Nothing Sleeps Anymore || ONC 2026

***Round 2 Winner!!***

In a world trapped in an unending darkness, Devin must fight exhaustion and time itself to find his sister as the shadows grow smarter and those who surrender to sleep become something that hunts the survivors.
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When the sun vanished, time stopped. Hunger, wounds, and exhaustion accumulate without relief. Sleep becomes dangerous. Surrender and you might not wake up human.

Devin Pierce has been awake for days. Maybe weeks. It's hard to tell anymore. He's learned how to stay still, ration light, and ignore the voices that sound like people he once knew. Because the darkness is not empty. It watches. It learns. And the things moving inside it remember what they used to be and how to use that.

As Devin's body begins to fail and the night presses closer, he must decide how much of himself he's willing to lose to see another hour - to find his little sister - before exhaustion makes the choice for him.

If there's one thing he cannot do, it's fall asleep.

Prompt 97
Rated Mature for descriptions of gore and psychological elements. Reader discretion is advised.
Cover by TrashyM