization: a place known as the Tideless, where water lifts from the surface of the sea, and great creatures rise with it. Only some of them are known. This is not a sailing path known for its safety, but the crew of the Ariomma have rarely feared their work. That is, until they find the carcass of another ship hanging in the Tideless, decimated by an unknown enemy. Soon, their flight to safety becomes a fight for their lives, as the monster turns its attention on the Ariomma... and them. ❖❖❖ Written for #NONC2022, a community-run novella festival operating in parallel with Wattpad's 2022 Open Novella Contest. Complete. Marked mature for violence and other dark themes. Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)