[ONC 2025 Shortlister] An apprentice silversmith, haunted by his reflection. A wealthy family, falling to ruin. A patron spirit, searching for a pact. Five games will decide their fate. After acquiring great wealth from a boom in silver trade, the Blackwood family moves into a mansion that was mysteriously abandoned by its previous owners. The property has everything a family of established silversmiths could need: prime trade location, a smithing workshop, and a large mirror that was left behind. To Kyren Blackwood, the promises of a new life and the riches that come with it are more than enough to overshadow the eerie tale. But the mirror watches. Reflections are not what they seem. Driven to the brink of insanity, Kyren must uncover the mirror's secrets before his family loses everything. In a desperate attempt to free himself, he agrees to play five games with the spectre in the mirror. If he can win three, the curse will end. Lose, and he surrenders his soul to the silver spirit. ~An ONC novella, inspired by prompts 13 and 55. ~Set in the same world as Buried in the Sea but can be read completely independently (with no spoilers to one or the other).

In a world where hunting is second nature, Anna, a centuries-old vampire, becomes ensnared in the bewildering chaos of high school. While her classmates fixate on phones and the clock, Anna grapples with monotonous lessons and unwritten social rules. Surrounded by friends-one a die-hard vampire enthusiast, another shrouded in mystery-Anna must decode the intricate rules of teenage life to keep her true identity hidden. Threats rise across the city, and whispers of vampire attacks grow louder. Just as Anna thinks she's mastered the art of blending in, her inquisitive friend delves into an investigation that could unravel everything. Anna is thrust into a perilous game where one misstep could expose her darkest secret. Now, she must confront an agonizing choice: fight to protect her hidden life or risk everything to save those she has come to care for. This is a dark fantasy story with plenty of teen drama and a touch of mystery. Think Twilight meets The Vampire Diaries, but with a twist.

Having a genie is always complicated. Bringing him to school makes everything worse. Nothing ever seems to go Megan's way: she's late for everything, failing her classes, and barely registers in the eyes of her peers. Desperate to escape her perpetually middle-of-the-pack life, she scrapes together every last penny she can find, ready to run away. Instead of a fresh start, she finds an old, discarded bottle. When she opens it, a kid her own age appears, ready to grant her heart's desire. Her first, most important wish? To be popular. Overnight, Megan's life takes a drastic turn for the better-and she gets cocky. After a failed bet with the genie, she agrees to let him come to school. Before she knows it, he's worming his way into every part of her newly-improved life. He's in all her classes, friends with her brother, and even getting invites to hang out with her friends. But despite her best efforts, she's starting to see him as something more than just her personal wish-granter; he's almost a friend. But as the person who granted all her desires threatens to take over her life, she has to ask herself: Can she trust the magic she wished for, or is she just a pawn in the genie's own complicated game? This book is a fun, fast-paced story with a thoughtful core about friendship, desire, and consequences.

"Do you want to anger me, mate? Do you wish for me to bend you over this table and show you how much of a monster I can be?" In the northern mountains of Trellomar resides a kingdom that is cursed and inhabited by people imprisoned to turn into savage beasts once a month for all eternity. When young and naive Raena accidentally goes too far outside her village, she is met with the Cursed King himself, the one responsible for his kingdom's curse in the first place. Taken from her home and claimed by the Cursed King as his, Raena must adapt to a vicious world of dark magic and brutal secrets where nothing is ever as it seems. Raena was always told to fear the Cursed Kingdom. But there is so much more to be afraid of. ⭒ HIGHEST RANKINGS: #1 in Darkfantasy, #2 in Romance, #1 in Queen, #7 in Fiction, #1 in King, #1 in Lust, #1 in Lycan, #1 in Twistedromance, #1 in Dominance, #1 in Royalty, #2 in Adult, #2 in Darklove, #3 in Magic, #3 in Matureaudience, #4 in Dark, #5 in Curse, and #11 in Mate ⭒ This book contains MATURE CONTENT such as: cursing, violence, sexual content, and other themes that may not be suitable for all readers. More information can be found inside. Cover: @plasticparadox

Many people are going missing, and no one knows why, or where, but one man does. This man will transform their victims into what satisfies them, and keep them like a pet. Note: All of these stories are in the same universe. Some characters might return!