𝟏𝟔𝟗𝟐 A woman engulfed in flames screams from the pyre that she will make the town weave its destruction. Disregarding her promise, the townsfolk throw her ashes into the waves. As the tide swirls in, sailors drown, and women begin to hear whispers of what the sea could offer were they to betray their town. 𝟓𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 The young inquisitor Rowan patrols the beach as he stumbles upon a bottle near the cliffs. There is a message inside, asking the dead witch for help. Rowan realizes he needs to act before the curse destroys what little remains of their once blossoming village.

All Lee Ah-Ri wanted was to find her missing best friend. She didn't mean to kidnap the city's most feared crime lord. Kang TaeJun-known as Maximus-is ruthless, untouchable, and deadly in ways the mafia doesn't fully understand. When his men find him, he should have Ah-Ri killed. Instead, he takes her on a first date. A fake relationship. A public alibi. Her only way to stay alive. But somewhere between forced smiles and watchful enemies, Ah-Ri realizes the truth- the man across from her isn't entirely human. And once a monster like him decides she's his? There's no such thing as pretending anymore. prompt 51: While in search of a missing friend, you accidentally kidnap the most feared crime lord. prompt 52: You're on a first date when you suddenly realize the person sitting across from you isn't entirely human.

Declared dead and stripped of her name, Katrina Mormont survives a decade of brutal servitude under her stepmother's cruelty. When she learns she is to be sold for profit, Katrina escapes into the night, carrying nothing but rage, wit, and the memory of her father's stolen legacy. Her flight leads her to Edgemond, a struggling silver mining town ruled by Lord Callum Blackburn-a war-forged general elevated to nobility by a grateful king and tasked with resurrecting failing mines that may decide the kingdom's future. Katrina secures refuge in his household as a servant, hiding her lineage and her hunger for justice. Katrina secretly tracks the mines' progress and feeds information to her father's banker, who has saved a sliver of her inheritance - a stake in the mines. She walks a razor's edge between survival and discovery. Callum, honorable yet dangerously curious, finds himself drawn to the sharp-eyed servant who smiles like someone who has known both grace and ruin. With silver veins dwindling and the king demanding results, Katrina must decide whether to risk her growing feelings for the lord who could unknowingly restore her fortune or destroy her carefully laid revenge. In this world, power is mined from stone and secrets, and vengeance may prove more precious than silver. ONC Prompts: #24: Staying as friends feels safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take. #45: Kings have honor, soldiers are brave, poets have heart, and all I have is rage! (Sound by Naethan Apollo)

Bianca Angel was desperate for a job. Jin Hwa was desperate to be left alone. When Bianca becomes the new caregiver for a sick boy everyone else has abandoned, she enters a new challenge that will change her life forever. What started as a job slowly turns into something neither of them expected. A bond built from shared loneliness, broken dreams, and the fear of tomorrow. As Jin's illness gets worse, Bianca was caught between responsibility, longing, and the ache of knowing she can't save him. Will it have a happy ending, or will all her efforts go to waste? This story is inspired by the song 'Holding you' by Stan Walker and Ginny Blackmore _______________________________ Prompt #84 A standalone story where romance and heartbreak join in one

this is my entry for the OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026. PROMPTS USED: one, four, and eleven. Jace is a peasant working under the "dread" king, one day an opportunity comes along to escape his life of debt and servitude, and he takes it, there's a twist though, Jace must travel with his longtime rival to revive the king's happiness. Will the unlikely duo save the day, or will they find themselves separated or worse. Written By Louis Cunnington