Many would go to great lengths to possess the imagination of a child, where nothing is impossible. It is a power that not only enables one to create an Imaginary Friend but to also 'destroy' it. A Power that Natalie still possesses even at the age of 18. Such a pity she doesn't know it. But someone does. And they're willing to kill for it. The Repository of Imaginary Friends has been taken over and its walls are no longer safe. Their rooms, once a place they willingly returned to until their child needed them, have become prison cells while they serve as test subjects for an experiment. One that will force the realms of imagination and reality to collide, providing the ultimate means of revenge. He was wronged; now, they will pay. The Repository's only Saviour is Natalie's childhood imaginary superhero, Captain Freedom.... And he's gone missing. This was originally written for the ONC2025 but was not completed in time. So, I am completing it outside of the competition. Prompt # 105: Your childhood imaginary friend, who disappeared years ago suddenly returns - only this time they're real.

After six years in a progressive French boarding school, eighteen-year-old Lady Alice returns to her family's estate in Surrey, dreading the fate that awaits her-- debutante balls, an arranged marriage, and a life she does not want. She would have preferred to stay in France, teaching and writing love tales rather than living one dictated by others. Once cast aside by her own father and a stepmother, Alice finds their sudden desire for reconciliation hollow. Only her childhood best friend, Michael, Marquess Lovelace, seems like a true comfort. But as she settles back into her former home, something strange begins to happen. A black rabbit, eerily familiar, appears in the shadows-- just like the one that belonged to Edmond, her long-forgotten imaginary friend. And then she meets Count D'Arcy, the enigmatic and elusive neighbour whose presence unsettles her. His eyes, his voice, his very being remind her of Edmond. Could it be him? Or is her mind playing tricks on her? As the social season unfolds, Alice finds herself tangled in a web of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. The past and present blur, forcing her to question what is real, what is illusion, and whether love can exist beyond the bounds of reason. In the haunting halls of her childhood home and under the watchful gaze of Count D'Arcy, Alice must uncover the truth before she loses herself to the unknown. ~~~ My entry for the ONC 2025 based on the prompt 105: Your childhood imaginary friend, who disappeared years ago, suddenly returns - only this time, they're real.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. When Rowan returns to his uncle's estate, he expects nothing more than a tense reunion-until his silver ring, a childhood gift, starts whispering. Inside is Aria, his long-lost friend who vanished the same day he received the ring. Trapped by an ancient enchantment, she has been hidden from the world-and from Rowan-all these years. Now, as the magic sealing her away unravels, dangerous forces begin to take notice. To free Aria, Rowan must uncover the truth behind her imprisonment and the secrets his uncle has kept buried. A cozy, whimsical mystery with a touch of enchantment. Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2025 | ✔ @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/387452246 **Prompts** 105: Your childhood imaginary friend, who disappeared years ago, suddenly returns--only this time, they're real. 75: You've worn a mysterious ring since childhood, but one day it opens to reveal a tiny creature telling you it's been trapped inside all along and more secrets are on the way. ©2025 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved. Book Created & Published to Wattpad: 02.01.2025 Book Marked as Completed: 00.00.2025 Cover: Me @DesignsbyEH I used Canva.com | Cover is temporary and subject to several changes. Word Count: 3,714 / 20,000 Goals: Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔ Round 2 _ | 8,000 words _ Round 3 _ | 20,000 words _ LONGLIST _ | SHORTLIST _ Honorable Mention _ | Round Winner? _ | Ambassadors' Pick? _ Rankings:

💫ONC 2025 Short list & Honorable Mention 💫 In a world where magic is both a gift and a curse, Hex, a bad-tempered sorcerer, constantly battles with his mischievous pixie servant, Pickles. When Pickles defies Hex one too many times, the sorcerer transforms him into a carpet beetle, setting off a chain of events that leads to a thrilling adventure. Meanwhile, in a distant fairy forest, the greedy goblin Giggleton is on a desperate quest to find the last Gem Maker, a fairy named Rose, who can produce precious gems with her hiccups. Trapped and alone, Rose's only hope for freedom lies in the hands of Hex, who has his own plans for the Gem Maker. As Hex, Giggleton, and a host of magical creatures cross paths, alliances are formed, and betrayals are revealed. In a tale filled with dark magic and unexpected heroes, "A Wicked Magic" weaves a spellbinding story of power, greed, and the quest for freedom. Will Hex's wicked magic be enough to save Rose and defeat the forces that seek to control her? Or will the sorcerer's dark desires lead to his downfall? 50. A supervillain has a midlife crisis and decides to become a superhero. But redemption might be harder than they imagined.

*ONC 2025 Shortlist & Ambassador Pick* On the morning of her wedding, Edrea is prepared to seal a political alliance with the man she despises. But fate, or something far darker, has other plans. An empty box appears in her garden. A hidden path leads her underground. And a deck of cursed cards delivers her into the hands of Malphas, a demon bound by an ancient contract. One that now claims her as his. Trapped in a world of shadows, Edrea is torn between a cruel fiance who seems far too pleased by her disappearance and a demon who watches her like she's the only thing keeping him tethered to existence. Malphas swears he won't take anything she doesn't offer freely. But the longer she resists him, the more she begins to wonder... This is a mature 18+ story.

ONC2025 Round 2 Ambassador Pick 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐚 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. Unicorns are sacred in the kingdom of Unara, their magic a gift only bestowed upon the worthy-or stolen through death. Someone is hunting them, and if the killings continue, their magic will fall into the wrong hands. Determined to uncover the truth, Oskar sets out to find the culprit. But the deeper he digs, the darker the secrets he unearths--secrets that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom. A standalone fantasy adventure, The Unicorn's Blessing follows Prince Oskar before the events of The Girl with Scars, revealing the choices that shaped the man he would become. Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2025 | @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/387452246 **Main Prompt** 12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn. **Secondary Prompt** 130. Protect this with your life. ©2025 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved. Book Created & Published to Wattpad: 02.01.2025 Book Marked as Completed: 04.08.2025 Cover: Me @DesignsbyEH I used Canva.com | Cover is temporary and subject to several changes. Word Count: 26,234 / 20,000 Goals: Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔ | Round 1 Winner ✔ Round 2 ✔ | 8,000 words ✔ Round 3 _ | 20,000 words ✔ LONGLIST _ | SHORTLIST _ Honorable Mention? _ | Ambassadors' Pick ✔ Mentioned in Ambassador Newsletter ✔ Rankings: #ONC2025: #21 on 02.02.2025 | #15 on 02.03.2025 | #12 on 03.24.2025 #opennovellacontest2025: #15 on