Seven years ago, Calliope Endiris lost everything in a flood of cursed black water. Haunted by the calamity, she seeks to absolve herself of the patron sigil passed through her family, one that binds her to the very same water spirit who destroyed her home--Marin. But her quest is cut short, and Cal ends up stuck as an attendant to Elowyn, the youngest daughter of the wealthy Adeline family. Cal would rather do anything than babysit, but she has no choice. Not when the Adeline family knows of Cal's sigil and the truth of the black water calamity, knowledge that could get Cal killed. However, on the eve of Elowyn's twelfth birthday, the Adeline estate falls under attack, and all members of the family are slaughtered. Cal and Elowyn are forced to flee farther east for sanctuary, but it won't be easy to shake off their enemies with another patron sigil-user leading the charge. When Marin promises safety to both girls at a temple oasis, where the water is pure enough to wash away any sin, Cal makes a dangerous gamble to protect Elowyn. Even though Marin's black water haunts Cal, she'll do anything if it means saving her life and Elowyn's--especially if there's also a chance to dissolve her pact with the water spirit. ~~Completed!

[ONC 2025 Shortlister] An apprentice silversmith, haunted by his reflection. A wealthy family, falling to ruin. A patron spirit, searching for a pact. Five games will decide their fate. After acquiring great wealth from a boom in silver trade, the Blackwood family moves into a mansion that was mysteriously abandoned by its previous owners. The property has everything a family of established silversmiths could need: prime trade location, a smithing workshop, and a large mirror that was left behind. To Kyren Blackwood, the promises of a new life and the riches that come with it are more than enough to overshadow the eerie tale. But the mirror watches. Reflections are not what they seem. Driven to the brink of insanity, Kyren must uncover the mirror's secrets before his family loses everything. In a desperate attempt to free himself, he agrees to play five games with the spectre in the mirror. If he can win three, the curse will end. Lose, and he surrenders his soul to the silver spirit. ~An ONC novella, inspired by prompts 13 and 55. ~Set in the same world as Buried in the Sea but can be read completely independently (with no spoilers to one or the other).

The best way to gain power is with magic, and the only way to obtain magic is to die. Celestine Elythier has worked hard to disappear, so when the king's men drag her out of hiding, her simple, quiet life crumbles around her. Instead of finding a home in the dungeon, however, she is recruited to infiltrate a specialized magic academy and root out a spy. The catch? She must die first. Ruthlessness abounds at the academy, where every student is desperate to climb to the top and graduate with a place in the court. With only six months to catch the spy, Celestine must determine true friend from true foe or lose what life she has left.