2100. A mysterious ship, nicknamed the Chimera, appears in Martian airspace. It bears the symbol of the international space agency, the BASE, but there is no record of such a vessel. Word and rumour quickly spread. BASE investigator Leanne Ziegler is sent to inspect the ship and make contact with its crew. But the Chimera seems completely deserted, other than the imperious AI caretaker, Valkyrie. Down in the fledging Nerio colony on Mars, suspicion grows. The colonists are already turning against the ways of the BASE, creating their own Martian identity. This potential security threat could prove to be the final rift between Earth and Mars. Trying to keep control of the political situation, Nerio sends a mysterious and cold liaison, Ryan, to aid Leanne. But, in ten days, Mars will turn her guns on the Chimera. Leanne and Ryan must work quickly to discover the secret of the ship - and decide whether its fate under the Martian guns is deserved. [ONC 2024 entry]

When Bryony -- herbalist extraordinaire -- goes missing, Bella knows one suspect stands above the rest. The village's aspiring second witch, Daphne, comes from a family that's tried to take Bryony down before, and Daphne seems determined to carry on that legacy. For someone who's always been terrified of Bryony, she's a little too keen on looking into the disappearance. There's just one problem. Bella's insufferable fellow familiar thinks the kid is innocent... and he's been right about worse things before. If Daphne herself is to be believed, clues on the disappearance lead a whole lot closer to home than Bella would like. As the evidence mounts, Bella must choose to either stand by her values and the woman who raised her, or seek what might be a truth she would rather not uncover. Prompt #81: The town's witch has gone missing and no one is looking for her but her two familiars - a crow and a black cat, plus the teen who has always been scared of her. ❖❖❖ Written for Wattpad's 2024 Open Novella Contest. Longlister. Complete. 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 :)

[ONC '24 SHORTLISTER] When a group of assassins is onto her irritating escort, a happy-go-lucky bodyguard must ensure they survive their trip before his escort's past demons catch up to them. * * * No one expected easygoing Aspen Mendoza to be accepted into Interpol as a field agent, but she couldn't be any more excited to finally land her dream job. Her first assignment? Escort Lucas Tan, a public figure with an enigmatic past and an attitude to match, to Davao City aboard a new train system connecting every major island in the Philippines. When their five-day journey is disrupted by the poisoning of one of its passengers, it's up to Aspen and Lucas to catch the culprit before anyone else gets hurt. But little does Aspen know, Lucas is keeping a secret that threatens the lives of every passenger on the train, and she must figure it out before his past demons catch up to them. * * * | 20,000 - 25,000 words. First, rough draft. | Based on ONC 2024 prompts 28 and 60. Cover by @sardonictabby.

In a twisted game of truth and lies, Yuki Kobayashi schemes to win the heart of her academic rival, Rhett Tudor, and the college scholarship with it. But if he sees through her deception, it's game over. *** Yuki Kobayashi is the pretty, popular girl at school who's always one wrong move away from having her crystal castle in the sky come crashing down. If her wealthy classmates find out that her parents died bankrupt, Yuki's reputation at Zenith High will be shredded to tatters. With lies as her foundation, Yuki is determined to make it through the next three years with her past safely buried and her future secure. When Era Wang, the queen of Zenith, offers a college scholarship and the coveted presidency of her club as the prizes for winning a simple game, it's an opportunity Yuki can't refuse. But sparks fly when Rhett Tudor, her childhood friend turned enemy threatens to defeat her in the game and expose her web of lies. As the lines between truth and fiction blur and the distance closes between her and Rhett, Yuki must decide whether the end justifies the means, even if she'll lose her only true friend and his trust again--this time forever. ✧ Rivals to Lovers ✧ Academia ✧ GrumpyxSunshine ✧ For fans of K-Dramas like Doona! or highschool anime such as Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. ─────────────────────────────────── Ongoing Word Count: 25.1k