A year ago, Carter DuBois plunged the world into an endless night, the remnants of his army made of sinister shapeshifters still lingering in the shadows as mankind fights for survival. In a last-ditch effort to reverse the damage he caused, Harper Jones visits Carter in prison just hours before his execution to offer him life in return for lifting the darkness, but he maintains his innocence. When Harper touches him, she's transported to a parallel dimension in the past. Now, she has to race against time to uncover the truth to save not only her own world but this dimension as well. Is Carter a scapegoat or is he the criminal mastermind everyone has made him out to be? If she gets it wrong, all will be lost, and that the Carter of this dimension is her husband doesn't make her quest any easier. ~~~~ This is my ONC 2026 entry based on the following prompts: #64: You touch someone who is accused of a crime and are suddenly transported to a different time and dimension. To return home, you must uncover the truth behind the accusation. But if your final judgment is wrong, you will carry the consequences yourself. #97: When the world slips into endless darkness, something begins to move in the shadows and you must find a way to survive in a night that never ends. ~~~~ © Sal Mason/Fire Rose 2026

When Benaiah Sullivan and Lelaina Ramos meet outside of a bar one night, their chemistry is instant. However, they're both in relationships, so they say goodbye and go separate ways, but life has a funny way of causing their lives to collide. So, they decide to be friends, but over time, unspoken feelings develop as they become each other's safe space. When obstacles arise with their romantic partners, their friendship also suffers with arguments fueled by confusion and unfed desire that pushes them apart on more than one occasion. But they always find their way back to each other. Like an imaginary thread, indefinitely tying them together. **When Harry Met Sally × People We Meet On Vacation** ONC Entry 2026, Prompt 24: Staying as friends feels safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take.

Bronhini, the storm queen, sends out her pet dragon to turn the skirmish her men are losing. A lone warrior stands up to the beast - a brave, but useless act. When Laiàn learns about the courageous last stand of her brother, she is devastated. But not everything is as it seems... Based on the prompt #29: "You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart."

🏆 ONC 2026 ENTRY Main Prompt: 52 🥇 Winner (Paranormal Romance): The Love Letter Legacy 🏅 Best Blurb: The Fantasy Vortex 🥉 Inked and Unwritten ⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆ After Dark is supposed to be just another dating app. For Amelia, a museum curator exhausted by one bad date after another, it feels like a final attempt before she gives up on romance entirely. For Alexei, it's never been about dating at all; he's been sent to get close to her because of an artefact tied to something old and dangerous. But as their meetings turn strange and violent, Amelia realises the city she thought she knew is hiding secrets far darker than a failed love life. And somewhere in between, Alexei finds himself losing control of the one thing he was meant to keep in check: His distance from her. ⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆⋆♱✮♱⋆ Tropes: Paranormal Adventure, Slow-Burn Romance, Forced Proximity, Are they or Are They Not Together?, Morally Grey MMC 💋, 1/3 Body Horror, 1/3 Gore and 1/3 Sexually Explicit Inspirations: DMC, JJK, BB, Dante's Inferno Fun things (16/3: Ranked #1 on demonology) COVER DONE BY CANVA PRO, ARTWORK BY PINTEREST © 2026 by eleeyjs (EJ Chow). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods-without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in critical reviews or scholarly work.

When betrayal fractures the kingdom of Averon, Prince Cassian escapes into exile with only one loyal protector at his side. Rowan was raised as the sworn blade of the Crown. He knows the prince is the only man capable of saving their broken homeland. As they rebuild power in the shadows, they build an army unlike any the world has seen. They will restore the throne. They will end division. They will avenge the betrayal. But when unity replaces doubt, Rowan must confront a terrible truth: A kingdom without division may no longer be a kingdom of men. ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── DISCLAIMERS ✎ a work of fiction (historical, psychological) ✎ this book might have dark/mature themes that could be upsetting for some readers. please proceed with caution ✎ characters and plot are all a product of imagination. resemblance to real life people, dead or alive, is entirely coincidental ✎ technically not proofread ✎ personal work (this is an entry for the Open Novella contest) ✎ PLAGIARISM IS CRIME

She repairs broken memories - but who will repair the truth? ***** Nova Aurion understands how fragile memory can be - she mends it for a living. In a world where memory is currency and abilities define worth, society is divided into Endowments: cognitive classes established to preserve stability. Every three years, the nation hosts 'Project Elite' - a prestigious competition honoring the finest minds from each Endowment. Within the high-stakes arena, they contend not only for victory, but for the recognition to lead their future. When Nova, a Memory Diver renowned for restoring fractured minds, is selected to compete - she enters the Project, determined to win. However, survival demands more than mere intellect; it requires strategy, perception and sacrifice. As alliances shift and sparks ignite, a forbidden dive into a stranger's memory leaves Nova deeply unsettled, leading to a chilling realisation: what if Project Elite isn't designed to measure brilliance at all - but to harvest something far more dangerous? Caught between a charming rival, a skeptical ally, and a system that predicts every move, she must confront a choice that could reshape humanity itself - Is an unpredictable future worth the risk of chaos... or is controlled stability the safest path to preservation? ************************** ONC prompt (main): 111: With a single touch, you can slip into someone else's memories. But when a stranger shows you a future crime involving you, you must uncover the truth before it comes to pass.

Nakeeta has spent her entire life training to enter the healer division of the army, but when initiation day comes around, she is assigned to the hunters; an elite group of fighters that are gifted the ability to shapeshift in order to fight the spreading corruption. Left with no other choice, Nakeeta must either adapt, or die. This is an entry for #ONC2026.

A counterfeit claim against a legendary wine ignites a high-stakes investigation in which a neurodivergent restaurateur and a forensic wine analyst must navigate forgery, deception, and their own unexpected connection to save a century-old legacy. Luc, owner of London's prestigious Le Rêve restaurant, faces a devastating crisis when a valued patron declares a prized vintage a fake. To protect his family's century-old reputation, he enlists Izzy, a brilliant but socially unconventional forensic wine analyst, eager to prove her mettle. Their shared autism initially creates an unexpected but undeniable spark of attraction, challenging their focus. But as they delve deeper into the complex world of wine fraud, they suspect a widespread conspiracy that threatens to destroy Le Rêve. Together, they must harness their unique abilities to expose the truth, safeguard the restaurant's legacy, and navigate their intensifying relationship, even as they battle their own internal worlds.

He was sent to rescue her. Not to care. Not to stay. Definitely not to fall. Leonardo Nico Russo doesn't do mercy. As the youngest heir of one of Europe's most feared crime families, he solves problems with precision-and leaves no loose ends behind. Until April Holloway. April Holloway. Missing. Caught in the shadows of human trafficking. What begins as a mission turns into something neither of them expected. Pulled from violence and fear, April finds herself in the arms of a man built from danger and silence. And Leonardo-who has spent his life commanding chaos-discovers that some souls don't arrive loudly. They arrive quietly. They leave footprints on your heart. Set against a world of power, bloodlines, and hidden wars, 'In His Arms' is a mafia romance about rescue, resilience, and the fragile connection between two souls-where protection becomes devotion, and survival slowly turns into love. Because sometimes, the person who saves you... is the one who changes you forever. Author's Note Hello, lovely readers! This is my first time participating in the Open Novella Contest, and I couldn't be more excited (and terrified 😅). ONC Prompt #29 (Excerpt) - Some people leave footprints on your heart. 'In His Arms' is unfolding in between lesson plans, late nights, and stolen moments of quiet-because by day, I'm a teacher, and by heart, I'm a storyteller. This story grew during coffee breaks, after-school exhaustion, and those magical midnight hours when the world sleeps and characters start talking. The story begins inside Leonardo's world-his missions, his shadows, his dangerous precision. The first few chapters unfold entirely from his perspective, focusing on the rescue and the life he inhabits. April's voice enters later-three years after their paths first cross-when she is older, stronger, and finally ready to tell her side of the story. Thank you for giving this story a chance. And welcome to my ONC journey. 🤍 With love, Thiya J