#ONC2026 |🏅Round 1 Ambassador Pick | Speaking to the dead is permitted, but raising the dead is forbidden. After discovering an unlikely copy of The Necrotic Guide, budding necromancer Emelie is both delighted and disgusted by the powers the book promises. Will it be enough to speak to her lost love again?

A gothic romance of longing and fate, where love must battle distance, shadows, and the peril of awakening powers. Belle and William once shared everything-childhood secrets, laughter, and a dream to build a chocolate empire brimming with stories. But when William vanished without a word, Belle's world fractured. Six long years passed, each one echoing with silence, until her longing turned into resolve. Now, Belle sets out across shadows and seas to find him. What she discovers is no longer the boy she remembers, but a man cloaked in secrets, his gaze touched by darkness, his presence both magnetic and dangerous. Mysteries of blood and power have shaped William's path, while Belle's own lineage begins to unravel-her ancestry an unknown force, bound to a destiny she never imagined. Every step toward him pulls her deeper into a labyrinth of wonder and dread. Sweet memories blur with haunting revelations, and the bond they once cherished teeters between salvation and ruin. Can Belle and William rebuild the dream that first bound them together-or will the magic that now surrounds them tear their souls apart before their story even begins? Thank you, Nightenghale, for designing the cover and banners.

Clara grew up on faerie tales, but never once thought the fae would leap from the pages of her storybooks and steal her mother away. When her mother is kidnapped by a faerie and secrets about her father come to light, Clara is forced into an adventure she never thought possible. Relying on her curiosity, knack for helping others, and the trail of hints left behind by her parents, Clara must find a way to save her mother and support her siblings before her world crumbles fully apart. Featuring princes in disguise, magic, and more mystery than Clara could've ever imagined, the path to the answers she seeks is twisted and turning, as she discovers the truth about the faerie tales she thought she knew as well as the truth about herself. ------ A fairy tale story and the final rough draft of the story, once called Glass Slippers. While there are aspects of a Cinderella esque story in the plot, it's a tale that stands apart from the same old story.

In the vast silence of the desert, where stars stretch endlessly above and the road disappears into the horizon, Ivy is chasing something she can't quite name. A rare celestial event. A final promise to her late sister. A reason to keep moving forward. But fate has other plans. A wrong turn leads to a collision-both literal and life-altering-leaving her stranded with Evan, a stranger whose easy smile hides a secret he's not ready to share. With no cell service, no map, and only one car between them, they set off on an unexpected journey across the desert-from ghost towns and golden-hour canyons to laughter beneath towering metal jackrabbits and quiet moments that feel like both too much and not enough. Ivy wants control. Direction. Closure. Evan wants to see the world before it slips away. What begins as friction becomes connection. What starts as accident becomes something neither of them saw coming. As miles blur behind them and walls begin to fall, Ivy discovers that love doesn't always come with a future, and Evan learns that being truly seen might be all that matters. Because some stars burn brightest just before they fade. And some hearts are meant to meet-even if only for a little while.

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

The elven kingdom of Tírnéth, weakened by civil war, is unable to ward off the threat posed by the mortal men of Carransii. For the first time in recorded history, foreign feet scale the Aghadh Mountains and tread elven land in pursuit of the most coveted thing in the world: The magic of the Misty Bog. Lying to the north of Tírnéth and governed by the Seelie Queen, it is a domain even elves are forbidden from entering. Even so, Princess Eimhir and her younger sisters make the journey to its border at the behest of her father, King Lorcán, in a desperate bid to preserve his legacy as the enemy closes in from the south. He entrusts his daughters to the care of his enigmatic Warden of the North, who holds her lonely vigil in the Grey Tower of the Wall of Devin. But in these days of war, Eimhir refuses to be passive. She will not be a damsel in distress awaiting the cold kiss of her enemy's blade. With her mind honed by the cutthroat politics of the royal court, she wields it like a weapon, but can she maintain her ruthlessness through the burgeoning feelings she holds for her protector? The book cover was painted by me. :) Content warning: violence, gore, explicit sexual content, mentions and depictions of death, grief, emotional manipulation/abuse, suicidal ideation, and indoctrination.

When Brie lands a spot on Cheese Whiz, a cheese-themed cooking competition, the last thing she expects is to run into Colby Jackson, the man who left her heart with more holes than Swiss cheese. ~~~ It was supposed to be simple. Enter the contest, win the prize money, open her own restaurant. Easy peasy, extra cheesy. So of course Colby freaking Jackson and his smug, entirely too sexy face just had to come back into Brie's life like an extra stinky wheel of limburger cheese. Surrounded by fierce competitors and legendary amounts of dairy, Brie and Colby exchange barbs sharper than any cheddar. Yet, as the competition heats up, Brie quickly discovers the mozzarella isn't the only thing melting. Against her better judgment, Colby is once again worming his way into her heart. Will Brie find a whey to make things work between them, or will he leave her feeling bleu? 🧀 Rivals to lovers 🧀 Second chance romance 🧀 All puns are fully intended Using prompts 29 and 89 for ONC 2026! Cover by @-DeeIsDead-

An up-and-coming musician battling chronic pain joins forces with a studio guitarist with a most unusual appetite. Beast tells the story of Redstorm, his entanglement with John, a centuries-old Sorrowsworn who feeds on pain, and the music that blooms between them.

After escaping a kidnapping, Hayley finds herself hunted by the sinister group that took her. At first glance, they seem to be just an extreme metal band called The Crypt with a menacing stage presence, but as Hayley learns more about them and their frontman, Dread, she suspects they might not be fully human. Dread doesn't just want her blood for a stage prop...he's got something far more disturbing in mind. Hayley's only hope for safety is relying on Wraith, the man who helped her escape and the frontman of another metal band called Soul Reaper. However, as Wraith's ties to The Crypt come to light, Hayley wonders if she can really trust him...or trust herself to resist the undeniable attraction they feel to each other. In order to figure out what The Crypt wants, she'll need to dive deeper and discover the true intentions of Dread's twisted cult. There is something about Hayley that is different, and he will stop at nothing to get to her.

Aerlene Ray awakens at the threshold between life and death, her senses sharpened beyond human limits, her soul marked by invisible wounds. Behind the mirrors, unfamiliar voices keep calling along with a dangerous figure who shadows her every step. As the heavens fall silent and the darkness begins to collect souls still in debt, Aerlene must traverse five forgotten realms, guided by a cursed immortal and a spirit-summoner seeking redemption from the shadows of a haunted past. Their goal: to uncover ancient relics, seen only by those who have died and returned. Fragments of a power capable of shaking the foundations of fate... or erasing it entirely. In a world where no destiny comes without a price... What does free will mean if every road leads to the same end? And who truly holds rule over life and death: God, the Devil... or your own heart? Current rankings (20250629) #1 cosmichorror out of 2.0K stories #1 chosenone out of 1.37K stories #1 Forbidden knowledge #22 gothic out of 8.16K stories #23 psychologicalhorror out of 2.14K stories (Originally write in Bahasa Indonesia) Genre: Dark Fantasy, Psychological Horror, and Cosmic Horror. New chapter updated is around weekend (Friday-Sunday) Sincerely, Elin H. Marlene (Author of Iyrin : A Veil of Wings & Whispers)