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) --- #1 oceanpunk | 19/2/26 #1 explorer | 19/2/26 #1 deepsea | 23/2/26 #2 flood | 27/2/26 #2 climatechange | 1/3/26 --- © 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.

Assassins aren't born deadly, they are created.

It is said that every woman is born cursed and doomed to lose her soul. The only way a girl can survive is to enter the forest on her eighteenth birthday and complete the cleansing ritual. No one speaks of what happens in the ritual. Only that the girls who return are never the same. Now it is Lyra's turn. But as the day of her cleansing gets closer she doesn't know what is worst: lose her soul forever or surrender to the rules of the forest.

Waking up in a new world is shocking, even for a robot. Silver, on the other hand, has known nothing else than this. She has been an outsider her entire life. Zer0 was created as a promise for the future. Silver is surplus, trying to stay unnoticed. Both struggle with expectations that don't fit who they are. But is what they've been told true, or must they discover their own truth? Together, they explore what they want and what the world truly needs. Because more of the same is what created their current situation. It is time to rewrite the system. Together. According to prompt 28. Self-love often starts small, like planting a single seed. With time, patience, and a bit of light, it will blossom.

If monsters need humans, and humans don't need monsters... which species is truly powerful? And what happens when humanity finally realizes that? The strategist Hugo meets Merille. She is not human, and so they stand in direct opposition. But Merille is unlike any monster he knows. She doesn't need him. Control is the answer. But how can he wield power when the rules have changed? It's time to control the system before it masters him. According to prompt 80. Monsters don't live under our beds. They live in the recesses of our minds.

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

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏.