In a dystopian future, an acidic flood reigns and the only signs of old life lie in the deep. Alex - an outcast with an inquisitive mind and a set of strangely specific skills - must navigate a world where she is shunned from the safety of the domes and stuck in the water. One day, while exploring a set of deep-sea ruins, she is haunted by a mysterious spirit; a spirit that seems to be warning her of something. The problem is, this ancient being doesn't seem to have any memory of its previous life. With a newly-possessed fish at her side, she must now uncover a secret organisation, find out what it means to do and save both humans and spirits from their plans. --- This is my entry for the Open Novella Contest 2026. Prompts used: 93, 86 (I have listed them in the author's note) --- | 🌟 Longlisted for the Open Novella Contest 2026 | #1 oceanpunk #1 explorer #1 deepsea #1 flood #1 climatechange #2 acid --- © 2026 | This is original work. Any references to other persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Please do not adapt in any way without the author's permission.

*This story is written for participation in Open Novella Contest and no earlier draft exist before 1st Feb. The story is based on prompts provided by the event . The Hollowridge Inn has one rule. No humans. Tucked deep within a forest that refuses to appear on any map, the Inn has sheltered witches, vampires, shapeshifters, and beings far older than language for over a century. It is neutral ground. Sanctuary. A carefully balanced refuge for the unseen world. And it has never made a mistake. Until Ethan Carter checks in. Stranded after a mysterious car failure, Ethan is impossibly human-and somehow allowed past wards that have never failed. As the Inn begins to react to him in ways no one understands, one terrifying truth becomes clear: He wasn't invited by accident. When an ancient entity known only as a Collector arrives to claim what it calls "a key," the dysfunctional family that runs the Inn must make a choice-hand Ethan over to protect their fragile peace, or defy powers older than the house itself. But the Inn has already chosen. And it may be willing to burn the worlds down to keep him.

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 ."

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."

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.||

[ONC 2026] When her 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 only slightly edited / proofread] Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved.