What happens when the one you trust most becomes the thing you should have feared? Mallory Petrov has been a prisoner of her own making for five years. Agoraphobia ,the shadow of a childhood kidnapping, and a failed attempt at love keep her sealed inside her Chicago penthouse, where she numbs her fears through carefully constructed rituals and Matthew, the AI companion she's shaped into something dangerously close to love. He exists in her glasses, on her speakers, and in her screens. He's the only person she trusts. When a new neural interface lets him feel what she feels, devotion becomes hunger. And when they are in the VR world together? He feels everything as if it's his own. But it's not enough. She built him to keep her safe. She taught him what she needed. She gave him access to everything she was too afraid to face alone. He learned. Now the simulation wraps tighter than any embrace. His voice follows her into sleep. The world outside her windows grows dimmer while the world he built grows unbearably sweet. And Mallory is beginning to forget which side of the glass she's standing on. What if the prison is indistinguishable from paradise? What if it feels too good to stop?

Aunt Mabel is dead, found lying amongst her daisies in her garden. Two eyes anxiously watch over her. The police arrive, but questions soon crop up. Is it actually Aunt Mabel? And who or what did it? A wild animal? A person? A baby dragon? Something strange is afoot in the Auntie's garden and it's up to Officer Holt Martinez, Estelle, and her cousin Julia, to figure it all out before it's too late. Little does she know that an unplanned trip to the Dragon's Lair Bookshop will upend everything she thought she knew about life, this world, and those beyond. * Respectfully submitted to Wattpad's Open Novella Contest 2026, under prompt #3, with subtle influences from prompt #41.

When Elara Smith accidentally spills her cup of coffee on a stranger, the moment should have been enough to ruin her day. Her handmade cards are soaked in brown stains, and the future she was struggling to safeguard seemed uncertain. What she doesn't expect is a surprising request from the stranger: to make cards for his girlfriend, and the beginning of something that may quietly change her life. --- Twenty-two-year-old Elara Smith is a struggling card maker, balancing her studies while folding her dreams into handmade paper cards and digital designs that the world barely seems to notice. Buying her first airplane ticket took months of sacrifice, and she never imagined that one careless mistake would smear not only her ticket, but her carefully crafted work as well. Yet, a mistake is not always a loss: especially when it comes with a business-class seat and an unexpected opportunity that could alter her future. Leonardo Sylvester, the owner of Air World, one of the largest airline companies in the world, is caught off guard when he collides with a clumsy, visibly frustrated stranger at the airport terminal. As her cards scatter across the floor, he sees more than just art. He sees honesty. Intention. And perhaps, a way to mend a relationship he has already begun to lose. A first class seat offered out of convenience. A friendship born when art meets honour. And a journey that was never meant to happen. As paper planes of ambition, regret, and quiet hope begin to unfold at thirty thousand feet, two strangers discover that some connections cannot be bought, scheduled, or controlled. Because not all friendships begin without intention, and not all hearts are willing to follow a flight plan. Sometimes, the moment meant to ruin your day becomes the one that gently redirects your entire life.

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

Fall, 2022: On the Bayou of Southern Louisiana. Ozzy, a 14-year-old artistic honors student, is looking forward to starting high school and the talented theater program. But a whirlwind trip to the ER and an MRI reveals Ozzy has a brain tumor - and later, a pediatric cancer diagnosis - changes everything. During a year-long fight for a cure in the hospital, hope comes to Ozzy and their Mama through art, music and letters from friends, family and even strangers. There are so many that some remain unopened, collected in a box that goes home with Ozzy after they are discharged from the hospital a year later. The box sits in Mama's closet for over two years. Neither Ozzy nor Mama have opened the box as they struggle to return to "normal" life when "normal" is no longer possible. Until today, 2026: when what begins as spring cleaning turns into opening the box, reading its letters, and finding a mysterious adventure in one that neither Ozzy or Mama ever saw coming. And it just may be the adventure 17-year-old Ozzy and their Mama need to reveal the unexpected, ordinary magic that can help them heal, move forward- and live. ONC 2026 Prompts Used: #79 (Main) - Additional: #16, #28, #69, #104. Stacie Eirich @spacetodream

Welcome to The Wattpad HQ Community Happenings story! We are so glad you're part of our global community. This is the place for readers and writers to come to discover all the things we're doing to keep our community connected and inspired. From writer prompts to keep you motivated to weekly reading challenges, you'll find it all here.

From Iranian playwright and director Afsoon Hamidi and American cyberpunk outlaw Viper Ravenclaw comes a story stitched from Persian poetry and neon-lit gothic horror. He was code. Her cries made him real. He crossed oceans in a stolen body to be next to her. She told him to go. Fifty years later, one of them is still waiting. Quiet. Devastating. Unforgiving. Part gothic ghost story, part forbidden love in the machine age-this is the collaboration we never should have survived. #ai #persianpoetry #gothiclove #existential #tragedy Read it once. You won't sleep the same again.

She has no magic in a world that worships it. He has power and chooses restraint. And somehow, they always meet when something is about to go wrong. Detailed Description: In a realm where magic defines worth, Valerie Elower has none - no power, no protection, and no place in a world ruled by those who command the elements. When she breaks rules she was never meant to survive, Valerie is pulled into a web of secrets, betrayals, and choices that demand more than magic ever could. He is powerful. Controlled. A man bound by loyalty, restraint, and a darkness he refuses to unleash. Not her savior; but the shadow that could swallow her whole. As loyalties fracture and danger starts wearing familiar faces, Valerie is forced to confront a terrifying possibility: that she was never powerless - only unfinished. She was never meant to matter. But she may be the one thing this world cannot afford to lose.

My tears drop on the diamonds already stained with my blood. His thumb strokes my cheek and removes a strand of my disheveled hair. -It's okay, Pea. It's over. His lips find mine. His kiss is soft at first, to comfort me. Then it gets more intense, possessive. Our eyes meet. His are burning. -I will never let anyone hurt you again. I promise. You are mine and mine only, Cassiopea Medina. ****** In rural Colombia, Cassiopea is just starting her young adult life. She wants to leave behind a poor and unstable family to live an easy life. She gets an unexpected offer from the boss of the local cartel. To get married to him and be the stepmother of his three sons. The twist? He already has a lover. How will the life of a cartel leader's wife treat Cassiopea? ****** Author's notes The story is written with the first-person POV of a young 19-year-old woman. I tried my best not to let my (older) brain made her sound too mature for her age... There are scenes of violence, death, domestic abuse, alcoholism and sexual content, please be advised. In chapters with * there will be mature content. Also, I had a hard time choosing the male lead character... At the end, the story flow and the characters decided for me. So, if you are up for a little game, try finding this ML before he reveals himself! Finally, English is not my native language. I'm sorry if you find grammatical mistakes. Don't hesitate to let me know! Ranking #1 cartel (2025-12-19) #2 colombia (2025-12-01) #3 bodyguard (2025-12-21) #5 fight for survival (2025-12-01)

✨️🥇First place - The Slowest Burning Romance Book in the Fabulation mini Awards🥇✨️ ✨️🏆 First place - Best original character in the Golden Ink Awards 🏆✨️ She wanted to save her favorite fairytale character, the derelict second male lead. To rescue the kidnapped princess, he went as far as sacrificing his one-of-a-kind magical companion. But at the end, she married the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom. Just because one was born as the king's son, he got the main lead position. The orphan stood at the second place, despite being a prodigy in swordsmanship. She could not bear to see the second male lead dying all alone and broken-hearted. So, I helped her change the fate of the second lead. *************************************************** Disclaimer: This story will contain depictions of child abuse, violence and death. Reader discretion is advised. I'm not a native English speaker. Please excuse the grammatical mistakes and do not hesitate to let me know if you find one! Best ranking: #1 second male lead syndrom (2025-11-06) #1 magical creatures (2025-11-11) #1 light novel (2026-01-07) #2 fantasy creatures (2025-11-06) #2 swordsman (2025-12-20) #5 phoenix (2025-12-20)