Anorakii. They are not just a tribe; they are the only life Giiunayi has ever known. As the winter solstice approaches, he anticipates the sacred rite of passage that will mark himself into the heart of the Anorakii, bringing a close to his restless belonging. But as the ancient rituals unfold, they awaken a wrathful force, unearthing dark secrets long buried beneath their warrior ethos. In Knowing, There Is A Sun is a novella of a blessing and a curse, of the struggle against unleashed fury as the shadows of the past close upon not only the fate of the Anorakii but also upon the essence of who Guiinayi is. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Published in February 2025 for Open Novella Contest 2025 Book Cover (Design & Illustration) © by Maddy Alson 2025 Copyright © by CrownedMadness (Maddy Alson) 2025

A woman seeking vengeance A detective chasing truth Death and secrets of the past following their every step † † † 1920s, Prague Milana has lost her home twice. The first time, when she was forced by her husband to leave St. Petersburg. The second, when the last shards of fragile affection between them died in their exile. Slowly suffocated by his obsession to become a grand author, his extremist associates, and his abuse, no day passes without thoughts of escape. Finally, the chance is presented to her. But in a horrible way: When Milana's best friend and lover, Jasna, is found murdered, she learns the one investigating is none other than Matěj Graf-nothing more than a faint memory of secret notes exchanged through a copy of "Anna Karenina" until one day ago. But now, he is back in her life, and Milana might hold the key to the only case he cannot solve. And other than their favorite novel's heroine, Milana is determined to break free alive. A once novella about crime and forbidden love, in which 'Anna Karenina' meets 'Babylon Berlin', following prompts 87, 118 and 57

When Darlene Hathaway is discharged from the hospital, the first thing she does is go to her dance studio. Sure, she might not be taking ballet classes anymore, but it's better than being alone. The first person she meets there is Hope McKaye, an up-and-coming comic book illustrator, the only student at her high school to graduate at sixteen...and Darlene's childhood best friend, whom she drifted away from in ninth grade. Hope's happy to see her again, and she's even willing to let her stay at her apartment for as long as she needs, despite Darlene's hesitance about letting her back into her life. But her entire life can't be made up of late night walks on the cold beach and following Hope around her various jobs. Darlene has to come to terms with why she's here--why she's freeloading off of someone who used to be so close to her instead of forging her own way in life---in order to move forward.

You and I are different. So different, so let's play a game. A game of colours. Sounds interesting, right? No? Okay. Well, the rules are simple: we have two colours - red and black. You'll paint me red because you love me and I will paint you black because I want you gone. Easy enough. Now, shall we begin? ✦⋆✧⋆✦ Maxine had only one freaking job to do. Act coy and innocent, retrieve information and destroy their opponent. But the future had other plans. Stupid plans that had something called love.

" aubade: a love song sung at dawn " in which the eldest of the twelve dancing princesses makes a deal with the lord of the underworld, and ends up falling in love with him. -- oc x oc (onc 2025 entry) (COPYRIGHT! DemigodLegends © 2025)

ONC 2025 SHORTLIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is my ONC 2025 entry. I've made it to the long list a handful of times and the short list once! Maybe this year will be the year? I chose # 69 - Corporations dominate the world, stifling creativity with the force of the sterile police to eliminate any threat of unauthorized competition. It gives plenty of room for creativity - here we go!

When a powerful witch hunts the demons responsible for her parents' murder, she finds herself face-to-face with one of the very creatures she despises. But this demon is unlike any other. Dangerous, mysterious, and irresistibly charming, he offers her something no one else can-answers about her parents' death and the secrets of the dark forces that haunt her. As their paths intertwine, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she never imagined. But trust is fragile, and the more she learns, the more complicated their connection becomes. Her mission for vengeance soon becomes tangled with her feelings for him, and a forbidden bond starts to grow between them-one that threatens everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and the demons she's vowed to destroy. In a world of curses and power, they are two souls bound by tragedy and fate. But their love, born from hatred and deceit, may be the very thing that destroys them both. Will she be able to choose between vengeance and a love that might just save her, or will their doomed connection lead to the death of them both? ----- Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompt 2 - To be in love with a demon was the last thing on your wishlist ----- Cover by @buterflx1 prologue at the end because of the prologue ban

🏆ONC 2025 || Round One Round Winner Cary Leong sees ghosts. Ever since his parents were brutally murdered by one, he's lived in the space between reality and the other world, mingling with humans and the supernatural alike in a desperate attempt to track down their killer. But there's only so much one boy can do---until Jackson Grey shows up on his doorstep. Jackson is desperate. His girlfriend, Sophia, is being haunted, and he needs Cary's assistance. Seizing the opportunity, Cary proposes a deal: he'll help Jackson...if Jackson helps him find his parents' murderer. Accompanied by Sophia and Sophia's overprotective, hot-tempered brother, Edmund, Cary and Jackson must tread the border between worlds in order to kill the ghosts of their pasts and presents---or die trying. Dead men tell no tales, but the other world has a lot to say.