Onc2025 Stories

When the mysterious teashop suddenly appears, one can't help but hear its call and wonder-what's its true purpose? *** Alicia Ward's ordinary life takes a fantastical turn when she encounters Aidan, the elusive boy once believed a figment of her childhood imagination, now real and impossibly intriguing. Following him leads her to The Crooked Kettle, an enchanting teashop hidden from ordinary eyes. But curiosity leads her astray when she steps into a corridor filled with endless doors, each one offering glimpses into magical realms where reality is fluid and the impossible becomes possible. Where each door leads somewhere and nowhere, anywhere but her world. Trapped now in this place where reality bends at whim and magic comes alive, Alicia must navigate this bewildering place and find her way back to The Crooked Kettle's parlour if she ever wants to return home. And with the help of her once-imaginary friend, Aiden, and charmingly chaotic vampire, Harley Hatter-Sinclair, who has an uncanny ability to make her heart race and cheeks turn red, Alicia might be able to do just that. Or not. Will she be forever lost in a world where dreams and magic intertwine with reality? Everything and nothing is possible within the magical worlds of The Crooked Kettle. ______ All graphics were created by myself, with their subsequent credit and rights reserved for Andre Di Rosa (me).

In the desert of Western Kemp, hidden within the towering cliffs, lies the legendary Temple of Akh-Neteru: a place of ancient wisdom and forbidden knowledge. Carved seamlessly into the mountainside, the temple houses the lost secrets of the afterlife, creation, and enlightenment. For centuries, it has remained a myth, a whispered legend among those who traverse the desolate sands. For a small group of initiates, the temple's sacred truths are within reach. Hathor, a celestial falcon halfbreed with a mysterious heritage. Gavriel, a devoted warrior torn by doubt. Oronos, a former acolyte from Atlantis. Nalini, a grieving widow desperate to resurrect her lost husband. Drawn together in pursuit of the ultimate knowledge of life and death, they uncover ancient texts and secrets long buried. In a reimagining of "The Divine Comedy," four souls journey through a metaphysical underworld and higher realms shaped by ancient myths and world religious traditions. As they navigate these realms, they uncover hidden truths about Atlantis, setting the stage for their awakening and the fate of the world. But the temple is not without its dangers. Forces beyond their comprehension are awakening, and as Atlantis teeters on the brink of collapse, they must decide how far they are willing to go for the knowledge they seek. Can the boundaries between life and death be undone, or is there a reason the afterlife must remain untouched? With the fate of Atlantis hanging in the balance, the four initiates must confront their deepest fears, their desires, and their devotion to the Truth. **** "The Guardians of Atlantis" is a science fantasy novella set in the Third World Universe created by author Sunny Ghauri. Though it runs parallel to the events in the novel "The Sky Gods of Atlantis," this story stands on its own as a tale of power, loss, and the eternal struggle between life and death.

**WATTYS 2025 HONOURABLE MENTION** Cas and Vish are best friends whose feelings run deep. Whilst Cas is clever, sporty, and on the brink of a bright future at university, Vish has no such prospects. A painfully shy artist, Vish's horizons end at his daily routine of pills, sensory issues and panicking parents. When they celebrate what could be their final summer together by painting wildlife and swimming at a secret wooded wetland hidden in the Fens, the lads awaken something ancient and sinister lurking in the water. A voice in Vish's head -- Charlie -- tempts him to spend longer and longer in the woods. When villagers begin to disappear and Vish becomes increasingly secretive and distant, Cas is convinced that Charlie intends to claim Vish, body and soul. Lies, heartbreak and obsession push their friendship to breaking point, but nothing will stop Cas from protecting Vish from Charlie's onslaught, not even a fight to the death. --- This book started life as an ONC 2025 prompt: 105. Your childhood imaginary friend who disappeared years ago returns - only this time they're real.

Ava and Josh are company rivals, competing with each other relentlessly ever since Ava joined the company. But what started as healthy competition evolved into a relationship where there's nothing but animosity. In a turn of unexpected events, they're forced to work with each other and put their rivalry aside.

🏆 Round 1&2 Winner - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 🏆 In a world where every citizen's lifespan is predetermined at birth, Liora receives an unprecedented message - she has been granted 20 days of freedom before her scheduled expiration. Confused and terrified, she escapes the surveillance state that has controlled her every move, determined to uncover the truth behind her unexpected reprieve. As she navigates a world she's only known through censored screens, she meets rebels who claim the system is rigged, a scientist who might hold the key to extending life, and a government agent determined to bring her back. Each day reveals more secrets-about herself, her past, and the society that dictates who lives and dies. With time running out, Liora must decide: will she fight for a future beyond her 20 days, or accept the fate she was assigned? ----- Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompt 110 - 20 days of freedom ----- Cover by @devarsh_yagnik (the prologues at the end because of the prologue ban 😭) ----- Copyright © 2025 by Sani Cybele All rights reserved.

Ava was rude, then ended their friendship the night before the aliens came. Chloe Diaz and Ava Greenfield have been best friends since they were 4 and in preschool. Suddenly, she doesn't want to be friends, and now aliens want to enter a treaty with Earth, something Ava would love to talk about! What happened?

Ninnette, a water-wielding Sea Drifter, has to ally with the destructive sea demon Kazi in order to break a deadly curse that binds them together before it claims her life. °:•.🪸.•:° Ninnette is a Sea Drifter with the power to command water, dredging shipwrecks, and salvaging lost treasure. When she braves a sunken ship no one else dares to dive, she finds a strange clockwork bangle that binds her to an ancient curse and to the infuriating Kazi, a demon who leaves destruction wherever he goes. The moment the bangle is activated, they are hunted by a secret order led by the relentless Priestess Aleja, who believes the armlet is the key to something far greater than treasure that no one is ever meant to possess. And she will sacrifice anyone to reclaim it. But the true danger isn't the order. It isn't the demon Kazi. It's the curse. When Ninnette puts on the bangle, a countdown begins. If she doesn't break the curse in three days, she will die like every wearer before her. °:•.🪸.•:° She commands the sea. He is a demon who has lived for centuries. They are both bound by a curse. Only three days to survive. °:•.🪸.•:° Set in a Maritime Steampunk world and inspired by Filipino culture. From Spanish influence to the seafaring Sama-Bajau. This story weaves dangerous magic, high stakes, and heart-aching romance. °:•.🪸.•:° ONC 2025 Honorable Mention Round 1 Winner Round 2 Ambassador Pick Round 3 Ambassador Pick °:•.🪸.•:° Romantasy High Fantasy Fantasy Adventure SciFi Steampunk Fantasci Young Adult

After a horrible accident that kills their parents, two young brothers Jesse and David are separated. 10 Years later, they find each other and start to reconnect. But with a traumatic past weighing on them and another accident threatening to separate them for good, it is up to the brothers to fight against the odds and their own demons for a chance to stay together. Written for the ONC 2025 contest prompts 'A single night can change everything. Even someone you thought you knew- like your closest friend' and '20 days of freedom'.

2025 Leighyeann A. Mies All rights reserved An entry for the Open Novella Contest 2025 (Spin-off to "The Burden of Broken Hearts") [COMPLETED ON 30/4/2025] *** The infamous "Burden of Breaking Hearts" club is still up and running in spite of most believing otherwise. It's been six years since Rynn Heins found it out and shook it to the core. Now, the club is even more secretive. It won't leave a single trace. Entering has become even harder. So, how has Rieleigh Colson managed to get into it purely by chance? Does she have something "more" than others? Or is she simply bored?

Anorakii. They are not just a tribe; they are the only life Giiunayi has ever known. As the winter solstice approaches, he anticipates the sacred rite of passage that will mark himself into the heart of the Anorakii, bringing a close to his restless belonging. But as the ancient rituals unfold, they awaken a wrathful force, unearthing dark secrets long buried beneath their warrior ethos. In Knowing, There Is A Sun is a novella of a blessing and a curse, of the struggle against unleashed fury as the shadows of the past close upon not only the fate of the Anorakii but also upon the essence of who Guiinayi is. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Published in February 2025 for Open Novella Contest 2025 Book Cover (Design & Illustration) © by Maddy Alson 2025 Copyright © by CrownedMadness (Maddy Alson) 2025

-Onc prompt 33. Love always has a cost. Dreams aren't simply dreams. They can be so much more. A seat for the future. When a king of the north and the biggest enemy to the empire gets married to the southern king in a world where being queer is still strictly looked down upon a war is far closer then meets the eye. To survive and ensure the survival of their people and themselves, Alexander and Firmin have to make choices that will change and define their future. Can this all end well, or are they doomed to fail ?

Tired of listening to her best friend and sister wax poetic about each other, Samiyah Greene schemes to get them together. But what happens when scheming to help her sister interferes with her own unexpected love life?

When young Nevae loses her grandma to the hands of the Big Bad Wolf and kills him in self-defense, she doesn't expect the shapeshifter's children to kill the rest of her family as payback. Orphaned and alone, she takes refuge in the house of a witch, becoming the old woman's apprentice and vowing to kill all the shapeshifters. Nevae becomes a powerful witch and starts taking revenge, until there's only one shapeshifter left, the youngest son of the Big Bad Wolf. However, something happens that stops her right when she's about to kill him, and she hesitates. Will she fulfill her vow to extinguish that race, or will she let her heart lead the way for once? And what will she do about the two abandoned kids that show up at her door shortly after, and the wedding party of princess Ella, and the mysterious icy woman that freezes the heart of men when she kisses them? ❄❄❄ Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and some other fairytales. ❄❄❄ Open Novella Contest 2025 ❄ Prompts: #2, #54 and #126

🏆 ONC and Ambys 2025 Round Three Qualifier 🏆 Ivy Rosewood - or Ivonne, as her parents call her - never wanted to be a princess. Her role always fit her beautiful and charming older sister Eloise much better, but now that they are both receiving marriage proposals from foreign kingdoms, she's forced into that role as well. Unruly and with a tough attitude, her parents never loved her that much, waiting for the best opportunity to marry her off and send her to a backwater country. On the other hand, her precious sister gets to be married to Maximus Anderson, the dashing heir to the throne of Gloria, the perfect fairytale kingdom. Ivy doesn't mind it, though. She never envisioned a happy ever after - only a mundane, comfortable life where she can truly be herself. But what happens when Maximus fails in love with her, and she reciprocates her feelings? The whole world, including their beloved Eloise, will stand in her way and write her as the villain. She won't accept that. She'll write a story of her own, no matter what it takes. And it all begins with the spin of a spindle. *** Based on Prompt 61.

The boy stood in front of the bathroom mirror, a little too close, his tiny hands pressed against the cold surface. He smiled at his reflection, though it didn't smile back right away. He was used to this. It was always like that-he would smile, and then the reflection would follow, eventually. "Hi, there," the boy whispered, his voice a soft murmur in the quiet house. From the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging echoed, and his mother's humming filled the space. He could hear the rhythm of the spatula stirring in the pan, the sizzling of whatever she was cooking. His father, still seated at the dining table, rustled the newspaper, absorbed in the evening's headlines. "Mom, look, it's me," the boy called out, his eyes never leaving the mirror. He waited for her usual response-a glance over her shoulder, a quick nod of acknowledgment. But she didn't answer. She just hummed. The boy tilted his head, eyes narrowing. There was something about his reflection now that felt different, too still, too patient. "Hello?" His voice trembled slightly. "Why don't you say something?" In the reflection, his own lips parted in silent mockery. But this time, he swore it wasn't him. The boy swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. His reflection didn't mirror his every movement anymore. It was slightly delayed, like it was watching him instead. A whisper seemed to curl in the air around him, soft but distinct. "You're not alone here." His heart thudded. The voice, distant but clear, came from the mirror. "Who's there?" the boy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His father grunted from the other room, and the boy glanced toward the dining table. His father was engrossed in his newspaper. The boy turned back to the mirror. The reflection was still staring, but now, something more than just the image of himself looked back. "Don't you want to play?" the reflection asked, its smile curling wider, unnaturally wide.

The ONC journey can be challenging, but you don't have to go it alone! "ONC Promotion Room 2025" is a community-powered platform designed to lift up new novella entries. Showcase your story with a dedicated profile featuring your cover, blurb, excerpt, and author bio. Connect with fellow ONC writers, share tips and tricks, and find the support you need to reach the finish line. Whether you're battling writer's block or looking for feedback on your character development, this is the place to be. Readers, dive into a treasure trove of fresh talent and discover your next literary obsession! Joining the "Promotion Room" is easy - just fill out the form, follow a few steps, and become part of something special.

Years ago, the magic of the library helped Richard Tyler overcome fear, nor did his peers thinking him odd for always having his nose in a book bother him, yet as he headed into high school, he did find himself wishing for a peer who could also see the magic of the library. Vada Margaret Sultenfuss on the other hand, wants to become a writer while seeking a way to escape her family situation. As she writes her romance story, she doesn't expect to meet Romance, let alone the way her story would twist the magic of the library. Disclaimer - I don't own The Pagemaster or My Girl. This is being written for ONC 2024, prompt 60, "The magic of the library takes its toll - a love story so powerful that its echoes span eternity. But as you write, you fall in love with the character you've created. What happens when the line between fiction and reality begins to blur?"

After a long journey to "find herself" (Steph's still not sure what that means, but that's what she's been telling people), Steph is back in town, on the hunt for a secret EP her favourite band put out before disappearing forever. But things have gotten weird while she was away. There's a new modern art exhibit causing chaos, an urban legend roaming the streets with a vendetta, and a new forbidden arcade game she can't stop playing. Her old best friend is almost certainly up to something. And her Spotify daily mixes have started...telling the future? As she digs deeper, things just get more complicated. Steph needs to connect the dots, and fast. She might not have found herself out there, but she sure found something. And now? It's coming for her.