Opennovellacontest2023 Stories

**In Necropolis, every afterlife citizen is dead, including Tyryn. While each soul is seeking to carve a path towards redemption at second chances, the girl who still bleeds crimson in the city of the dead is searching for answers to her very existence. ** When Tyryn and her rival are tasked with working together in search of a relic that will unite the four realms of Necropolis, Tyryn is ready to carry Nikos on her shoulders if it means returning to the realm of the living. Especially, if it can help her find the answers she's been searching for. If she is lucky, maybe Nikos will get that second death she's been silently hoping for, finally ridding herself of his presence. Because dying once and landing in Necropolis is never good. But dying twice means you never come back. There is only one problem...well maybe two. One-Tyryn needs Nikos to find the relic. Two-Killing, while a Necropolis citizen, means forfeiting your soul. This novella has been written for ONC 2023 Prompt 63: A rivalry between two coworkers has unforeseen consequences. © February 2023 With Talons and Blood By Gwen Jean

Yasil, a fairy and guardian of Earth, wakes up after a long slumber that isn't long at all. Not even a century has passed, yet the world is already in a precarious state. The elves are dying, the dragons are on the verge of going berserk, and the humans... are becoming tyrants. Why is this happening? Who started this? As Yasil gets closer to the truth, he realizes that his current mission is much more complex than he thought. Something sinister is hiding behind all conflicts, an existence he can't eliminate without a hero. But who is the hero? How can he find them? 🏆ONC 2023 Longlister Copyright ©️ 2023 by ALeks All rights reserved

For eons, the people of Crisium spun tales of a subterranean continent called Frigoria, located deep beneath the perilous Ice-Cap Mountains central to the continent. Over centuries, many have explored the icy region, only to turn up empty-handed. As time passed, many reduced the tale to nothing but a figment of a rambling madman's imagination. Little did they know that Frigoria actually existed! It was in Frigoria, that an archeologist working on a dig found a thick pane of glass and discovered a massive bio-dome, hidden for too long. Only one organism was inside, and it was meant to be forgotten. However, the creature escaped through a crack on the other side of the dome, into Crisium. As the townspeople of Catherina Island are overcome with a deadly sickness, it's up to Aria Octavia, the only one not afflicted, to find the cause and cure.

Round One Ambassador Pick. Emily Hollyford fell in love with Oscar Trentham, Earl of Riverstoke, when she was just thirteen years old. All she wanted in life was to marry her prince charming in front of the most important people in her life-her parents. Oscar, on the other hand, only saw an annoying child who pestered him day and night while he was trying to enjoy his visits with his cousin Henry. Due to a series of devastating events, their paths don't cross again till many years later and Oscar can't help wondering what happened to the outgoing and vibrant Emily? Overshadowed by her cousin Cecily and treated horribly by her mother's brother and his wife, Emily is a shell of her former self. But with Oscar back in her life, can she overcome the hurts of her past and find herself again? And more importantly, can she still get her happily ever after? Prompt 33 They had their arrow aimed at their target's back, a perfect shot despite the crowded ballroom. Taking a deep, steading breath, they pulled the bowstring taught and prepared to let the arrow fly. But then their target turned and looked directly at them, finding them in the eaves as if they'd known they were there all along. The target winked.

For 11 years, Lydie Abbott has been followed by snakes. She's also been framed for murder by a pantheon of storied gods, chased by mobs crying witchcraft in the streets, and stalked by monstrosities made of stardust. And yet it always comes back to snakes. She never considered that that is what would be the biggest drawback of making a dark deal with a fallen god. Twelve lives in twelve years. That was the agreement she made with the Medicine Man the night she fled from the constellations. The night the Ecliptic known as the Wishgranter was murdered and Lydie was the one holding the poison goblet. The night she lost all hope in the gods that raised her and the mortals that refused to accept her. She doesn't know what she gave to the Medicine Man in exchange for revenge against the Ecliptic, but she knows that without meeting the love of her life she wouldn't have stopped killing when she did. And without the death of her wife she wouldn't have left it all behind. Now all Lydie wants is to retire and redeem herself for the life of darkness she lived before. That was what Gastown was supposed to be; a haven for demi-humans and mythical creatures lost between worlds. But trouble just seems to follow her like a slithering serpent, as the land she's built for herself is taken from underneath her feet by a devout and jaded man willing to do anything to uphold his beliefs. Trapped from all sides, a kind-hearted girl named Mae convinces Lydie to stop running and face her past. To clear her name once and for all and uncover who truly killed the Wishgranter all those years ago. Of course, neither one of them knew this would mean summoning an Ecliptic to earth; a haunting and unearthly creature known as Moonchild. ✧ ♒︎ ✧ † ✧ ☾ ✧ The murder of a god gone unsolved, a pact made with a harbinger of the apocalypse, and a town built on superstition on the verge of collapsing. Welcome mortals, to Moonchild.

Where there is misfortune, there is magic. It is a phrase Annabelle Baker has heard enough times to have it drilled into her mind. Everyone in town follows it, after all, you don't want to get on the bad side of the Wardens, Mere's staunch protectors. They already have more than enough on their plate... Life in Mere used to be easy. That is, before a mysterious plague rolled into town, infecting everyone except a lone pharmacist, her business associate and a group of charming strangers belonging to Varian Merradem's circus. The good Merian civilian that Ann is, she grows immediately suspicious of the latter, their arrival matching that of the plague slightly too close to be true. In an effort to chase the circus out of town for good, Baker accidentally finds herself amongst their ranks, hoping desperately to escape and solve the conspiracy of the mysterious disease once and for all. A story based on a Dungeons and Dragons game. If you enjoy a bit of simple fantasy, dramatic characters or a good circus wreathed in mists and mystery, this might be one for you. Prompt 54. As townspeople are overcome with a deadly sickness, it's up to you, the only one not afflicted to find the cause and cure. ~(✩✧✩)~✶~(✩✧✩)~ Chapter 1 • 1319 W (Total 1319 W) Chapter 2 • 970 W (Total 2289 W) Chapter 3 • 1038 W (Total 3327 W) Chapter 4 • 1264 W (Total 4591 W) Chapter 5 • 1304 W (Total 5895 W) Chapter 6 • 1279 W (Total 7174 W) Chapter 7 • 826 W (Total 8000 W)

(ONC2023 shortlist) Minnie, a retired airship pirate, and Eleanor, Minnie's respectable new wife, discover what's at the bottom of the seemingly bottomless pit that has opened in their steampunk city. Can they survive the strange world below, and protect their home city from disintegration? This is my entry for the ONC2023, using the following prompt: 38. A seemingly bottomless pit was found, for which the depth can't be determined. Over time, scores of people began using it to illegally dump trash. Many have jumped believing that they'll find life's answers within it. Today, we learn the truth about the hole.

"Excuse me, mister, but why did everything suddenly turn black and white?" A miserable adult who prefers to ignore everything, including their dying father. A concerned neighbor/friend/something more with curious connections. A taxi driver who doesn't bother to ask where the passenger wants to go. And a cat with unclear intentions. Where will this journey lead to, if anywhere? --------------------------------------------------------- • Based on prompt #9 of ONC. • Started: February 2, 2023 • Ended: November 15, 2023

What if having superpowers was not a gift but a curse? Would you still choose to use it? Aleksandra Leszczyńska works as an agent for a secret government organisation training people with superpowers - the Gifted - to work as a police support force. Working as a public servant to keep peace and order was always her dream, but she struggles as her gift is not as valuable for the field. Still, she refuses to be turned into back-office support. The situation changes when she rescues a cute Gifted from kidnapping and stumbles upon a deviant who dies in excruciating pain, consumed by his own power. After confirming that it's a fate awaiting most of the Gifted, every agent must question if they still want to remain in the organisation and keep using their powers. However, as deviants scheme to kidnap more innocent people and use them for their repulsive experiments, only the Gifted can stop them. *** Cover art by @caralogues

Eletonias is a kingdom of great technology and pain. Magic is banned, and those found with it face a fate worse than death at the hands of the King and his machines. Runa barely leaves the candlelit alleyways she calls home, working with a rebel group to overthrow the rulers who have forced her to hide her true self. Cyrus is a prince, grappling with vicious court rumours and a secret that could soon become fatal. Desperate to protect himself, their worlds collide when a series of deaths and a shattered crown reveal a darker past than anyone could have expected. But, to save the kingdom and their lives, they must first discover that things will be a lot harder when hell is empty and all the devils are here. Trigger warnings - fire, blood, swords, death, dying, dead bodies, demons, soldiers, skeletons The trigger warnings are not shown in each individual chapter at this point, sorry Main prompt- 62

**ON HIATUS** Sophia Miller is failing her Advanced Political Theory class taught by the devilishly handsome Professor DeVille. She is determined to become a lawyer and advocate for non-profits, but she's not willing to do so at the expense of her soul. Of course, if anyone could persuade her, it would be the charismatic professor. Dr. Archer DeVille is just a demon trying to get by in a modern world. He doesn't need much, just a soul or two every year to keep him going. He's had a good run preying on stressed out college students with big dreams, but when he takes a chance at snagging the virtuous Sophia Miller's soul, he discovers his powers don't work on her. Facing a demonic life crisis, he decides to get to know Sophia personally to see what makes her so special. 'Professor DeVille' was inspired by ONC 2023 prompt #17: "When your teacher calls you to their office, you realize they're not quite human. Class is about to get interesting."

Prompt 21. One dark and stormy night a family went missing, they left everything behind. All their belongings including phones, laptops, and cars. Nobody, not even the police could figure out what happened so the case goes unsolved for almost 10 years, that is until you receive an unknown call. You must figure out who did it, if the family is still alive, and how you will expose what happened.

[ONC Shortlister - 4x Featured] Professional thief and smuggler, Nio Barn, lives by one rule: break them all. When his criminal past finally catches up to him, he's faced with a choice: win the world's most dangerous racing competition in exchange for freedom or face a lifetime in an overcrowded prison cell. As he enters a world of high-speed thrills, deception and betrayal, Nio realises that life in the Speed Sprint races is far from easy. Forced into a fake relationship with his teammate to keep the money flowing, Nio instead feels more drawn to his fiercest competitor, Ruben Vincuña. With ten races across ten different countries, the stakes are high and the tension is palpable. Only one can be crowned champion. Only one can be free. Death is but a corner away. Written for the Open Novella Contest 2023, based on the prompts: 69 - I had a marvellous time ruining everything - Taylor Swift 49 - Master the rules of the game until you play it better than they can - Michael Scott Four times featured: Romance - Rainbow of Love Dystopian & Apocalypse - Rebellion: Against The System Speculative Fiction - A Crack In The System Science Fiction - Punk Fiction

Is he the greatest sorcerer that exists, or is he the biggest sham? *** Meet Aliath; the High Wizard of the Edvan empire as he searches for signs of the enemy within. He meets Hela, a mysterious girl who catches his attention. He later realizes that the enemy he sought was right beside him all along. And she has been tasked with one mission; his death! With war looming around, time is running out for Aliath. And he has a very important choice to make.

Canadian Piper Ouellet is going to Paris. She knows the language, she knows the city, and most of all, she knows her ballet. Offered a place in the corps de ballet in the most prestigious ballet in the world, Piper and her best friend Rafael don't even think twice before they accept. They cannot wait for the grand adventures they'll have. Only problem is they can't afford them. The house hunt in Paris is cut-throat and impossible. In their price range, even on a good day the pickings are slim. And they've left their search for the last minute, so they have no other option than to rent the small one-bedroom flat operated by a grumpy old woman who only speaks Spanish. The catch? She'll only rent to one of them. Unless they are married. A coin flip will decide their fate. Heads, he gets the apartment; tails, she does. But what happens when the coin gives them an answer they don't want? ~ * ~ * ~ This is one of the novellas I'm writing for ONC 2023. You can find the rest on my profile! For this story, I've selected prompt # 5. "Flip a coin and make a life choice with it. Two choices, one coin, and no turning back. Do you dare?"

DISCONTINUED (Eliminated round one) They call her the DreamCrafter, known for her ability to sneak into peoples minds and swap out their memories for carefully crafted lies. One of the revered Façonneur Magique, Amethyst has never known friendship. The other fae always treated her with respect, if only to avoid her temper. They worried she would take their most precious moments and leave a gap. She was too good at her job to leave a gap though. Her Guild mistrusted her, her parents gave her up, what could she do but become distant? After uncovering a secret that could destroy the royal family, how far will she go to protect those she swore to?

♤ One for Revenge ♤ ◇ One for Retribution ◇ ♡ One for Respite ♡ .•°•♧•°•.

Eset is finally at peace. But for some, the war still isn't over and old grudges reveal long forgotten secrets.

Chris Hallowswift is the heir to the Hallowswift throne. Every date he's ever been on has been organized. He's confined to do whatever his parents organize for him to do and doesn't go out frequently. When his parents organize a blind date for him with an heiress from another well-respected magical family who gives off a bad impression, he never expected to be given an out...and a taste of freedom ---- ONC Prompt 39: On a blind date with a complete mismatch, you're increasingly uncomfortable but too polite to leave. Then an attractive stranger comes over and gives you an out.

After being single for what her friends thought was a really long time, Ava is having the worst date of her life when an unexpected and sexy stranger comes to her rescue. Now that she got rid of her date will she still be able to make the best out of the night?