When two ex-best friends turned rival assassins cross paths on a mission, they must work together to uncover the truth, reopening old wounds and buried feelings while battling monsters.

When Ailsa's younger sister, Mairead, is kidnapped by the same dark creatures that once stole her, she's forced to hunt her down before she's trapped forever. ***** Every child in Ailsa's village bears a scar. After Ailsa herself escaped the Otherfolk and returned home with her face and neck horribly disfigured, it became a standard practice. Before her, no other child had ever made their way home. Years later, thanks to Ailsa's sacrifice (and example), it seems the Otherfolk have left the island to steal children elsewhere. ... Until Ailsa's sister, Mair, is stolen. At risk of being named an Otherfolk herself, Ailsa vows to find Mair and bring her home. The only issue? Ailsa can't recall any of her life from before her own kidnapping, let alone how she herself escaped. With the help of an eerily familiar stranger (someone on her island she's never met? How?), Ailsa - at risk of losing her home, her mother, and Mairead - decides this time, she'll come home with her sister and her memories in-tact, no matter what it takes. ***** Prompts 16, 21

Riley is a small-town girl looking for a new start in the city after a public scandal leaves her reeling and fending for herself for the first time in her life. Newly single and on her own, Riley fights for her place in a brand-new world. Instead, she finds herself peering through fences, engaging in a feud with her hot neighbor over chickens and eggs, and falling in love in a secret backyard garden. Main prompt - 39 (altered). After being cheated on, you go from being the most popular socialite to becoming a nobody. Side prompt - 28. Self-love often starts small, like planting a single seed. With time, patience, and a bit of light, it will blossom.

A slipstream in time. A cloak of eternal night. Something stirs in the dark. [ ✶ ] Upon returning from a weekend getaway to celebrate their last summer together before college, a group of friends discover the residents of their hometown have vanished without a trace, leaving behind a shroud of mystery, sunless skies, and an unshakable horror. [ extended summary inside] original novel / all rights reserved olivia siobhan © 2026 onc prompts #97, #44 and #24

When the two rival football stars collide again, the tension between them shifts from hatred to something far more dangerous. Loving the enemy could destroy their seasons, their futures, and the identities they've fought to protect. *** Gabriel Chase rebuilt his body from the ground up. After a season-ending injury nearly stole his future, he's back on the field with something to prove. He refuses to be underestimated. He refuses to be someone's secret. Mateo Del Campo built his reputation on control. On the field, he hits hard and never apologizes. Off the field, he keeps his real thoughts locked behind discipline and loyalty. He does not make mistakes. He does not lose focus. When their rivalry reignites during Gabriel's comeback season, the tension between them shifts from resentment to something neither of them knows how to name. The chemistry is undeniable. The consequences are brutal. In a sport where loyalty is everything and weakness is punished, falling for the enemy is more than a risk. It's a gamble with careers, reputations, and hearts on the line. *** Open Novella Contest entry for 2026 Prompts: 30, 58

[ONC 2026] When Kenna Sato's best friend vanishes without a trace and the police refuse to look closer, she decides to handle it herself. What she doesn't expect is to cross paths with the city's most dangerous man. Now standing at the edge of something far bigger than she anticipated, will she walk away while she still can, or step deeper into the shadows? **** Kenna Sato is a florist with a quiet life, a love for true crime documentaries, and a loyalty streak that often overrides caution. Tenacious and determined, she refuses to sit still when someone she loves disappears. But chasing answers in a city built on secrets comes at a cost. Nikolai "Niko" Volkov rules the underground with cold precision and an iron grip. Feared, calculating, and always several moves ahead, he does not tolerate interference. Yet when fate throws him into Kenna's path, their worlds collide in ways neither of them expected. As danger tightens its hold and betrayal lingers in the air, an unlikely connection begins to form. In a game where trust is fragile and power is everything, can two people from opposite sides survive the storm they are about to face? Or will the darkness consume them both? [Story not edited / proofread] Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved.

Two rival hockey captains must confront the tension on and off the ice before their secret romance sends both their lives up into flames. **** Rhia Sinclaide's passion in life is hockey. It's the only thing that keeps her from going insane, well, besides her hidden and toxic relationship with Coach Dawson. But the world around her continues to grow darker every day, dimming the lights as she struggles to escape the clutches of the one person she thought she could trust. Jackie Reese has been obssessed with hockey since she was a little girl. Reaching pros is a dream come true, and she is ready to do anything to appease her fans. And that includes provoking her biggest enemy: Rhia Sinclaide. It's just like another sport for her, really, until she discovers the truth between Rhia and her Coach and finds out the nightmare her rival is imprisoned in. Rhia doesn't want any help from anybody, especially not from her most-hated enemy in the world. But neither of them can stop the forces that pull them together, ones so powerful that they threaten to pull them both under dangerous waves and drown.

A pro hockey player and Hollywood princess form an unexpected bond amidst the scrutiny of the public, growing into a wildfire they both can't tame. ***** Larissa Hepburn, who goes by her stage name "Nova", is a triple threat in Hollywood. A talented singer, dancer, and actress, there seems to be nothing she can't do. In the eyes of the world, she's the model of a perfect human being. However, underneath the glamor, the smiles, laughter, and wall of illusions lies a darker truth - a woman on the brink of losing the tether she holds to this world. And on top of everything, she lost her best friend years ago to fame, a friendship she wants to mend as the final goal in her life. Then she meets Rhys Melton, a pro hockey player addicted to the world of hockey and himself broken in more ways than one. Brutal on the ice, he doesn't have time for romance or sexual relationships, especially after having his heart broken by someone from his past. And posing as the charming playboy to the public eye is the only way to shield his pain from the world. But one single glance and a hilarious encounter changes both their lives in the most unexpected ways. What begins as an escape from the paparazzi turns into an unlikely friendship that forms in one single night. And as they spend more time together, the more they discover the disastrous truth that lies underneath their armors, one that bonds them into a scandalous romance. Even the brightest souls can hide the darkest thoughts. But what happens when two broken people, one more than the other, cross paths? Will they save each other from the darkness consuming them? OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026

If you dial the number 4444, no one will pick up. But fall asleep afterwards, and a man will visit you in your dreams. He will introduce himself as an assassin of sorts, and you will tell him your darkest desire. After all, the Dreamwalker can become your enemy's worst nightmare...for a price. Nathan Lee is many things: an airhead, an optimist, and above all, hopelessly infatuated with the illustrious Aurora Kim. But when he accidentally swaps phones with a stranger, he ends up face-to-face with Cyr, a contract killer who travels through dreams. And his next target is Aurora. Desperate to save Aurora, Nathan takes it upon himself to hunt down Cyr's client. But when the bodies begin piling up, Nathan is forced to question who Aurora Kim really is...and what it will cost to keep her alive. (Prompt #56: After grabbing the wrong phone at a busy deli, you discover the stranger's life is far more tangled with yours than you ever expected.)

My feet go down to death. © taryn OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026 prompts 45 & 78.