Kill The Reaper | ONC 2026

The woods surrounding Crenshaw are haunted by the secret between life and death---a monster known only as the Reaper.

For centuries, Crenshaw's Institute for the Dark and Gifted has had one rule that its students are never meant to break: stay out of the woods, or face the Reaper's wrath. Faceless and formless, the Reaper feeds off the blood of those unfortunate enough to wander into the forest, but never touches those who obey the golden rule.

That is, until a body is found in the library, drained entirely of blood.

With the school halls no longer safe from the Reaper's bloodlust, four gifted students are forced to team up to uncover what the Reaper truly is---and more importantly, how to get rid of it.

(Prompt 16: "And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.")