A fallen star, a crime lord, and the hunt for a heart. When Keira, a star, falls to earth with her sisters, it is with only one goal: find a human heart to save her sisters. It is pure coincidence that she falls straight into the infinity pool of formidable crime lord Captain Demir Erdogan. They strike a deal, and so their fate is sealed. But there is a reason stars are forbidden to fall. Soon it will become clear that stars are not the untouchable beings as the myths say. And a heart does not make a human. And so the greatest question of all will be: What makes a heart worth more than another?

❝ DON'T GET LOST IN THE WOODS FOR THEY ARE HUNGRY ❞ Vesnyana died a long time ago. As a rusalka, she is now bound to haunt the waters that took her life - and drown hapless folks in their cold depths. However, the woods have become quiet over the years, and her endless hungerhas become more tormenting. That is, until the summer solstice, which drives young lovers into the trees in search of the magical fern flower. But only one of them is truly determined to find it. Which is but a game for other youths in the village of Lasow, to Yara seems like the only way to free herself from her sorrows. Little does she know what dangers await her and her best friend Levik due to her desperate pursuit. One of them, lurking in a cold river, desires the flower herself ... _______ ONC 2026 ENTRY: PROMPTS 16, 104, 114

Blake Sullivan was supposed to die at 10.45 pm that fateful night. He had it all and lost everything. But when a beautiful woman offers him an opportunity to regain everything including his life, he makes a deal with her. He didn't realize that he was chosen because he was the perfect candidate - embodiment of seven sins. The bargain came with strings attached. Strings which will later transform into serpents strangling the lives of his beloveds and himself. He thought had won; but he was merely borrowing time. How much is a "Golden Boy" worth when he made his deal with the Mother of all Sins? ************************************************************************* © Ana_Miga, 2025. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, or mirrored without the author's written permission. Unauthorized copying, reposting, or scraping-including automated mirroring on third-party websites-is a violation of copyright law. ************************************************************************* Open Novella Contest 2026 Prompt used: 100. A human summons a demon, and their first conversation quickly reveals the human may not be the one in control. *************************************************************************

When a magic mirror brings forth an army of reflections to invade her kingdom at her father's wedding to his new bride, Mechtild, Princess Aneira will do anything to save her land. Taken captive by her new stepmother, Aneira escapes Mechthild's clutches through the very mirror that brought the reflections into a far-off land of ice and snow. Hunted by Mechthild's reflections, Aneira quickly learns she won't have to battle Mechthild alone when she finds seven knights with magic powers fighting. Granted a quest to restore both their lands Aneira must travel to plant a golden apple in the center of a tundra and if she has any hope of succeeding, she'll need help from a reflection, one of Mechthild's very own soldiers to guide her along the way. Enjoy this Snow White-inspired story based on ONC prompt 105: You're chatting with someone when you suddenly notice the mirror behind them shows everything except their reflection.

When one morning, Zabava finds a wounded man in her garden, there is no doubt she ought to help him. But the more she gets to know about him, the clearer it seems that destiny had delivered a gruesome strike with this stranger. For her unexpected guest is Zmey, the dragon haunting the country of Skazoviya with his endless appetite for the hearts of girls. Everyone knows how this would have to end in the tales-a powerful witch in the woods, a terrible dragon, a dashing hero. But this is no tale. Zabava is no witch. The brave bogatyr has failed to kill his enemy. And the dragon doesn't seem to be quite the kind of monster the rumors make him out to be. Soon enough, he spins Zabava a tale of woe about his innocence and traps her in a bargain to rescue him. Caught between plans to trick this beast and the chains of their pact, she slowly starts to believe Zmey's story ... but what if the tales are true and what's at stake is her very heart? _____ ONC 2026 ENTRY: PROMPTS 3, 4, 11

One year ago, Elliot disappeared. When a strange flower spirited her to the Fae filled d'Oré Isles, Serena is dedicated to finding her twin and uncovering answers. But will the price be higher than she can pay? Will she be able to convince the King to help her in her quest? Welcome to my Open Novella Contest 2026 entry! Over the next 12 weeks, I'll be participating in the Open Novella Contest and writing novella of no more than 40,000 words. From this year's prompts, I've chosen Prompt 2 as my main: The first flower to bloom in spring isn't just a sign of the seasons changing. It's a portal. When you touch it, you're transported into a magical world you never knew existed. I look forward to creating a story for you. I'd love if you would support me and my novella by sharing, commenting, voting, adding it to your lists, and, of course, reading along! Ongoing Word Count: 12,510(ish) Last edit for typos and comments: 18 February. Cover art created by myself on Canvas with Wattpad provided banners. Chapter art created on Pinterest - I own no part of that art. No part of this novella was created with AI. No part of this novella existed before 1 February 2026.

Aira, a soft and funny girl, is broken by the people she trusted, loved, and genuinely cared for. Everyone expects her to crumble, but instead, she makes a powerful glow-up and an unforgettable comeback. A teen, funny, and relatable story about love, friendship, and finding yourself. Sometimes pain is the only way to find your true strength. This is my journey through heartbreak, hardship, and self-discovery, and how I became stronger than I ever imagined. "This Story is Participating in ONC 2026" Main prompt - #78 Other prompt - #28

Nicole Brenner has been missing for three years. Sort of. Trapped between worlds and bound to a cabin deep in Pennsylvania's western mountains, Nic has spent every day since keeping an ancient evil locked behind the door at the end of the hall, and trying not to lose her mind. She's got a grimoire she's memorized cover to cover, a weepy cryptid named Pierogi, and exactly two weeks of corporeality per year to shore up defenses against the monsters called to kill her. Then Cal Muir walks through her front door - ex-Navy SEAL, ex-almost-something, and the last person she ever expected to see again. He's here to find out what happened to her; he doesn't know she's standing right behind him; and he's wasted no time dismantling her meager defenses (and she cannot stress enough how much of a problem that is). Now Nic has six days to figure out how to save a man who can't see her, from monsters he doesn't believe in, before Halloween night blows the door open for good - all while reckoning with the fact that the magic she once told him wasn't real might be the only thing that saves them. A second-chance paranormal romance steeped in Penn Dutch folklore, veteran mental health representation, and the kind of magic that challenges both fate and faith.

"It started as a simple game to kill boredom... until I realized the game is controlling me." I thought I just wanted to kill boredom, try something new . I downloaded Dare Me, a new app that promised to spice up my life-just small, harmless tasks. At first, it was fun. A little thrill here, a tiny push there. But the app knows things it shouldn't. Tasks started getting personal, asking questions no one else could, made me do things I would never do. It nudged me into my fears, my secrets, the parts of myself I've never shared. And then the dares got darker. Skipping one isn't an option-the app makes sure of that. I can feel it watching, shaping my choices, whispering in every notification. My friends think it's a game. I'm starting to think it's a trap. Every time I try to quit, the app pulls me further in. Every dare completed changes me in ways I can't explain. By the time I reach the final levels, I'm not sure I'll recognize my own reflection... or even be able to leave the app alive.

Some people pass through our lives quietly. Others stay long enough to change us forever. Rudra dreams of becoming a boxer while struggling with school, family expectations, and a life slowly breaking apart. Shivani enters his world as a seatmate, a helper, and soon, someone he learns to depend on. Through loss, ambition, and unspoken love, they grow closer. But when distance, silence, and misunderstanding take over, their story is forced to end before it is ready. This is not a story about forever. It is a story about love that lingers. About people who leave, but never truly disappear. Because some footprints remain. This story is an ONC entry using the prompt:- 29. " You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart."