In the coastal town of Grayhaven, disappearances aren't crimes, they're cycles. Every twenty seven years, devoted parents vanish without a trace. Every twenty seven years, a quiet girl named Shanice appears soon after, as if the sea itself has returned something in exchange. Nineteen year old, Lucious Waters has lived with the aftermath of the last cycle. His mother was among those who vanished. Since then, he has carried a secret: when the fog rolls in and emotions run high, he sees something beneath certain people's skin, faint, drifting tendrils like jellyfish suspended in flesh. When the cycle begins again, Lucious realizes the truth is larger than grief, older than the town, and far more deliberate than anyone admits. Grayhaven Town is not cursed. It is protected. And protection always demands payment. PROMPT 38. Everyone sees an ordinary person but you are the only one who can see their true nature, a jellyfish in disguise. Tendrils of Grayhaven is a haunting supernatural mystery about grief, loyalty, and the terrifying cost of safety, where the greatest threat may not be what lurks in the deep, but what happens when it decides to change.

When Benaiah Sullivan and Lelaina Ramos meet outside of a bar one night, their chemistry is instant. However, they're both in relationships, so they say goodbye and go separate ways, but life has a funny way of causing their lives to collide. So, they decide to be friends, but over time, unspoken feelings develop as they become each other's safe space. When obstacles arise with their romantic partners, their friendship also suffers with arguments fueled by confusion and unfed desire that pushes them apart on more than one occasion. But they always find their way back to each other. Like an imaginary thread, indefinitely tying them together. **When Harry Met Sally × People We Meet On Vacation** ONC Entry 2026, Prompt 24: Staying as friends feels safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take.

She is sent to kill the dragon. Instead, she might become his only salvation. *** In a world swallowed by the Ever-Dark, Iva Vernigora is nothing more than a lowly servant in the house of the cruel Voivode Yakub Ivanov, Duke of Highroot. But when Voivode blackmails her with the lives of her parents, Iva is forced to pretend she's his daughter, as she infiltrates the royal academy of magic - Kolegium. Voivode Yakub's order is absolute: poison the Prince Konstantin Veliki. Prince Konstantin is the heir to the throne, the last of the line of Dragons - a Zmey warrior of light, who was blessed with a dragon-shifting gift. At a first glance, he is nothing but a smug, pompous royal, and everything Iva is supposed to hate. Yet every touch, and every shared lesson at Kolegium blurs the line between the enemy she must kill and the man she is beginning to crave. While Iva stalks her prey as a knife in the dark, waiting for the chance to extinguish Konstantin's light, she discovers that the dragon everyone fears is the only thing standing between humanity and the void. As the Ever-Dark Shades rise, Iva must make an impossible choice. Will she carry out her sinister orders and secure her parents' freedom, or will she stand by the Dragon in the battle for the world's last light? *** The Shades are coming. The Dragons are falling. And the Eternal Spark is waiting for its host. © 2026 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompts: 97. "When the world slips into endless darkness, something begins to move in the shadows and you must find a way to survive in a night that never ends." 4. "You discover that the dragon everyone fears is in danger, and you are the only one who can save it from the knight sworn to slay it ."

It's more than a game. Cal never imagined the end of the world would begin with a one-eared black cat showing up at the door. But it did. *2026 Open Novella Contest. Based on Prompt #98.

Thirty-two-year-old Isabelle's life is unraveling. She's given up her dreams of becoming an author in favour of an abusive marriage. Desperate to escape yet another violent argument, she drives off and ends up on the other side of town. Seeking refuge, she walks into a dingy bar. To her surprise, a poetry reading is taking place. Desperate to lose herself, she decides to stay for a drink. On stage, beyond the smoky fog, a man with feral eyes and elaborate tattoos is reciting his work. Belle is instantly captivated by the man's words and his haunting beauty. Dominic is twenty-three, a poet from the wrong side of town with shattered dreams and a drug addiction. When Dom spots Isabelle, he is enthralled. Embarking on a forbidden romance, Dom ushers Isabelle into a dark and seductive world - one full of intoxication and freedom, a world that Belle would risk anything to stay in. Prompt number 29. You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, some will leave footprints on your heart. Disclaimer: This is a dark romance story; there are adult themes, spicy scenes, abuse, swearing, and typical Christine darkness. There's no s/a, or animal abuse. This is an AI-free story. I don't use apps like ChatGPT, etc., to write my work. Everything good and everything that sucks has come from the Muse inside my head, who dictates what I have to write. The emdashes are here because I have become obsessed with them. The way I write, all prosy and flowery, is my signature style - I can't help it.

Bronhini, the storm queen, sends out her pet dragon to turn the skirmish her men are losing. A lone warrior stands up to the beast - a brave, but useless act. When Laiàn learns about the courageous last stand of her brother, she is devastated. But not everything is as it seems... Based on the prompt #29: "You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart."

[Bestfriends⇢Enemies⇢Lovers | Miss Grumpy x Mr Sunshine] A collegiate fencer who finds comfort in an anonymous singer's voice and a celebrity with a concealed identity focused on completing university, connect via pagers. Forced to clash on campus, confront past wounds and family pressures, they risk guarded secrets for a chance at a love neither of them anticipated. ~~~~~ Meet Moon Sa-rang, a budding fencer, burning the candle at both ends to accomplish her goal. All she wants is a peaceful university life and to make her father proud. As a scholar-athlete, she has a lot on her shoulders. With such taxing circumstances enveloping her, music became her solace. RETRO, a band she grew fond of, and a voice that felt like home. It soothed her mind after a tedious day, echoing through her tiny radio. A voice that belonged to a person she never saw and won't ever meet. That is, until she wins a chance to connect with the owner of that voice...via a pager. The problem? Her father strictly opposes music. Meet Kim Yo-han, a celebrity in disguise, who decides to return to his university life and complete his studies. Entering as an average student and lying low was his perfect plan to graduate covertly and leave in silence. As a celebrity yet to debut on-screen and coming from an elite background, both his family and agency demand that he stay out of trouble. That is, until he is offered to interact with one of his biggest fans...via a pager. The problem? His former bestie is an athlete studying there. What happens when these two who can't stand the sight of each other eventually collide? What happens when secrets are spilt, and compromises are made, leading to something none of them anticipated? Will emotions be lost in translation, or will paging be the unseen thread that fortifies their bond? Moreover, how will things turn out when a senior begins to show interest in Sa-rang? Need answers? Better start paging! ... I mean, reading!

Inez Xue Ran, an escapist, found herself tucked between the pockets of the living, the dead and a past. Faced with the surge of reality, Inez clawed her way for survival as her reputation preceded the mask she had put on for two years. Caught between the polished lover, Julian Wei Chen and the elusive jewel, Rahel Valies Seo Xuan, Inez was forced to explore the depths of the seas she so carefully tucked away in the attic of her heart and soul. The fragments of her past began to unravel at the least expected moments of her life, forcing her to commit to herself. As the battle trampled further into her life, Inez realised that more events were boiling close to her than her past. Blinded by the comfort offered to her, Inez knew she had to place her trust in the right person to secure her future. A past exposed to be vindicated only by law. Will she choose the polished lover or the elusive jewel? || This story can be found only on Wattpad and is written in conjunction with the Open Novella Contest 2026.||

After her office burns down a successful editor is forced to share a workspace with the most irritating man alive and a different kind of fire ignites between them. **** Chielozonam 'Elo' Williams is thriving. Not only does she have the job of her dreams she's about to make Acquiring Editor of PerfectRomance, the publishing imprint she's been working at for the past five years which would definitely prove to her judgmental father once and for all that he was wrong about her wasting her life away at a dead end job but she's also determined to enjoy the prime years of her youth. Endless fun and casual romps in the sheets are the name of the game. That is until the unthinkable happens. After Elo's building catches fire and burns down she has no choice but to share an office with the one person that makes her blood boil: Connor Price. Archenemies since their days at college Connor makes getting under her skin an art form with his well-timed scathing remarks and contemptible behavior. It's not long before they're locked in a battle of wits, neither willing to back down or give up. When they have to work together to acquire a potentially lucrative manuscript, they are forced to put aside their long-standing animosity for an adventure that will change everything they thought they knew about each other. PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION meets ANYONE BUT YOU meets THE HATING GAME in this contemporary rom-com about resilience, self-discovery and two sworn enemies who can't decide whether to kiss or kill each other. An ONC 2026 story inspired by prompt 40. You and your greatest enemy are struck by a curse that binds your lives together. The only way to survive is to share a kiss, but you would both rather face death than each other.

[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.