Onc2023 Stories

It's 1893, and Kitty's eleven cousins - her adoptive siblings - have all moved out. She only has Sherlock Holmes for company, until Cousin Joey returns from America alongside his dashing benefactor, Benedict Hawkins. Scotland Yard Inspector Tobias Thackery has spent a decade looking for his runaway sister. New clues on her trail point to an anarchist plot, and Kitty won't be left out as Tobias recruits family members into a spy network. The risks are real, and more personal than Kitty expects, on her whirlwind quest to self-fulfilment. * ONC2023 shortlister! Prompt 51: The problem with red flags is that I'm attracted to them. * To be completed on July 1st, ~40k words. Cover by @cxmern

** The horror slumbers buried under many meters of rubble and desert sand. Nameless cartouches, desecrated relics, and a sarcophagus containing an ancient riddle. ** "Ancient lands lost in time. Storms of sand, walls of lime Surround this mask of death that I wear Awakened by invading souls The curse of Pharaoh upon you Who dares to invade his holy ground The gods rise to destroy you." - Symphony X - When young student and photography enthusiast Arabella Redcliffe visits her uncle at an excavation site in Egypt anno 1922, ancient secrets are uncovered that should have remained hidden forever. The men and women of the archaeological excavation stumble upon a still-sealed burial chamber. But not only its condition and location raise questions. Who was buried here, why was his name erased from all records and reliefs, and why were many grave goods wantonly desecrated? Together, Arabella and the dashing archaeological assistant Miles Thornton try to get to the bottom of the mysteries. But then, inexplicable and terrible events begin to take their course. If they don't figure out what's going on in this cursed place fast enough, this tomb could become theirs, too. ***** My entry for the Open Novella Contest 2023 Cover by Me ***** 🥇TheGemstoneBooksAwards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place The Aster Awards - Paranormal 🥇 1st Place Rose Book Award - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Crown Awards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Luminous Award - Best Title 🥇 1st Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Prologue 🥇 Grad Prize Starlight Mini Awards 🥇 1st Categories Awards 2023 - Best Cover 🥇 1st Place Astania Awards - Mystery 🥈 2nd Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Cover 🥈 2nd Place Megawatt Awards - Paranormal/Horror 🥈 2nd Categories Awards 2023 - Best Blurb 🥈 2nd Place Dazzle Awards - Thriller/Horror *****

**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."

"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

Magicless witch Vesper's life is completely turned on its side when she asks out the hottie who's been frequenting her work for two weeks. He's a bodyguard, she's in danger, and her newly incarcerated father is not the simple man Vesper thought him to be, but the Grand High Water Sorcerer. What? Not to mention every water sorcerer around is hunting her and her estranged siblings for the artifact that she's sure her father didn't take. It's fine. It's totally fine. Except her father's magic, and his entire bloodline's, will be stripped in punishment. Supernatural bodyguard, Fox has two goals; keep the little witch alive at all costs and don't get involved in the client's life. Only she's so much like his lost younger brother that he can't resist wanting to help her. She might be desperate to prove her father's innocence, but all Fox wants to do is protect hers, and maybe his own heart. Together they discover Vesper might not be as magicless as she thought. With her newfound magic on the line, will they be able to find the stone and clear her father's name in time? --------- ONC Prompt #20: You finally build enough courage to talk to the cute someone you see everyday on the bus. Their face turns dark as they respond, "you shouldn't be able to see me." and Prompt #64: You came from the first bloodline that has produced powerful magicians for centuries to keep the world safe. So what does it mean when you, the xxth descendant, are born with the power to nullify the magic?

"Cuteness comes with charm." 🏫 The school year kicks off with a promising start, filled with the anticipation of new friendships, teachers, and exciting experiences. Yet, amidst the cheerful atmosphere, one student stumbles upon a secret about his most beloved teacher. 🐇 Prompt 17: When your teacher calls you to their office, you realize they're not quite human. Class is about to get interesting.

Grown up in the simple town of Forn, as the daughter to an innkeeper and ex-soldier, the youthful Marion Barwick aspires to become a soldier herself. Beaten down time and time again by life, she is eventually broken and takes on the role of innkeeper her father always hoped her to have. Here, she reunites with an old friend after losing her partner, who invited her to his wedding. The night before the wedding he confesses love to Marion, as well as his family-in-law's likely plans to murder him during the wedding ceremony in a coup of revenge on his family. Determined to save her love and live happily ever after, she elopes with him. Before they can make it off of the palace premise, he turns back to save his family. Now alone and grieving, Marion is left to pick up the pieces of her life to remind her she is worth of love, no matter what. An homage to simple fantasy, short bittersweet romance stories and stories without teenage protagonists. This story is a short recollection of the life and mind of Marion Barwick, a simple woman in search of a meaning to her life after losing her partner. This romance novel is focused on self-discovery, family and found love. Based on a Dungeons & Dragons game. Prompt 55. Since you've been going out for quite some time, your love arranges for you to meet their parents. When you get to their house and you enter the front door, you hear them say "I'm sorry" as the door closes behind you. ~(✩✧✩)~✶~(✩✧✩)~ Chapter I. • 1627 W (Total 1627 W) Chapter II. • 1974 W (Total 3601 W) Chapter III. • 2530 W (Total 6131 W) Chapter IV. • 1869 W (Total 8000 W)

Three women. Three tangled lives orbiting Mars aboard the Phobos Transit Space Station. Val loses her station operation engineer job under false pretenses, Exo-biologist Cassy is blackballed for doing the right thing, and ex-marine Kate suffers a broken heart. Fortunately, Mavis, the owner of the Starlight Tavern and rescuer of lost souls, is there to help, recruiting the women into her Quilters Guild. But when hostile forces invade the station, the stakes become far greater, and the Guild finds themselves embroiled in a multi-world conspiracy. And they are not about to just stand by and let it happen. Redemption comes stitch by stitch. *** Open Novella Contest Round Two Ambassador Pick *** *** Open Novella Contest Winner - Third Place ***

#SHORTLISTED 2023 When Ixis became the second in command to the Throneholder of Opalis she expected rules, patrols and structure for her Fire Trait to shine. Not being caught in the middle of a looming war and a botched assassination she should've succeeded at. In an attempt to drown her sorrows and flee from the looming expectations of helping to lead a war against the demons that threaten their world, Ixis is injured through mysterious circumstances. Forced to return home, the last thing she expects to find is the assassin she couldn't kill pleading for her help. ........ Rider wasn't much of an assassin. Burdened by her past, her curse, and the trauma of what the Throneholder of Opalis did to her, she fully expected the reunion with her old flame to go exactly the way she planned. But when Rider has no choice but to flee her quest for answers, the last person she expected to help her was Ixis: Lady Aria's new Regent. Once they were allies. Now they are enemies. But despite their differing loyalties, they are forced to learn a little more about the circumstances and choices that slowly change everything they thought they knew about each other. Especially when Ixis' Fire Trait begins to heal and for the first time in years, Rider's curse decides to let her. When their begrudging respect unravels into more than just a friendship, they both must choose whether duty or revenge is more important than the love that grows between them. But the demons wait for no one.

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.

Maisie's mother should have known better, buying a house on the cheap to renovate and live in, what with how things were with The Problem. A body in the wall means calling in a reputable Paranormal Agency, something they can't afford. Unless of course it's Lockwood & Co, or perhaps not, given some noticlbe peculiarities of the agency. Disclaimer - I don't own Lockwood & Co. This is written for ONC 2023, for prompt thirty, "You purchase a new home and, during renovations and discover a human skeleton buried within your walls." Takes place after the first season of the show.

There is an old and traditional shop that has been closed for decades in the small Town of Nowhere, right at the end of the obscure Dream Avenue. There were all kinds of made-up stories about this shop, tales about the mysterious business owner's magical methods. Thomas, a local officer with the town's police department, is a pragmatic man who has always mocked those who believed in such ridiculous rumors. That is, until the shop's door opened one day. ❆ ❆ ❆ This short story is my work for the #ONC2023. I hope you enjoy reading it!

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.

The Seven Vices have aged, only one of them is too greedy to pass his power to someone else. However, it didn't prevent the other Vices to take him down the by force. Marco Montana, the Vice of Greed, has no choice but to find a candidate to pass his power. The original vices of the Seven Deadly Sins need to pass their position and power to their sussccessor, or let their cardinal sin consume them from the inside out. By refusing to pass their sin to someone else dies an agonizing death, either by getting killed by the other Vices, or gets destroyed by their own vice. That is why the current Vice must find seven candidates to distribute a fraction of their power in order to determine which of the seven candidates are worthy to take on the deadly sin; Pride, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, or Sloth. Forty nine candidates are elligible to play this game but only one out of each vice can become one of The Deadly Seven.

Fate decided that their paths should cross. | For friendly, hard-working Sua, the only things that matter in life are the happiness and safety of her friends and family. She's more than content to manage her late father's inn with her pet antula by her side. However, being an innkeeper in a small town isn't always easy... or safe. There's danger lurking in the woods, and only she is allowed to stop it. Through a twist of fate, a mysterious traveler comes along and distracts her from the threat to her home. Sa Gin's new, handsome face becomes the talk of the town overnight. What's more, he has a charming personality, a purse full of money... and a weapon on his back. Can Sua trust this stranger with her burden and her heart? Or does the newcomer already have enough secrets of his own?

Wanda Maximoff was adopted by Lady Sif's family when her family died in Sokovia. Raised in Asgard as a goddess, Wanda got used to the Asgardian culture, which favored war and slavery and looked down on magic users such as herself. Frost Giants have been slaves to the Aesir for centuries, since Odin's war against Jötunheim, and the heir to the Jötunn throne is still missing. When Wanda is tasked by the Sorcerers Guild to find a new slave for their hall, she chooses a very peculiar Jötunn that catches her eye at the market. He's different from the rest, much more beautiful and enigmatic. His name is Loki, and he soon poses some very interesting doubts in Wanda's mind. For starters, why does he call her a "witch", and why is he capable of doing magic even if he has the shackles on? ----- Marvel AU

⊹ Book 2 of the Aldergrove Duology ⊹ {ONC 2023 Shortlister} Desperate to see his dead mate again, Sebastien makes a deal with the Devil. But the price he has to pay is much more complicated than simply handing over his soul. ⤠ ≻ ◈ ≺ ⤟ Graduating from Aldergrove Academy and heading to the New World was anyone's greatest dream. But what was the point in starting a new life if the person Sebastien fought so hard to be with wasn't around to start it with him? Struggling to accept the death of his mate, Sebastien seeks out one of the rulers of the New World and offers him his soul in exchange for his lover's resurrection. But any deal made with the Devil is never so simple, and there are several deadly strings attached. Sebastien faces his greatest challenge since going up against Aldergrove's elites, and this time, his brute strength simply won't be enough. ♠ Gay Male MC ♠ Haunted House & Paranormal Curse ♠ Race Against Time ♠ Word Count: 31,600 ─────────────────────────────────── ✵ NumenVerse year: 1177 2023 © Tate Csernis | | Exclusive to Wattpad and Inkitt

After waking with no memory of her true identity, Aira must team up with a detective to solve a murder before she's arrested for the crime. 32. Your character awakens to discover a dead body in the bed next to them and a duffel bag stuffed full of cash on the floor... But the scariest thing is, they have no memory of what happened, or even who they are. 82. In a future where humans have the ability to upload their consciousness into virtual reality at the time of their death, a detective must solve a murder case in both the virtual and physical world as the victim's consciousness may still exist in the virtual world and hold the key to solving the crime.

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

There was a time when Antheia feared death above all else. After all, what else did a goddess have to fear? However, after thousands of years, she knows the truth. There are worse fates for the divine. She should know. Antheia was living it. After the fall of her temple, the goddess Antheia is lost to time. With no followers, she is just one of the many goddesses forgotten by the mortals and frozen in her heartache. That is, until centuries later when a simple gesture of kindness breaks the shackles on her grief. Awakening in the twenty first century, Antheia is stunned by all that has changed and all that remains the same. As she fights to adapt to the new world, attempts to train her newest priestess, and most definitely does not fall in love, Antheia soon comes to realise that the fall of her temple was not just an act of fate. It was a consequence of divine intervention. When her new priestess is threatened, Antheia must make a stand or risk losing everything once more.