On the last day of high school, four friends stumble upon a shimmering portal-one that no one else can see. Drawn by an unseen force, they step through and find themselves in a world on the brink of destruction. A realm of crumbling skies, shifting landscapes, and ancient forces long forgotten. As they navigate this strange and perilous place, they begin to change. New powers awaken within them, altering their very identities. The bonds of friendship are tested as they uncover secrets buried in the fabric of this realm-secrets that reveal their connection to its fate. But they are not alone. Dark forces lurk in the shadows, watching, waiting. An enemy with no name, no face, but a terrifying purpose. Trapped in a world unraveling before their eyes, the four must decipher their roles in this grand puzzle before time runs out. Survival is just the beginning. The real battle has yet to come. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #ONC 2025. #Round 1 and 2 Qualifier.

After landing a coveted accounting position, an ambitious accountant must prove his worth to his new colleagues, especially a grudge-bearing associate intent on making his new role hell. *** How do you recover from unrequited love? For Mark Dawson, the answer is moving to a new city. But New York has not quite welcomed him with open arms. Nor have his new coworkers, with their less than enthusiastic reception and passive-aggressive behavior. Ever the optimist, Mark is up for the challenge to earn their respect and ensure they do not mistake his kindness for weakness, starting with the gorgeous ringleader of the group; a cut-throat financial analyst who was vying for the same position. Sara Cruz is not just a pretty face and she's tired of always having to prove her value and losing out on opportunities just because she doesn't have an extra appendage between her legs. The most recent sting leaves her bitter and resentful towards the easy-on-the-eyes transfer senior accountant and sets out to send him packing, proving she is the better 'man' for the job that's rightfully hers. But with each attempt to discredit him, she's met with Mark's frustratingly calm and understanding demeanor. Sara realizes the bigger fight she must win-besides resisting his easy humor and attractive selflessness-is avoiding becoming a cliché office romance. ONC prompt #133

[ONC 2025] Two college roommates search the city looking for a hidden Taylor Swift concert while using a glitchy Spotify playlist as their guide. ••• Draya, a struggling college student, is desperate to pay her tuition before the final deadline. With no other options, she and her best friend, Emily--her outspoken, culturally aware roommate who shares her love for Taylor Swift--head to a pawn shop to sell Draya's rare Taylor Swift collectible, worth over a thousand dollars. But their hopes are crushed when the shop owner offers little to nothing. Just as disappointment sets in, a radio announcement reveals a secret Taylor Swift concert hidden somewhere in Washington, D.C. At that moment, Jae-won, a cute guy from their college, walks in and accidentally leaves his phone behind. Draya notices too late, but when she picks it up, she finds an open Spotify playlist filled with a Taylor Swift song. As Draya and Emily listen, they realize the playlist might be more than just music--it could be a guide to the hidden concert. With no tickets, little money, and only song lyrics as their clues, they go on a thrilling race across the city, chasing one lyric after another. But will following the music lead them to Taylor Swift, the cute guy-and the chance to change Draya's future? ••• PROMPTS: 107. You never realized that your Spotify playlist is predicting your future - until the songs start to come true. (Main Prompt) 128. »Meet me behind the mall at midnight. Don't bring anyone!« © 2025 Elle J. Nior. All Rights Reserved. This work is protected under international copyright laws. (First draft!) Updates incoming Cover by me on Canva

Sign your name, and the yearbook decides your fate. Some are forgotten. Most become ghosts. But Zarael Vaneheart? She was never meant to survive-and now, she's rewriting the rules. *.*.*.*.*. At Virell High, the cursed yearbook doesn't just capture memories-it seals fates. Every senior who signs their name in its pages meets a mysterious end. Some disappear. Some die. And all of them become ghosts, trapped within the school's halls forever. Zarael Vaneheart never believed in curses. She's the golden girl, the cheer captain, the perfect girlfriend. But when her best friend signs the yearbook and goes missing the next morning, Zarael's reality begins to unravel. Memories slip through her fingers, shadows whisper her name, and when she turns nineteen, something even more terrifying happens: nothing. While everyone around her awakens to their supernatural abilities, she feels empty. Powerless. And when the ghosts of Virell High start whispering her name, she realizes why. The yearbook has rewritten her story before. And now, it's trying to erase her again. Desperate for answers, she turns to Ruvain Silvermire, the school's resident ghost whisperer, and Orlan Ashthorn, her picture-perfect boyfriend who gradually feels like a stranger. Together, they uncover the truth: the yearbook doesn't just curse students-it rewrites them. And Zarael? She was never meant to exist. With graduation looming, the yearbook is trying to fix its mistake. If Zarael doesn't break the curse in time, she'll vanish like the others-erased from history, doomed to haunt Virell High forever. But this time, fate doesn't get to decide. Because Zarael is done being a story someone else wrote. She's taking control. And she's not going down without a fight. *.*.*.*.*. Written for the onc 2025 contest. Prompts are 21, 95, 24 and 25. @Completed ~ 22200 words

When the mysterious teashop suddenly appears, one can't help but hear its call and wonder-what's its true purpose? *** Alicia Ward's ordinary life takes a fantastical turn when she encounters Aidan, the elusive boy once believed a figment of her childhood imagination, now real and impossibly intriguing. Following him leads her to The Crooked Kettle, an enchanting teashop hidden from ordinary eyes. But curiosity leads her astray when she steps into a corridor filled with endless doors, each one offering glimpses into magical realms where reality is fluid and the impossible becomes possible. Where each door leads somewhere and nowhere, anywhere but her world. Trapped now in this place where reality bends at whim and magic comes alive, Alicia must navigate this bewildering place and find her way back to The Crooked Kettle's parlour if she ever wants to return home. And with the help of her once-imaginary friend, Aiden, and charmingly chaotic vampire, Harley Hatter-Sinclair, who has an uncanny ability to make her heart race and cheeks turn red, Alicia might be able to do just that. Or not. Will she be forever lost in a world where dreams and magic intertwine with reality? Everything and nothing is possible within the magical worlds of The Crooked Kettle. ______ All graphics were created by myself, with their subsequent credit and rights reserved for Andre Di Rosa (me).

As water is depleted for its magic, a vigilante uses a cold heiress to infiltrate high society and steal their water before the world--and her family--burns. 🜄 After washing up in the desert, nearly dead and with no memories, twenty-something-year-old Lana had a feeling she was involved in something dangerous. "Vigilantes targeting the wealthy" fits the bill, especially when the main perpetrator is still at large. Not that she would blame her past self, for the rich are intent on destroying the world, draining water of its magic and leaving behind its toxic remains. So Lana's surprised to learn she's the bodyguard for one such wealthy heiress. Virre Averten lives up to her fearsome reputation, despite only recently inheriting her fortune at twenty-three. Harsh and cold-hearted, Virre hoards water's magic just as much as her family's trade secrets, and she throws Lana back into her employment to protect them all. Lana has no idea how she tolerated the woman, but she's certain it was for a good reason. For instance, gaining access to the most exclusive events in the city. Thanks to each extravagant gala and lavish feast, Lana dissolves not only the facade of the wealthy, but that of Virre as well. Except she's not the only one fishing for secrets. With their enemies closing in and the world's magic running dry, the women must work together to reveal the truth before they, and all the water, burn for good. 🜄 INCLUDES ✓ Sapphic bodyguard-heiress romance ✓ Magical fight scenes ✓ Environmentalism and sociopolitical commentary ✓ Secret spy stuff ONC 2025 LONGLISTER Word Count: +39k Genres: High Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Romance Written: 05 FEB 2025 - 28 FEB 2025 Narrative: Third Person Limited, Past Tense ★ This story is only available on Wattpad by @laurendoubleu.

ONC ROUND ONE QUALIFIER ONC ROUND TWO QUALIFIER Rupa Mishra is born into a family that is much like any other, to a mother who is a mirror image of her neighbors, in a village that is no different than the others. She lives the typical brown life-her hair is always oiled and tied in a tight braid and her clothes are always thick in order hide her skin well. Her confidence shines as she moves about the village, her curves swaying at each step. All of that changes when she sets her eyes on Rohan, the city guy who leaves his luxurious life due to his father's job transfer. Rupa knows it's a dangerous risk to make him fall for her, but her attempts land her in another world when she slips in a puddle of her garden while gazing at him. _________________________________________ Preferably read by 16+ audience.

A successful lawyer meets a carpenter through an AI (artificial intelligence) software, hoping to find love. But what they find is more than what they bargained for. __________________________________________________________ Ursula has all the book smarts and not an ounce of social skills. After a year of loneliness, she decided to take matters into her own hands and completes the creation of Adelaide--a brilliant AI meant to help people like her make real life connections. Looking for potential clients to test her theory out, the librarian hoped that Adelaide would function properly. But as the AI came to life, this matchmaking scheme of Ursula's might not end up as well as she once believed. The Clients: Erica Cresswell, a single mother who works hard to make a living for herself and her son, happens to be a successful lawyer. Most would say that Erica was doing well, but all that was missing in her life was a man, as her fiancé passed away a few years ago. Yet, her best friend, Claudia, played matchmaker to keep her friend happy. Although, all of Claudia's attempts failed, the women meet Ursula, an uncanny librarian, who might have the answer to Erica's problems. Halfway around the world, Esteban Novicio wasn't having much luck in life either. After being dumped by his girlfriend and losing a client over a rival, he didn't know what else to do. That is, until his best friend, Commodore, introduced him to an AI dating site, which led him to meet Erica's avatar. ~ ~ ~ ~ Written for the 2025 ONC & using the following prompts: Prompt 40: You were once a character in a deleted story, now lost and memoryless in the library. All you recall is your former importance. To rewrite your backstory, you must first outwit the ghost librarian, who won't stop offering unsolicited advice. & Prompt 131: "This girl is on fire!"