The dead have always talked to Adalyn. She tries not to listen. It's been years since her abusive father exploited her talents and recorded their podcast. She can still hear his haunting voice reciting the intro. "On this episode of Tell It to The Necromancer... my daughter will prove to you there is life after death." A necromancer should never spend her twenty-first birthday drunk, alone after escaping her father, and begging the universe for a friend. It's how she winds up with a punk rock ghost named Virgil. Virgil and her necromancing past are secrets she keeps from her new friends. Adalyn doesn't want them to know who she is or what she's done. When the newest member of their friend circle, Leon, wants to host a séance, his intentions seem innocent, even playful. Adalyn hopes the dead will stay quiet, but the night goes awry when Virgil starts messing with the group. As the night unfolds, Adalyn learns Leon isn't who he seems to be, her friends aren't friendly, and something besides Virgil is in the house with them, and it wants to do more than talk. 2026 Open Novella Contest Prompt 72: A real necromancer sits in on a fake seance. Prompt 78: You begin to realize that nothing is quite what it seems. Prompt 82: You are in love with someone living and someone long dead. Neither one is willing to let you go Enjoy the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3RXG93NeNqr72CqDgpCwCl?si=v5xIiRhQRAmhXhdgDIB8rQ *This is a mature story intended for readers 18+ years of age. It contains, violence, death, some foul language, sexually charged scenes, humor- the morbid kind, and other potentially offensive things I have yet to consider.

The daughter of the most powerful living witch in existence prefers to use her intellect as an anesthetist. Putting people to sleep is easy. Impressing her mother... not so much. Neve does her best to ignore her powers, but she can't seem to turn off her psychic premonitions. Before they even ask, she knows when one of the single doctors is going to ask her out. She's ready, phone in hand, to answer her mom's calls before the cell phone rings. She can predict which patients aren't going to make it and sometimes, she's even able to save them. Which is why Neve doesn't understand how she didn't see him coming, barely remembers meeting him. But when the mark appears on her arm, her mother assures her it means only one thing... Neve's finally met the man who is going to kill her. This is an entry for the Open Novella Contest 2026 using the following prompts: 11. The daughter of the most powerful witch is nothing like her mother. 99. You wake up with a strange mark on your skin after a late-night encounter you can barely remember, and its meaning grows more unsettling by the hour.

She wakes with missing hours, a burning imprint carved into her shoulder, and no memory of who put it there. Nyxara Blackvein is an assassin who survives by control. Control over her body. Her blades. Her choices. But the mark beneath her skin has a will of its own, pulling her toward Stillreach-a city protected by an impossible shield and a power no one dares to name. Torin Cross was never part of the plan. A half-elf bard with a charming smile and secrets of his own, he's headed in the same direction for reasons that don't quite add up. When violence forces them to fight side by side, trust forms before either of them is ready for it. Whatever waits in Stillreach is already watching. ONC 2026 Prompts used. 32. Two assassins from rival organizations are sent on the same secret mission, only to realize the assignment holds a much bigger truth. 86. A wasteland hides pockets of thriving communities protected by mysterious shields. 99. You wake up with a strange mark on your skin after a late-night encounter you can barely remember, and its meaning grows more unsettling by the hour.

| ONC 2026 Entry | Haunted by videos her parents posted of her childhood, Psychology professor Elizabeth Walsh is determined to build the future she never had, one without cameras in her home. She dreams of a private life filled with love, not greed. Until an anonymous text arrives. Strange letters follow, sent to her address along with a doll. Students from her class begin to vanish. As the threats grow more personal, Elizabeth realizes it may be the same person who has watched her for years, someone who knows her past better than she does and wants her back on camera. To protect her relationship and career, she must confront the stalker who tried to take everything from her before she becomes the next face on a missing poster.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔, 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓? In the misty town of Silverpine, Vermont, Isobel Luxford greets each sunrise with a mix of hope and dread. Her protector, Reuben Hamilton, moves like a whisper, shielding her from unseen dangers. Together, they share a silent vow: keep the chancellor's daughter safe. But when the town plunges into darkness, the familiar twist of time ensnares them. Conversations repeat, disasters echo, and a glowing mark on Isobel's neck hints at a deeper connection to the shadows. Each cycle reveals secrets, drawing them closer to an ancient artifact that might hold the key to escape. As they learn to manipulate light and shadow, a question looms: can love break the chains binding them to this endless night? Will they uncover the truth before the darkness claims them? ~ 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒉𝒐𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒚 meets 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒂𝒚 in this romantic thriller where a supernatural time loop becomes a crucible for love and redemption. ~ ONC 2026 prompts: 97, 101, 118, 105, 99, 24, 29, and 103. ✧ 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 ✧ 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 ✧ 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ✧ Copyright © 2026 Lily Mitchell Exclusive to W A T T P A D, under the profile of OnceUponALily. Cover edited by author via Canva Pro and Postermywall.com