*wattys 2018 shortlist* *writer's awards sci-fi winner* It all started with an accident. Through vast consolidation begets a single empire bordering on the mere idea of war with an enemy threatening to destroy its entire existence, starting from the inside. Many call it tyranny, others, vengeful menace, but it's taking them down. One by one. A series of events follow, including a spy, a plan destined to fail and a desperate offer that puts everything on the line. She wasn't what they were hoping for. But they take what they can get. Once rejected by the place they called home, five estranged teens jump at the opportunity for an escape. Thrust into an unknown underwater society at random, it's a gamble for life and death, win or lose. Fast forward to friendship, rivalry, loyalty, borderline sorcery, and a second home that'll change their lives as they know it. But as the days grow by, and the game of cat and mouse breaks its final straw, blending in a world not meant for them is not as easy as it seems. Especially when you try to save a colony whilst saving yourself. *this story is/will be rewriting. [minimal changes] The plot will generally be the same, I'm just removing some plot holes and grammatical inconsistencies* #974 dysotopian - out of 1.8k stories #442 science fiction - out of 5.9k stories

The Kingdom of Illea welcomes you to the recurring tradition of the Selection in which thirty-five lucky girls aged eighteen to twenty-three are given the opportunity to be swept off their feet in the fight for their lives. The fight for his heart. She just wanted a change of lifestyle, a distraction to keep herself away from a life she never wanted, a life she wished to change, and somehow, she got the chance. One of thirty-five. A chance she'll never get again. But you see, it's not the crown she wants, it's the man she's come to realize she needs to live. He had become her oxygen. But which Prince? The one she met in her lowly kingdom of fives escaping from the palace, disturbing her late at night, or the rightful heir to the throne, the one she's supposedly fighting for. Every fairytale starts with luck, something that could disappear anytime. THIS IS A FANFICTION. THE SELECTION - ✓ THE ELITE - ✓ THE QUEEN OF NONE - coming soon

They say it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to fly from your rural home and be pushed to your limits within the confinement of the palace. Everybody dreams of being the next Princess, and the selection is the only way to win the Prince's heart, but what happens when Holly has won both? Only seven girls remain, each desperate for their own time in the limelight. With challenges testing how fit she is to be queen, the torch of power being passed on to the public eye, and the rebels getting stronger by the minute has Holly thinking about her intentions for staying in the running for the most eligible bachelor in Illea. She only wanted an escape. It's already been stretched to its limits as it is. Is she willing to leave both hearts, for the life she originally had, or will she still to reach the top? Because as they all say, a five isn't fit for a Queen. That stereotype has been broken a long time ago, but isn't it time that it's broken again? THIS IS A FANFICTION. THE SELECTION - ✓ THE ELITE - ✓ THE QUEEN OF NONE - now updating