Onc2025 Stories

Logline: He's a hopeless romantic, she's romantically hopeless. Together? They're a match made by the gods. --- Love-cursed Verena has never known the pitfalls of true heartbreak or the euphoria of a special meet cute. Instead, she spends her days working as an event planner and sigil artist for Aphrodite and being an accidental wingman to anyone and everyone around her. Matteo is a male witch with an affinity for shiny things and romantic comedies who is single for the first time in seven years. All of his training under Freyja should've ended in happily ever after, but alas. While starting fresh in the city of Mysnia, Matteo meets Verena and the sparks fly instantly. But Verena holds a secret near and dear to her heart: she won't fall in love; not for anyone, and Matteo hopes maybe he will have the luck to thaw out her frozen heart while mending his own in the process. --- ONC 2025 Prompts: #49 (main): As a love mentor, you suddenly experience a devastating breakup. Now, you've fallen for someone who doesn't believe in love at all. Can this unique connection heal you? #133: »Obviously, where you're concerned, there is no need for me to flirt.« #134: »You did more for me in six days than he ever did in seven years.« --- New cover by @-MilaSteele!! Copyright © 2025 KC_Han_writes ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All plot concepts are my own. Characters are of my own imagination. I do not own any real-life locations or inspired locations. This book should not be copied or reproduced in any way. Exclusive to W a t t p a d.

🏆x2 Awarded Best Science Fiction 🏆 Awarded Best Duo The crystals under Rift Dome are the lifeblood of three million souls. They hold the sky over their heads, put food on their tables, and feed the fleet that keeps them on their knees. From the moon's fractures, Earth digs up power and buries secrets. But some won't stay dead. Jace lives for the speed of the chase, the sting of blaster fire, and the high of outrunning death. When a heist goes sideways, he walks away with something he wasn't meant to find: a woman in the back of a stolen car who isn't breathing, isn't bleeding, and wears a face he's spent seven years looking for. Under the seductive neon of the dome, the truth can shatter everything holding the colony together. And Jace's finger is on the trigger. Content Warning: This story contains violence, gore, death, strong language, substance use, non-explicit sexual content, and mature situations. Reader discretion is advised.

2025 SHORT LISTER!!! My name is Brooke Price, and I will not let Layla Henderson steal my boyfriend, Damien Shaw. I'm cheer captain, and she doesn't even show up to the pep rallies. At least, not until Damien crashed into her and tipped her world on its head. Now she watches him from over the top of her books. Now she's in the bleachers - and she will see exactly what made me Damien's girlfriend in the first place. I am not expendable. I am not going to be the cliché. Prompt 25. You're not the shy, bookish girl who bumps into the star athlete and wins his heart. No, you're his girlfriend - the blonde, confident cheerleader destined to be the cliché ex. But this time, you're rewriting history and taking control of your story.

A murder that took place two years ago is Tarons new current case to crack open and dive back into the year where a Journalist was killed in her home and the only murder suspect they had died a few days later, or so people think. But while uncovering the case, Taron finds out that people tend to keep secrets that can do a lot more damage once exposed. A town full of lying and not talking people, Taron has to be careful, because he's not only the new guy in town, but also comes with a mystery on it's own that no one should ever find out. ___________________ My take on the ONC 2025 with the prompt: It's not a Mystery -----it's the walls. They hold secrets but what are they hiding? Started: 24.02.2025

After two decades of success, best-selling mystery author Vivian Caldwell is having a difficult year. Her 50th birthday is rapidly approaching, her last two novels were widely hailed as "disappointing", and she's channeled JD Salinger to plan her social calendar. When Vivian's publisher gives her an ultimatum, she takes refuge in a desert retreat, determined to restore her reputation. Unfortunately, her laptop is cursed and her characters have plans of their own. Her tragic hero wants to be the leading man in a romance novel, her damsel-in-distress is angry about her fate, and the handsome barista at her local coffee shop keeps finding his way into the story. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but as Vivian struggles to put the pieces of her life and career back together, the fiction spirals out of control. Ultimately, she's forced to rediscover what drew her to craft stories in the first place, and what she's willing to sacrifice in the name of success. **** Thanks to @carolannewrites for the cover images! This story is written for the 2025 ONC, and based on the following prompt. 99. Imagine you're a cursed author where every word you write changes reality itself. It's thrilling, until your characters rebel. One complains about his "overly tragic backstory", while another demands endless twists and turns your narrative into pure chaos. Can you finish your story without losing your mind, or your control?

In the realm of Vellara, books are not just stories-they are living worlds, inked into existence by the hands of ancient scribes. For centuries, the Grand Archive has safeguarded these enchanted tomes, ensuring that no one disturbs the delicate balance between fiction and reality. Kael Dain is a young scribe apprentice burdened with an ability he was never meant to have-the power to "unwrite," to alter the words of any book and reshape the worlds within. It is a talent so rare and dangerous that the Grandmasters have forbidden its use. But when the legendary Codex Eternis, a book capable of rewriting existence itself, is stolen by the rogue scribe Orion Vale, Kael is the only one who can track it down before reality begins to unravel. To retrieve the Codex, Kael must step beyond the library's safety and into the very stories that have shaped his world. Journeying through magical realms-each with its own treacherous laws-he faces living myths, ink-born creatures, and a power far greater than his own. At his side is Riven Calder, a mercenary with secrets inked into his very skin and a past he refuses to reveal. Bound by an oath he won't explain, Riven becomes both Kael's protector and his greatest mystery. As Orion's rewrites twist reality into something unrecognizable, Kael begins to question his own role in the story. Why does the Codex seem to call to him? What truth has been erased from its pages? And as his bond with Riven deepens, Kael faces the most dangerous rewrite of all-one that could alter fate itself. With the world crumbling around him and the line between reality and fiction blurring, Kael must make an impossible choice: restore the book and preserve the story written by those before him or take up the pen and rewrite his own destiny.

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.

Rafe Daring is not a hero known for his bravery. He is a farm boy known for being stubborn, cheeky, and doing things haphazardly, which always leads to chaos. When he flees town on his motorcycle, chased by the boy he'd turned into his nemesis, Rafe veers from safety to avoid his enemy. He ventures onto a strangled path through the forbidden forest, a vast stretch of access-restricted nature reserve bordering his family's farm. As with most of his decisions, this one also leads to disaster. Soon, Rafe finds himself injured and lost at the bottom of a steep slope, trying to find his way home. When he stumbles into a briar vine-covered wall, he decides that his only way home might be through what appears to be an archway clogged by vines. However, he is unprepared for what waits for him when he breaks through the thick, thorny briar vines. Finding himself in an increasingly dangerous and confusing situation, he realises that this time, he'd outdone himself in the art of making extraordinarily bad decisions. He has one question that stands out above all his other questions: "Who would be dumb enough to give an idiot like me superpowers?!" TW: Some chapters might have upsetting themes; reader discretion is advised.

For centuries, the people of Labirent have thrived behind the towering Wall -- an impenetrable barrier protecting them from a predatory race known as sylvans that prowl the world beyond. The citizens live in peace, but the strict laws that bind them eventually give rise to rebels and criminals, heretics and heroes alike as resources start to dwindle. Rhaskrea, a gifted healer, has always adhered to the laws, using her talent to mend bodies and ease suffering caused by a band of insurgents known as the Harbingers, for whom she works. An ambush on the Harbinger's lair sends Rhaskrea and the Harbinger's leader over the Wall. As she journeys to find a way back in, Rhaskrea uncovers secrets about the Wall that might be the key to unraveling the mysteries behind Labirent's isolation. If she survives long enough to tell them. ˚. ─────⊱ °✠° ⊰─────.˚ Attack on Titan meets Labyrinth with a dash of Prince of Thorns in this grimdark fantasy tale of courage, discovery, and the blurred line between safety and freedom. TW: Depictions of violence, assault, gore, child labor, and amorality. ˚. ─────⊱ °✠° ⊰─────.˚ Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025. Prompt #66 It's not a mystery - it's the walls. They hold secrets, but what are they hiding?

ONC2025 Round 2 Ambassador Pick 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐚 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. Unicorns are sacred in the kingdom of Unara, their magic a gift only bestowed upon the worthy-or stolen through death. Someone is hunting them, and if the killings continue, their magic will fall into the wrong hands. Determined to uncover the truth, Oskar sets out to find the culprit. But the deeper he digs, the darker the secrets he unearths--secrets that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom. A standalone fantasy adventure, The Unicorn's Blessing follows Prince Oskar before the events of The Girl with Scars, revealing the choices that shaped the man he would become. Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2025 | @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/387452246 **Main Prompt** 12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn. **Secondary Prompt** 130. Protect this with your life. ©2025 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved. Book Created & Published to Wattpad: 02.01.2025 Book Marked as Completed: 04.08.2025 Cover: Me @DesignsbyEH I used Canva.com | Cover is temporary and subject to several changes. Word Count: 26,234 / 20,000 Goals: Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔ | Round 1 Winner ✔ Round 2 ✔ | 8,000 words ✔ Round 3 _ | 20,000 words ✔ LONGLIST _ | SHORTLIST _ Honorable Mention? _ | Ambassadors' Pick ✔ Mentioned in Ambassador Newsletter ✔ Rankings: #ONC2025: #21 on 02.02.2025 | #15 on 02.03.2025 | #12 on 03.24.2025 #opennovellacontest2025: #15 on

First Time Entry in the Open Novella Contest 2025 What happens when the Goddess of Night and the Goddess of Dawn come together to save both vampires and humans from destruction? This is the story of the origin of the Blood Match. Long in the ancient past, vampires were given an opportunity to choose another path and they refused. So Hecate, the Queen of night, and her sister Theia, the Queen of Dawn, wove a powerful spell called Justice's Curse, Mercy's Blessing and nothing will ever be the same. Prompt 11 Vampires are bound by an ancient destiny: their soulmate is always human, and this bond is governed by three rules. The smell of their soulmate's blood is irresistible, its taste sweeter than anything else, and if the love is unrequited, it can be fatal. Fearing this inevitable bond, most vampires try to avoid it. But what happens when one of them discovers that their soulmate is a human who not only rejects them but loathes them? This story is set in the Blood Match universe and is a prequel to my current story, Blood Match: A Leonidas De La Cruz story Cover courtesy of Nicole Woodward @caffeineismymuse

When Cecelia is forced back to her childhood home, she tries to convince herself that everything will be fine. She refuses to confront her past, content with shoving it down. But what happens when the past becomes the present, and it brings some new faces with it?

A companion prequel novella for 'To Marry a Dragon'. When a mysterious thief steals a treasure from a reckless prince, his knights spring into action. They're hunting for the precious necklace intended for the prince's bride, but the prince knows better. His heart was stolen, and his heart is priceless. The only way he can recover from this loss is to find his thief before the knights. Only, he can't court the thief and still be the same prince he's always been.

Jareth had always dreamed of seeing the stars up close. Now, aboard the Pathfinder, he stands on the edge of discovery, gazing down at an uncharted world-one where auroras ripple across the sky and something stirs beneath the surface. The mission is simple: explore, document, and return home. But as the crew descends, an unease settles in, a quiet tension that Jareth can't quite name. The air feels heavier. The silence lingers a little too long. And soon, he begins to wonder if some places were never meant to be found. ONC 2025 Entry

Iska Solren and her team of Scavengers are infected with the next wave of an unknown Pale strain and must survive their infection, the Ashen Warriors hunting them down, and their new abilities. A zombie fantasy novel

A young girl fights hard against a great gift that seeks to push her from a world she finds comfortable. *2025 Open Novella Contest entry.* **This story is complete and about 41,500 words long. No AI was used in the creation of this story. Feel free to message me or post with any comments or questions.**

College life should be all about experiences. Studying, partying, having fun with your friends. That's how it should have been. Sharing an apartment with my sister instead of a dorm room with my friend. Sitting next to a super famous pop star in class who my sister has a huge crush on. Helping my sister to win over the love of her life by playing cupid? None of that could I have expected. But the most unexpected thing of all? Developing feelings for my sister's crush. ONC prompt 113. ___ The picture used to make the cover doesn't belong to me! I don't know who the original creator is, but all rights belong to them and if they want me to take it down, I will!

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'.

Elliot's little sister, Grace, is transformed into a unicorn while they are hiking. Transported to a mysterious realm, Elliot must find a way back home, and a way to transform Grace back again.

Victoria is an aspiring playwright. So when the "Write Your Own Shakespeare" contest is announced, she finally sees her chance to make it big. That is until her rival announces that he too, will be participating. Liam has a secret. He's a vampire, and up until recently, that's never been a problem. But now it is, because he's found his soulmate. The problem? It's Victoria, and she hates him. So, to try and win her over, he decides to join the play writing contest. Except, he has no idea how to write a play. As Victoria fights for the top spot, and Liam fights for her love - and his life - they start to spend more time together, and something, a lot different than hate, starts to blossom between them. ~~ Cover by: -MilaSteele