If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. - Henry David Thoreau In a world where both magic and supernatural powers coexist, Felix Pagonis is a complacent but powerful psychic who is merely content with using his powers for himself. Despite facing blatant discrimination against his race, he leads a relatively easy life working as a part-time law enforcer in an elite task force: the Guardian Council. But all that will change when his colleague, Gaius Deusdedit, discovers a unique spellcraft that traces back to their world's sinister origins during one of their missions. A reluctant Felix is dragged into a plot that may very well plunge their world into an eternal, literal hell. Facing a powerful criminal syndicate as well as sinister forces in the shadows, the duo will soon find themselves losing a lot more than they can handle.

Fabio Costa has plenty of talent, a sharp tongue, and unlimited energy to burn, but his forehand could be improved. Enter Julian Foster, a retired Wimbledon Champion with a bad knee and zero patience for Fabio's antics. When the two of them team up, their unexpected bond takes them from the gruelling Challenger circuit to the glamorous world of Grand Slams. But as their connection deepens, amidst intense training sessions, press meltdowns and far too many shared hotel rooms, their feelings for each other threaten to bring down everything they have ever worked for. cover art by the amazing @aphedragonfly CW: Language, Alcohol, Injuries, Mentions of past emotional abuse. +++ All tennis players featured in the story are completely fictional. All similarities to existing players are due to there being only so many ways you can hit a ball with a racquet. +++ Featured by WackyWriters [Judges' Favorites March 2025]

Two video game creators fall into a web of alternate universes where they must discover their true feelings for every version of each other. -- Felix is a struggling arcade owner who develops video games at night, and while he's trying his hardest to move on from his toxic ex Lucy, he's unable to stop himself from checking up on her IG from time to time (or, let's be honest, on the daily). Riley is an aspiring inventor who doesn't let anyone get close enough to break her heart, but her chaotic lifestyle doesn't allow her to move past her fear of abandonment; in fact, it's doing the opposite. Felix and Riley could be perfect for each other, but when they meet and discover the potential to invent a brand new, cutting-edge video game, they push their feelings aside to focus on the prototype--a device that allows you to play a game with your mind. When it's time to give it a test drive and they each put on the halo, there's a massive, life-altering glitch. Their psyches are sent tumbling through multiple alternate universes where they must discover the truth about their feelings for every version of one another. ~Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind~ meets ~Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow~ meets ~Everything Everywhere All at Once~ This novel is complete and will be releasing weekly.

❝When the clock stops ticking, and the only lights remaining are the stars above our heads, humanity will not surrender peacefully.❞ The unpredictable course of a rogue satellite will destroy Nina Hawthorne's city in two weeks. Depressed, she attempts to find somebody more worthy of saving than herself. * Cover by @randompeephere !! *

Death is no mystery to Peggy after living as a vampire for over half a century. That doesn't mean the death of her best friend isn't devastating. Add to that the threat of someone going after that friend's great granddaughter, Maya, and suddenly death has a new fear to it. She'll have to push the boundaries of life itself to uncover what and why Maya has suddenly become a high priority target for a secret society. There might just be answers to her own murder hidden in the web of secrets.

Taylor West is the epitome of self-reliance. Or she must be. Relationships are fickle. Despite finally enrolling in her dream studies and thriving in them, her social life is only skin-deep. When she finds out that her so-called boyfriend is a selfish cheater, her chronic condition flares up again. Walking around as if somebody had thrown itching powder all over you is not fun. Due to the mental strain, Taylor resorts to medication - but pills can only do so much. If that wasn't bad enough, she keeps running into Killian, whose annoying ways are starting to get under her skin. When a mysterious stalker shows up and things take a dangerous turn, Killian's help might be exactly what she needs.

The aes sídhe: an ancient race that holds incredible powers, and a rare sight indeed in Ríenne. Maeve, a brash young woman who holds the power of the sun, is one of the few that remain-and, as far as she knows, the only to reside amongst humans. She's content to lead a simple life, working beside the ocean, healing the sick, and caring for her cattle. But peace is a fickle thing, and it flees easily. When a lone sídhe attempts to ravage her town, Maeve's quiet existence is shattered. To protect her home and understand why she's been targeted, she sets off with the aid of Aeden-a stranger who claims to know where to find the answers. It is a dangerous, long journey to the truth: to survive, Maeve must rely on her flame and new companions more than ever before. As much as she wishes it were otherwise, the world is at stake.

[Set in Eilos, the world of 'Echoes of the Reach', and can be read standalone.] Where ripples of the past lead, the tidal waves of history soon follow. Jaster Brand is an artificing prodigy. From enchanted tools to automaton companions to his own right arm, his passion for arcane engineering has carried him to the Malkest Throne's biggest cities in search of work. Working with his fellow travelling apprentice, the rookie hunter Astrid Forrester, they scrape up enough money to support themselves and their families. On Jaster's latest visit home, however, something changes. The road to Flatsands transforms into a sunken cove, a seabound scape of sand and shells cut off from the wider world. Worse still, the village itself is abandoned, its residents vanished and their homes claimed by an insidious dark coral. Mysteries rise at every turn, yet none more startling than the sudden reappearance of Calypso, Jaster's one-time imaginary friend pulled back by forces unknown. Stranded together in a drowning village, the three must race to find the missing villagers, undo the curse that has befallen Flatsands, and face the ancient threat that stirs beneath the blackened waves. *** Cover and chapter-end banner skilfully crafted by the wizard of legend @-DeeIsDead- (thank you so much again, Dee!)

Cameron's first love is baseball, but when he falls for a softball player he can't be with, he realizes he's signed up for more than he bargained for. Between teaching baseball to a rag-tag team of kids and pursuing his dreams of coaching professionally, he shouldn't have feelings for Norah. But attraction is hard to fight, even when pasts and pain threaten to hurt him even more than they already have. ******* Cameron Shaw, the quiet and reserved assistant for an esteemed collegiate baseball team, has one goal in life: to coach professional ball. After one wild, unforgettable kiss on a dance floor with a stranger, his dreams are at risk of crashing down all around him. Again. Fun-loving Norah Young has two goals. First, to prove to her coach that she can be a starting player on the Saint Helena University softball team. Second, to find out why the stranger at the bar left her standing alone after the best kiss of her life. Infatuation turns to hate when he leads her to believe that he wants nothing to do with her. As the baseball assistant and a student athlete, Cameron and Norah aren't supposed to be together, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. Especially when Norah wakes up hungover in Cameron's bed, only to find out that he coaches a team of kids who don't know the first thing about baseball. While Cameron silently endures the chronic pain that stole his baseball career, Norah aims to figure out what it was that stole the promising young player's talent and smile, without getting too close to him. But they can't seem to stay away from each other, no matter how hard they try. FEATURED ON: Newly Written Books CONTENT: Women in sports Chronic pain and disability Gay rep in sports Steamy, but not spicy GENRES: Contemporary, college sports romance, new adult Marked mature for language and a few steamy scenes.

☆ Shortys 2024 Shortlister ☆ Keep your eyes open with the tales of the night. A collection of short horror stories. ★ NOTE: All stories are written in present tense with second person POV. (For more information, please see the "Contents" chapter.)