The Shadow's Obsession [ONC26 LONGLISTER]

For centuries, Vivienne has been a reaper against her will. Her touch is lethal, and her home a lonely fortress hidden deep within the woods. She has spent an eternity begging for an end to her immortality, desperate to find an exit from the guilt of her own obsidian hands.

Then comes Mortimer.

Charming and unaffected by her curse, he is the anomaly she never saw coming. As the ice around Vivienne's heart begins to melt, she finally finds a reason to stop seeking death. She thinks she has found an exception to her curse.

But Mortimer isn't the hero of a romantic tale. Behind his vast midnight eyes lies a truth older than time itself.

Vivienne wanted to die. Mortimer wants her to live forever.

In this game of Life and Death, there is no balance. There is only obsession.

🥀🥀🥀

This story was written for the Open Novela Contest 2026.

⚠️WARNINGS⚠️
-Suicidal tendencies
-Obsession
-Stalking
-Mental health issues
-Dark romance
-Yandere
-Gore
-Torture

Art used for the cover is not mine. Credits go to the owner.