[ONC Longlist 2024 | A Medusa Retelling.] Sydney 2112. Young men are disappearing without a trace. On the other side of town, an up-and-coming sculptor's works eerily resemble the missing men. Can the Inspector solve the riddle before her son joins the collection? *** Keya Sapkota needs to create artworks for her first sculpture exhibition at the prestigious Museum of Contemporary Arts, but a recent date-gone-wrong has left her a mess. She has no memory of what happened, but a feeling that something horrible transpired that left her with broken lips and bruised body. Keya hides in her loft, chipping away at her marble columns on autopilot. The more she chisels the more lifelike her statues become, ones she can't remember carving, but does she care? She needs exhibits for her show and the strange figures may as well be her pieces. The new Stone2Stone sculpture exhibition at the MCA catches the eye of Inspector Reina, who is desperately searching for her son who disappeared from a nightclub on his twenty-first birthday. Reina can't put her finger on it, but the sculptor, Keya, seems strange. Then there's the eerie marble statues that share their likeness with young men who have recently disappeared. Inspector Reina is determined to find answers before her son's sculpture turns up in the artist's collection. --- ONC Prompts: 60. "Look what you made me do." -Tayler Swift 3. Your greatest fear is monsters in the dark. The last thing you expect is to become the Monster in the dark. 95. "I will become as monstrous as I must." Features: - @Fantasy - Urban Fantasy (Oct 2025) - @paranormal - Investigations & Academies (Sept 2024) - @action - Thriller (Aug 2024) - @APIFantasy - API Fantasy & Science-Fiction Entries (March, 2024) Trigger warning: Slight depictions of SA. Please read at your own discretion. [Strictly no copy, translation or adapting of this story in part or whole is permitted without the author's permission.]

Asian martial arts fantasies? Mythical beasts? Hot vampires? Demons? Why not? Fantasy romance short story collection based on writing prompts and contests I participate in, so updates may be irregular. Not all the stories are 18+/mature, so please review the individual chapter warnings. General Wuxia/Xianxia: All Because of One Jade Flower Hidden Moon & Morning Star The Seven Toned Heart Dragons: The Yulong Spring The Dragon Pearl Vampires: The Scent of Orange (March 2022 - Will You Be Mine 3rd Place Winner) Demons: Eat this! Ghosts: Kaidan Romantic shorts: Cherry & Chocolate Design on You boy x boy or boy x girl Copyright TL_Nonoke 2022.

Daily in April will be posted a written story: 'How Dragons Shaped China'; the Hindu Ramayana from SITA's point of view; and from Korea, 'Taming of Tiger'; from my days of telling verbal stories at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. These traditional stories were told to present a brief, quick simplified history of the ancient countries. I have as all excellent storytellers do - adapted, fabricated, modified, elaborated, and enhanced the stories. READ and enjoy! For the April 2017 #NaNoWriCAMP and the #AtoZ Challenge! and coming BOOKS!

Microstory, one-shot, flash fiction... Whatever you call these snacks in a box is exactly what you'll find in this book. It is my hope that these will spark ideas for your next writing piece. Enjoy and don't forget to leave votes! Contains: - Original one-shots - Contest entries - Fanfics

☑ COMPLETED This is the real story behind Nian, the ferocious beast feared by many.

☑ COMPLETED TW//Death, murder, racism, domestic abuse, bullying, torture The stories about the people who entered the Midnight Teahouse on a quiet Sunday night.

Zhao Lian is a sheriff without a county. A member of an old magical order called the Shuli Go, she was raised to uphold the law and protect her fellow citizens. But after her caste was disassembled, she was left with no choice but to wander in search of work for someone with her very particular set of skills. In her wandering she's brushed against the full breadth of the Central Empire's populace: nobles, peasants, and everyone in between. The only group she's had little to do with are students: a group that rarely needs her services. Then one night a march of philosophers, scientists, and students crosses her path, giving Lian a chance to flex the muscle she often finds herself using least: her mind.

Zhao Lian is a sheriff without a county. A member of an old magical order called the Shuli Go, she was raised to uphold the law and protect her fellow citizens. But after her order was disassembled, she was left with no choice but to wander in search of work for someone with her very particular set of skills. A travelling Shuli Go takes work wherever she can, and Zhao Lian has taken her fair share of terrible jobs. Finding the missing daughter of an aristocrat is one of the more tolerable, and lucrative, jobs she can imagine. But as it becomes clear this is no simple case of kidnapping or a runaway noblewoman, Lian will be faced with the prospect of doing the one job she hates most: destroying a family.

Zhao Lian is a sheriff without a county. A member of an old magical order called the Shuli Go, she was raised to uphold the law and protect her fellow citizens. But after her order was disassembled, she was left with no choice but to wander in search of work for someone with her very particular set of skills. A single kick can change lives and destroy families. Lian knows this, but that doesn't stop her from delivering one. Four years later all the ramifications of that kick will come back to haunt her and her own fledgling family. They are soon drawn into a fight with a band of outlaws, led by another powerful magic user, and into the path of a young woman's long-simmering rage. This fifth story brings a wider scope to these stories, and hopefully adds a bit more nuance to the world. It also lays out some of the themes, conflicts, and motivations for future stories. Hope you enjoy!

Zhao Lian is a sheriff without a county. A member of an old magical order called the Shuli Go, she was raised to uphold the law and protect her fellow citizens. But after her order was disassembled, she was left with no choice but to wander in search of work for someone with her very particular set of skills. Flush with wealth for the first time in her life, she grants herself one night of indulgent, sensual luxury in one of the finest brothels in the Central Empire. But as one night turns into two, then three, she finds herself at risk of falling: into love and poverty. But the woman she's falling for has risks of her own, and lives can be taken as easily as coin in a land where contracts are very sacred things. Set immediately following the first story (Beyond the Mists) and Lian's first dose of wealth, this is a largely standalone story that nonetheless connects with previous entries and themes. Includes the first recurring character (besides Lian herself), and also sets up future installments. Also plenty smutty! (If you're into that)