Professor Edward Keane has spent his life teaching literature at Havenbrook University. When his student, Tiana Henderson, asks him to review her mystery manuscript, he agrees without hesitation. As Edward reads through the draft, certain details begin to feel uncomfortably familiar, blurring the line between imagination and reality. What begins as a simple review soon becomes something Edward cannot ignore. *** THE FINAL DRAFT: STORIES DON'T FORGET THEIR AUTHORS #OpenNovellaContest2026 #ONC2026 Prompt 109

When Serena accepts a summer job to watch over a terminally ill knight, she didn't expect to become so attached nor did she think his condition would worsen so quickly. However, even knowing you can't save everyone isn't enough to stop her from trying, especially not when the boy she's trying to save seems to not realize the fact that he's even dying.

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

So... Riven kidnapped the magnanimous King of the Aer Folk because a magical book containing the soul of his cheating ex-boyfriend told him to, but that does not make him crazy, not at all. After all he only wants to revive Jesse, so he can kill him again. Where does Vlad land in all of this, you ask? Well he is that poor, kidnapped King who is now curse-bound to a freaking lunatic. But our wonderful King Valadrius is not sad, not at all. And he is definitely not falling in love with his kidnapper, or kissing him, no matter what the curse tells him to do. #ONC2026 Genre: Fantasy-Romance Copyright© 2026 short_flame

Dead men tell no tales. Or so they say... Having survived a series of catastrophes, disgraced detective Penny Dubois is thinking of retirement. After all, she sees no reason to come back. However, everything changes when her best friend, Irma Hale, is framed for the murder of renowned heiress Charity Payne, and all the clues point towards her. The victim's ghost is summoned from the dead and says she's guilty. As a necromancer, Penny instantly recognises that the seance had been rehearsed, but she must keep it a secret, because if she gets found out, it could be her awaiting the final sentence. As the clock ticks, Penny must start a new investigation and find out who the real killer is before it's too late. *** Based on Prompt 72.

In a world full of monsters, sometimes you have no choice but to become one. The kingdom of Aspera is in disarray, and its queen, Julia Semel, fears that she may lose everything. She's losing popularity with the royal court, her cousin rightfully contests her claim to the throne, and invading armies threaten to ravage her homeland. The chaos is a prime opportunity for the enemies to strike. If she fails to unite her people, it's the end of Aspera as they know it. However, there seems to be nothing she can do, especially with Melinda Bellerose, the ruler of a world power, vying for the throne. There may be one solution, though. In a dark forest, under the light of the full moon, Julia makes a great and terrible decision. After all, there appears to be no other choice. Making a deal that could cost her everything, she turns her citizens into an army of unstoppable monsters with the promise of them being able to turn back after the conflict is over. Still, this does not remain secret. Hearing of this immediately, Melinda, along with all her other enemies, plots to counter her risky move, and the possibility of her defeat becomes more real by the minute. Will she win, or will she perish? And can she handle the price of her actions? *** Based on Prompt 96.

Unlike her master, who was one of the very first witches to ever exist and even pioneered the study of magic, Evelynn Kerubin was simply a witch-in-training who did menial tasks. These ranged from helping a child find their missing toy, or going down to the town and refilling the dried well. Which is exactly why it surprised her when Asa Luciferis, heir to one of the most powerful families in the continent, came to their cottage to ask for help. His job for them isn't simple, either; evil spirits and ghosts are haunting the Eden Estate, and it has gotten to the point where his father has locked himself in his room due to his paranoia. It was one thing that Evelynn has to deal with powerful spirits, but going to the manor was a different story--she once lived there as a child and had to escape. If she were to return, it might open unhealed wounds. But whether she wants to admit it or not, Asa was the only friend she made as a child. And if she wanted to help her friend, it means she has to face the ghosts of her pasts. Figuratively, and perhaps even literally.

25-year old Lee still hasn't figured out why they could not form any long-lasting relationships, even friendships for that matter. Aside from family members, which they are obligated to talk to, there is no one else Lee had even come close to calling a friend. Well, maybe except for one. -------- Submitted for ONC 2026 @OpenNovellaContest Using the following prompts : 29. You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints in your heart. 104. While wandering in the woods, you dismiss the rustling behind you as nothing more than wind through the trees until you turn around and realize it isn't the wind at all. 106. After waking at 3AM to a freezing room and a door you're certain you closed, you find wet footprints and melting snow leading from your bedroom into the hall. Realizing someone or something is inside your home, you follow the trail to uncover the truth. All rights reserved by @J. Lee Kennedy, except for images contained in this book. Crayon drawing "Wander XIX" by @Clara Lieu. Copyright of images, including cover art, belong to their rightful owners, and are attributed accordingly, or used in accordance with the rules of Creative Commons licensing as "fair use." Altered, filtered, or edited images are copyrighted by the author in its final form.

Tayla's life should have been full of adventure and battle, and it would have been had she not failed her Crest Champion test a year prior. Now she's stuck at her aunt's herbalist shop, selling potions to the very ranks she once dreamed to join. And her town has just become a hot spot for Crest Champions everywhere. The once-bound dragon Zyrel has awakened after a century of slumber, and he draws dangerous monsters to his cage. The Crest Champions must kill him before he can finally be freed. Tayla plans to keep her head down and avoid the constant reminder of her failed dream, but that changes when an alicorn appears in her garden, claiming they must join forces and release Zyrel before it's too late. There's something wrong with the story of Zyrel's imprisonment, and to uncover the truth, Tayla must join a familiar-and loathsome-face from her Academy days. Dangers await, but the greatest threat she finds in the woods won't be the prowling beasts. It will be herself. -- Shout out to @raizelrose3 for the absolutely amazing cover!!

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: a slacker, a skeptic, 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.)