When Arjun Mandal summons a demon to help defeat a sorcerer threatening the balance between realms, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with his dead ex-boyfriend. Four years ago, Teddy Nkhoma was killed by followers of the same sorcerer, Cerys Price, and was reborn as a demon. Though beings from the Realm of the Dead are not trusted even by the magical community in the Realm of the Living, Arjun knows Teddy too well to believe him evil. He knows Teddy is still the boy he loved, still his best friend. Defying his family's warnings, Arjun agrees to work with Teddy to defeat Cerys. As an ancient prophecy re-emerges and more than one realm is threatened, Arjun and Teddy must face their past, their present, and a future that might tear them apart all over again. GENRE: urban fantasy, paranormal, mxm romance TROPES: second chance romance, grumpy x sunshine, nerd x bad boy MIGHT BRING TO MIND: Harry Potter, The Raven Boys, The Owl House

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

Skye is dead. How she perished is a mystery. All she knows is that she is trapped in After, a makeshift city of souls surrounded by infinite darkness and terrifying monsters that tear ghosts apart. But while all other ghosts accept the eternity of darkness ahead of them, Skye refuses to spend her afterlife in a world without light. She knows there must be some way to escape the monsters that keep them all imprisoned and return to the realm of the living, and she's going to find it...even if she has to face the prince of monsters, himself. Skye risks her existence and escapes the walled city of After in search of the truth. Venturing into the black reveals untold perils, but that's not all. The Dark...and the dark prince, are hiding a terrible secret... 🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻 WATTYS SHORTLIST | 2021 WATTYS BEST COVER SHORTLIST | 2021 AMBYS FAVORITE - HORROR | 2024 Cover art drawn by me.

Combine a mountain filled with rugged orcs with a mysteriously arrived shop serving delicate cups of tea. Could this be the start of a revolution? **** On Orc Mountain, there is nothing but dirt, smoke, and backbreaking labor in the mines. There are no colors, no sun, no breaks for rest. There is definitely no tea. That is, until a mysterious tea shop appears in the orcs' domain. Glimmering in blue and pink, it stands out against the rugged backdrop. At first, the hardened inhabitants of the mountain are understandably leery about the malpositioned shop, wondering how it got there and why. Lava, a dedicated supervisor at the mines, takes it upon herself to investigate the suddenly-arrived business. Stepping inside, she meets Jasper, the bubbly fairy shopkeeper, who offers her a fragrant brew. Once Lava takes a sip, the sweet yet bitter taste pulls her in, making her clamor for more. Soon, all orcs are hooked on tea, but something sinister is brewing under the surface. When Lava catches Jasper conducting a secret meeting in a backroom, the true purpose of the tea shop is revealed. Soon she is forced to choose between her newfound passion for tea (and Jasper) and her dedication to the mountain's mining operations. *** Legends & Lattes x Shrek *** An ONC novella using prompt #15: A mysterious tea shop suddenly appears and you can't help but wonder: what's its true purpose, and why does it seem so important?

**WATTYS 2025 SHORTLIST** Sixteen-year-old Cas is clever, sporty, and on the brink of a bright future at university. His best friend Vish has no such prospects. A painfully shy artist, Vish's future won't go further than his daily routine of pills, sensory issues and panicking parents. Cas and Vish celebrate what could be their final summer together by painting wildlife and swimming at a secret wetland that they've discovered hidden in the Fens. But something ancient and sinister lurks in the beautiful marsh that Cas and Vish have claimed as their summer retreat. Vish's childhood imaginary friend, Charlie, has returned, and this time Charlie wants Vish's body and soul. The only thing standing in Charlie's way is Cas, and he won't give up on his best friend, even if it means a fight to the death. --- WELCOME TO MY ONC 2025 STORY! This incorporates the following prompt: 105. Your childhood imaginary friend who disappeared years ago returns - only this time they're real. I'll add in some of the other prompts as I go along. Not sure if I'll make it to the end but we'll see how we go!

When Rosie's new husband ignores her, she begs the harlot next-door for lessons on seduction (1980s suburban dystopia with a spicy lesbian romance) *** It's 1982, and newlywed Rosie McGee has just moved into an idealistic suburban cul-de-sac called Windsor Lane. As a good Christian girl, this is Rosie's dream come true... or at least, it should be. However, next-door-neighbor Scarlett Everly doesn't fit in with the rest of the good Christian wives in their neighborhood (she drinks, she sleeps around, and she doesn't even attend church!). Worse, Rosie's new husband suddenly seems utterly uninterested in her. Has he already been seduced by Scarlett? Or is Rosie simply too boring? After a honeymoon more closely resembling a funeral, Rosie gathers her courage and marches right up to Scarlett's door with a plea: teach me your ways. Scarlett agrees, with one condition: Rosie must model for her next painting. When the agreement leads to unexpected attraction, Rosie begins to question her own priorities. The warmth she once felt when holding Thomas's hand is nothing compared to what she feels when Scarlett is painting her. But a good Christian girl should not think of such things. Especially not in Windsor Lane. Grand Winner for the Pride Awards 2025 Honorable Mention in ONC 2025 ONC 2025 prompt 53: On your honeymoon, you discover the most shocking truth about your spouse--one that could change everything. Also prompt 118: You're feeling trapped in your current relationship and can't shake the urge to break free.

Markus has left everything behind to live in a remote cabin near a lake. He wants to be alone, but in the middle of a snowstorm, a stranger knocks at his door and asks for shelter. Prompt 44: In the middle of a storm, a stranger arrives at your cabin, and you offer them shelter. But the storm's forecast says you'll be stuck for much longer than expected. This novella is a standalone but is set in the For Centuries universe.

A war won. A triumphant return home. Ell is a member of the Lion Regiment, a special forces squad trained to be the very best. After years spent fighting insidious demon armies, he returns with his squad to their barracks on the outside of the royal capital. Just as the yellow sun breaks through the turbulent, volcanic clouds above, just as the blissful days of silence, of a job well done wash over him and his fellow squadmates, trouble arises. GENRES: *action,* fantasy, tragedy, romance ~~~ ONC 2025 Entry |PROMPT 31 WITH SOME OF 61| First Draft version Prequel to an unwritten story Word count for project: ~34,000 COVER ART NOT MINE TAKEN FROM PINTEREST AND FILTERED

🏆ONC Honourable Mention 🏆ONC Shortlister 🏆ONC Ambassador's Pick ______ Celeste Hart, a rising music star, watches her dreams turn into a nightmare when she uncovers the dark truth behind her sudden fame. Lorelei Voss, a powerful and enigmatic industry mogul, is more than just Celeste's boss-she's a vampire who chose Celeste not only for her talent but because she is her fated soulmate. Bound by an ancient curse, Lorelei is irresistibly drawn to Celeste's blood, yet she can never taste it until the mate bond is sealed. Now that she knows the truth, Celeste's admiration and gratitude twist into fear, and a hatred far stronger than the undeniable pull she feels toward the creature who deceived her. She must choose: reject the bond and walk away or accept Lorelei for what she is. But how could she ever love a monster? Using these prompts: 9 - You've become famous, but there's a catch: your contract binds you to a demanding vampire boss who expects you to use your newfound fame to attract fresh blood for her. 11- Vampires are bound by an ancient destiny: Their soulmate is always human and this is governed by 3 rules. The smell of their soulmate's blood is irresistible, the taste is sweeter than anything else and if the love is unrequited, it can be fatal. Fearing the inevitable bond, most vampires try to avoid it. But what happens when one of them discovers their soulmate is a human who not only rejects them, but loathes them? 31 - Next time, ask yourself if your integrity is worth knowing the truth. Warnings -Blood -Language

This is an ONC 2025 story! When Maya decided to take a yoga class to get out of attempting an actual sport, she had no idea that she was about to unlock memories of a past life, or that she'd accidentally travel to that past and find her current self in the middle of unexpected danger involving Gods, Goddesses, and an evil entity who killed someone she cared about. Can Maya change the past and save the day? More importantly, what will happen if she tries?