Opennovellacontest Stories

Hope is as rare as water in a kingdom of sun-scorched sands and ancient walls. Princess Ilaria of Sigyn is poised to secure peace for her desert kingdom through an arranged marriage to Prince Godred, the ruler of a rival land. But when a shadowy assassin nearly takes her life, her plans-and her trust in those around her-crumble like desert dust. Forced into hiding on the distant island of Zospery, she finds herself under the protection of Lord Alaric Voss, a man as cold and unyielding as the sea cliffs that guard his home. Alaric is known as the Devil of the Spire, a relentless warrior with a reputation for cruelty and a heart as closed off as the fortress he commands. Yet, beneath his rigid exterior lies a past scarred by loyalty and loss, and he'll do whatever it takes to keep the princess alive-even if it means standing against the forces that seek to silence her forever. As enemies close in and the line between duty and desire blurs, Ilaria must confront a harsh truth: her greatest danger may not be the assassins lurking in the shadows, but the man who stands beside her, guarding secrets that could shatter everything she's fought to protect. But the more she learns about the unyielding knight, the more she sees glimpses of a depth that calls to her, even as her own resolve hardens into something far less forgiving. In the shifting sands of war and whispered betrayals, two souls clash-one desperate to keep hope alive, the other burdened by a past he cannot escape. And as threats loom from all sides, Ilaria and Alaric will have to decide whether they can truly trust one another... or if the secrets they keep will be the very things that tear them apart. -- COVER BY @-deeisdead- ONC 2024 SHORTLISTER

Magic runs thick in the veins of every creature in the woods of Iryndor, in one twisted way or another. It could be beautiful, it could be benign. It could be breathtakingly evil. Rhae has lived in these enchanted woods all her life, a loyal member of the Sisters of Breath. She is familiar with the cold winters, and the looming threat of what lurks in the dark. But one day, she finds something else: a stranger, lacking the ever-present hum of power that hums through her own veins. Though at first wary, Rhae is soon enthralled by his tales of the mundane and ordinary. But in a world of magic, there is no place for the earthly. While an enchanting tale of love and its strength, "A Melody of Ice" also provides a chilling reminder of betrayal's sting, and what it can awaken within us all. ONC 2024 entry under prompt #95. Cover images retrieved from Pixabay.

[EDITING] ONC2024 Longlister❤️ Using Prompt number 14 "My love, believe me, waiting for you has always been a form of freedom." Alexandra Vasiliu" A guy and a girl have been best friends since childhood, but their destiny parted them. The little girl had to move away with her parents. Years later, they meet again, but the bond of friendship still remains the same. But the young lad has realised that his affection has developed into love, but, he's scared to express his feelings. However, he also feels that the girl has changed a lot. She cares more about money and herself than before. His love remains unwavering and he proposes to her, but she rejects him. He decides to wait for her, letting her take her sweet time. In the meantime, he's always there, supporting her, and scolding her for her bad deeds. He's continually showing her the path of truth, but she's not looking back. He also learns about her past, which has changed her personality. He wants to change things for her, only if she is ready. Slowly, with time, things happen and she realises that she's been trapped in her own net. She realises her mistakes and her best friend forgives her, as they walk through the aisle, starting a new life.

It was one bang, Yet two guns fired, One man dead, One man clinging onto life, Never had timing been more correct ~~~ Kimberly grey, a simple girl, clever, caring and not scared to speak her mind. But what if I told you stefano caivono fell in love with her. Would you believe me? And who is stefano caivono you ask? He is the Genovese mafia leader. What can go wrong with that? After the death of Kimberly's mother, she decided to move to Italy to find the father she never met, although the question is why had she never met him? Who was he? And should I let you in with a secret? He's bad news for sure. Join Kimberly on finding family, secrets, the truth and love. Will Kimberly be scared of mr.mafia?

When he was sixteen, Lu Ten thought the Fire Nation would change the world. At age thirty, he realized it wasn't the world that needed changing, right at the same time some of his not so clever life choices started catching up to him. It was time to become wise, like someone he greatly admired, even if he couldn't do anything with said wisdom. Disclaimer - I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is both a giftfic for a good friend of mine, KelseyAlicia who encouraged me to go the route of Lu Ten/Ursa in my To Lose or to Gain series, but also an ONC project. While parts of this story arc are AU to where I intend on taking the To Lose or to Gain series others are not. The prompt I am using is number thirty, "'Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.' - Rumi."

'There was a stain on the floor that used to be a vampire, and Aaron Evans was starting to feel like he really wasn't being paid enough.' ***** Aaron is only in Supernatural Investigations for the pay. It's stressful and dangerous, and he's certain it's aging him beyond his years. When the remains of a high-ranking vamp from London's most powerful underground gang show up on his turf, even the excellent pay seems like poor recompense for trying to prevent all-out war in his city. All he has to work with are his wits, some stolen evidence, and an enigmatic vampire investigator who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Nikolai Meier is surly, uncooperative, but frustratingly competent, so Aaron has no choice but to make it work. But Nikolai has secrets, and those secrets may prove just as deadly as failure. *** #ONC2024 Entry for Prompt 56: 'In a world where humans and magical creatures coexist, a detective must solve a murder case that threatens to plunge the two communities into war.' Cover Artwork is my own.

[Original Story] In the dreary, short days of late January, 1970, strangers arrive at the Paradise Hotel in Arkansas. Some are here for respite. Some for work. Some for trouble. The holidays may be over, but the murders aren't.

ONC 2022 Longlister! After years of dreaming of a different world and being visited by a bird that defies identification, Miriam Rogers embarks on a mysterious quest to repair something she doesn't understand. Along the way, she meets the crown prince of her dream world who claims she is his soulmate, the prophesied key to saving his world and her own from destruction. Can they reverse the curse from his land and find love for themselves, or are they doomed to watch their worlds disintegrate along with their fledgling bond?

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

(HONORABLE MENTION) Rik Sandro is a dimension traveller. Jumping from one version of the world to another was intriguing at first, until he discovered he can never go home. Now all these new beginnings are just a pain. Maybe it's time to stay in one place. Maybe it's time to settle down. Maybe it's time to fall in love. However, when his latest lover is murdered, Rik fears that he's being stalked and now, he might not have any control over how, where, or when, his life will end. (HONORABLE MENTION and ROUND TWO WINNER ONC2021 ) A clockpunk adventure, my entry for the ONC 2021. (Clockpunk / LGBTQ / Romance / Horror)

A Guide to the Lyllan University of Magic ©Hylsa Lyllan University Press ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• The Lyllan University of Magic is an institution dedicated to shaping the young minds of Hylsa Lyllan, if not the entire Sancelein. Learn more about the university, the credences offered, and various programs implemented to make a learner's youth fruitful. Congratulations on securing your place inside our walls. What is left now is to make the most of it. We wish you the best of luck. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2025 (First Edition) [25,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby]

When international superstar, Laila, decides to ignore all warnings and fly to her next gig in a storm, she finds herself lost on a mysterious tropical island with no hope of rescue. With only her uncompromising pilot for company, both women must learn the secrets of the island in order to escape back to the modern world. Preferably without killing each other. As the mystery deepens, however, the two find common ground and learn that certain others may be trying to stop their escape. But why? A gag romance mystery for ONC, using Prompt 47: "A famous singer and their pilot crash land on a tropical island. With no-one else around, survival isn't their only challenge."

**A Snow White Dark Fairytale Retelling** - - - - - - - - - - - Marion Price wished something exciting would happen during the long, hot, sluggish summer vacation spent at her grandmother's house. Instead, she is tasked with cleaning out her grandmother's musty old attic full of junk. But when Marion stumbles upon the antique mirror with a liquid surface, she finds herself plunged into a cold, cruel world known as The Hushing. With ash-laden fields and shadowy forests of black apple trees, Marion quickly learns nothing living can survive this place for long. The wraiths who govern this realm hunt her for the warm soul harbored within her body. And the only way to stay alive is through the protection of Lady Ingrid. But Lady Ingrid is just like everything else in this kingdom - a dark and twisted thing. She wields her power with an unforgiving hand and destroys anyone who dares to defy her. It's only a matter of time before Lady Ingrid turns against Marion. And when Marion no longer has the Lady's favor to shield her, she faces a grim execution. Can she find her way back through the mirror to return home before it's too late? Or will she be stuck in The Hushing forever? *** 5.11.2022: #1 in Gothic Romance

Sixteen-year-old Valek has known only one hell until he stumbles upon a portal that hauls him into another hell. A short story for the Open Novella Contest

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 ***

Marie was not prepared to get fired from her job. This was supposed to be her chance at fame and it just went down the drain. Down on her luck she stumbles upon The Rabbit Hole, a small little talent bar. When Marie is offered a job she's skeptical at first, but eventually agrees to the job. But The Rabbit Hole isn't as normal as it appears. A man turns invisible, another starts on fire. And her partner is never seen expect right before they're about to perform. Oh, and there's a man with fire for eyes who's seen right before trouble appears. If Marie wants to do well and become famous she's going to have to learn more about The Rabbit Hole and herself. ~~ An ONC 2023 entry Cover by: @HollisOfRandom

Just like all the other Dragon Heirs of age, Plamen attends The Grand Test of Power so the Gods can judge who of them is worthy of breaking the curse that binds Dragon kind to human bodies. Not many managed to pass the test - you can count them on the fingers of one hand. Even worse, only one person came close to breaking the curse, yet failed. Plamen will do anything to succeed, even unwillingly team up with two other Dragon Heirs. Zima and Vid are interesting companions, though, ones he thinks he doesn't need. The obstacle appearing in front of them is not something anyone could predict but, to their utter bafflement, they pass the Test. However, it comes at a steep price. Because now, they just need to find out how to stay alive. From one corner it's Goddess Nužda's minions attacking them - and not just them, but their friends, families, everyone's at risk - and from another, it's the political machinations of adult dragons that make this endeavor almost impossible. '...what price are you willing to pay?' The ancient prophecy speaks of the three that will be victorious, but it's not complete and the missing parts are ones they need to be wary of. Featured on the reading lists of Magic and Fantasy profiles 20k milestone achieved Round Two Qualifier Open Novella Contest 2020 prompt 24. (dragons, of course xD) - 1st place winner in Fantasy (The Royalty Awards) - 1st place winner in Fantasy (Concealed Voices Awards 2020)

[ONC2021 Longlister] - In the mountains of Greece, wild animals start to turn on humans. The fever spreads and the cities of the Northern Hemisphere fall silent. In Australia, Blue and her friends hold their breaths, isolated from the rest of the world. As time passes, it seems that the danger has passed. Until Spring arrives. WARNING: Horror themes and some gore. Novella inspired by prompt #53 of the Open Novella Contest 2021: When wildlife starts rampaging, all the humans are forced underground. However, they come to a terrible discovery that being underground is no safer than being on the surface.

Elly would give anything to have her life resemble a Hallmark movie. She longs for her happily-ever-after: a proposal by her boyfriend, a big raise at the perfect job, and a fat inheritance from her great-aunt. Instead, she finds herself alone, broke, and sorting through a storage unit filled with worthless junk. But life can change in an instant. When Elly opens a decade-old envelope addressed to her, she discovers it contains an astonishing monetary gift. Elly's prospects soar. Then she learns she can't cash the long-expired check. What's more, she's never heard of her benefactor: a woman who claims the money is honoring a long-ago favor by Elly's grandmother. Hoping to alleviate her financial straits and find a connection to her long-deceased family, Elly embarks on a search for the mystery woman. Trouble is, she doesn't know if chasing this particular rainbow will result in a pot of gold--or yet another crushing disappointment. This was my entry for the Open Novella Contest. I made it through the first two rounds, but didn't finish to qualify for the final round. It's also the prequel to "The Marvels of Prairie Creek." :D

With great power comes great responsibility. That is what Leah Cavendish, a simple waitress living a simple life, discovers when she stumbles upon a doorway to another world and is granted extraordinary magical powers. She must now fight an evil sorcerer and save the crumbling kingdom of Avandish before it is too late.