In a tiny off-campus apartment in Osaka, three young men found themselves drawn together by a desire to experience genuine connection and belonging in a world that often felt too confined by expectations. Kenta, an aspiring botanist with a reflective soul. Johan, an aquaculture student who looked calm on the outside. Chandresh, an extrovert whose humor and princely persona masked his longing for unconditional acceptance. What began as a practical housing arrangement quickly evolved into an interdependent attachment built on shared meals, late-night study sessions, and the quiet promise that they didn't have to navigate the complexities of adulthood alone. But their friendship wasn't without its hardship. When Johan's family conflict threatened to pull him back into a life of parental abuse, and when Chandresh's past came back to haunt him, and Kenta got caught in the middle of all the chaos, their commitment to each other was challenged. It was up to them to let circumstances tear them apart or to use the hurdles as an opportunity to deepen their bonds.

[COMPLETED] He wore gloves to protect others from his sins. She wore kimonos to reclaim her identity. Willing Prey is a romance fantasy novel about a disillusioned ex-colonel, Gerald Aldrick, finally feeling his dead heart beat again after getting unfairly yelled at by a fearless geisha, Robin Taylor. But instead of anger or annoyance, Gerald feels nothing but admiration for her fervor and personality. Robin isn't as impressed with him, but fully plans to take advantage of his legendary colonel status for her own benefit with the help of her mind-reading ability. The question is, will she find herself feeling more for him than she initially expected? Genre: LGBTQ+ ROMANCE FANTASY Themes: psychology, trauma, identity, politics, sexuality, discrimination, wealthy privilege Tropes: love at first sight, enemies to lovers, millionaire boss, size difference, rivals love triangle Setting: modern urban fantasy, dark academia Rated MATURE for a reason-please, refer to the chapter titled 'disclaimer' for the full warning list.

𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙚...𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧. - Oasis Awards 3rd place - Upon nearing adulthood, citizens of Aegia face the choice to risk it all. For some, it's all about the glory, and living up to their family name. For others, it's an offer of security, of knowing where their next meal is coming from. And so they make the choice to enroll in one of several Academies, where they are taught the ancient texts, the history of the realm, and the sacred runes handed down by the gods themselves. At the end of their time there, they face a series of tests to be sorted into two castes: 𝗔𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀, the elite rulers, advance to the top positions in their field, deciding what is built, what is destroyed, where taxes go...and who lives and dies. And 𝘀𝘆𝗹𝗿𝗮, the servants bound by magic to their Aelaris. Seen as little more than an appendage and status symbol, they spend their days following their Aelaris and living for their demands, completely devoted and content in their role. The bond is considered sacred. It prevents the Aelaris from ever harming their sylra while ensuring the sylra is happy to serve. It is the Rite of Ascension that determines who belongs where, a process that measures worth and potential, through the power of the gods. Rian Argon-son has always believed he was destined to join the ranks of the Aelaris, working tirelessly to prove himself worthy. Meanwhile his nemesis Ileana, born into wealth and privilege, has always seen herself as a true heir to power. Their rivalry has simmered in all their time at the Academy, and now the final testing is upon them. They may be both top of their class, but ultimately the Rite of Ascension will decide everything. Both have prepared. Neither are ready. Cover by @Merlyn_Fereira

An entry-level cartographer, Liadan is the least interesting, least important member of the Nautical Guild. Well, that's what she needs everyone to believe. When a warning at sea forces Liadan to flee the Island of Tirisea, she must choose if she returns to safety or trusts a stranger who promises her the impossible: a life where she is free from a duty that was inflicted on her at birth. No matter what, she must not let the mist find her, nor allow the key to fall into malevolent hands. One wrong move, and the world will crumble. Cover by @raizelrose3 ONC 2026 Prompts: 7. One morning, the ocean washes up a message. One you've been waiting your entire life to hear. 62. They say every door has its own key. Except for one, a key said to open them all. 79. A letter arrives addressed to you, written by someone who shouldn't exist. ONC 2026 Round 1 Winner Word Count: 26,177

When starving incubus Dante Agosti lands a job working for hot-tempered celebrity chef Cedric Hale, he can't believe his luck. Working for his idol ought to be a dream come true, providing him with all the culinary passion he could possibly eat. There's just one problem: dealing with the demands of reality TV has given Cedric the worst case of burnout Dante has ever seen. As Dante struggles to reignite his boss's love of cooking, the kitchen heats up in more ways than one. What began as a last-ditch attempt to sate his hunger soon sparks something more as Dante's boundless determination begins melting Cedric's hard exterior. But Dante knows all too well that loving a leech like him could have horrible consequences. If he isn't careful, their love could consume them both. Content warning: This story contains depictions of depression and non-descriptive mentions of sexual content. Cover by @dark_obsessions13

Kacie Janacek dreams of having superpowers like her two fathers, the legendary superhero Almighty Orion and the evil henchman Onyx Spark. After the media captures a photo of Orion saving Kacie from the clutches of a fight, she slowly becomes famous as the rumoured child of a superhero. But her newfound fame isn't everything it seems to be. Kacie feels trapped--with no way to defend herself, how could she possibly be a heroine? As a villain rises to power, and Kacie's father finds his research stolen, she is forced to make a choice to put on a mask and fight, even if it means leaving the safety of normalcy behind. Kacie has idealistic expectations of being a superhero, but a powerless heroine might be Astral City's only hope. Cover by @lantea-

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘺. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵. Sixteen-year-old Keira Calloway has always kept things in check; her family, her friends, herself. But with year eleven piling on and her home life pulling at the seams, the balance is slipping. Max Brannigan is the golden boy. Star footy player. Top of the class. Perfect on paper. But behind closed doors, perfection's a prison. Then Jack Doyle walks into St. Bellamy College. Quiet, guarded, and not looking to fit in. All he wants is to keep his head down. Until he meets Keira. What starts as friendship spirals into something messier, deeper. As secrets surface and lines blur, loyalty is tested, hearts are on the line, and Keira must decide how far she'll go to protect the people she loves, and what silence might cost her.

» Whosever name she picked out of the jar, he would become her future husband.« Madison Summers, wealthy heiress of the Grand Seasons Hotel, is getting married. At twenty-one years old. To a man she's never met before. You would think she'd realize this spells the perfect recipe for disaster, but this hopeless romantic strongly believes in fate and its many plans for her. She intends to go through with the marriage, full speed ahead. Who cares if her candidate isn't the most good looking guy out there? Who cares if he isn't exactly the sweet guy that she had envisioned him to be? Who cares if he doesn't really add up to be her perfect Prince Charming? She could learn to love him, right? It's what fate decided after all. As long as she could get married and rub it in the face of her father's aggravating right-hand man, that's all that mattered. But it seems that the twenty-six year old --James Knightly-- has plans of his own, and that's to make the whole marriage process a lot harder than it already is. » The riskier the decision, the s w e e t e r the outcome. « Story started in 8/8/2013, picked up again in 2020. 🥇First Place in The Peerless Introvert Awards 2020 in Romance 🥇First Place in The Floret Year End Awards 2020 in Chicklit 🥇First Place in The Cherry Awards 2020 in New Adult

Confronted with a distressing situation, Lawson Fullmer finds himself slowly crumbling to ruins. The harsh reality that he is forced to face is taking a grave toll on the young scientist. Failing to accept such a daunting fact, he begins to disconnect himself from the rest of the world. However, he's completely overwhelmed by grief he forgets that his innocent son, Elliot, has nothing to depend to but on him. Unable to comprehend what's going on, Elliot struggles as he tries to mend his relationship with his depressed father. Rating: R+15 *** 🎖- Featured in General Fiction: Miscellaneous 🥈 - The Butterfly Awards: Short Story 🥈 - Gen Z Awards: Short Story 🎖- The Peacock Awards: Best Ship (or relationship) Warning: This book contains sensitive topics.