Onc2025 Stories

**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.

Back in her painfully small town for her 10-year high school reunion, Lenore Davis must reckon with being stuck around her first heartbreak, Morgan Whitaker. *** Ten years after her high school graduation, commitment-avoidant Lennie Davis has only come back to Perkins at her best friend's insistence. There's not much she misses about high school - aside from maybe her old metabolism. So, a high school reunion? Full of people she couldn't wait to get away from? People she intentionally avoided for a decade? Not her idea of a fun getaway. Also not her idea of a fun getaway? Continuously running into her first girlfriend, first love, and worst heartbreak, Morgan Whitaker. Things ended poorly between the pair of them (to put it lightly), and time certainly hasn't healed their wounds. Still, as their paths continue to cross, Lennie can't help but wonder: are these sparks she feels with Morgan? Or is she clinging onto faded memories of the only good relationship she's ever had? *** Contains 18+ content. Viewer discretion advised. Cover image sourced from FreePik.

After six years in a progressive French boarding school, eighteen-year-old Lady Alice returns to her family's estate in Surrey, dreading the fate that awaits her-- debutante balls, an arranged marriage, and a life she does not want. She would have preferred to stay in France, teaching and writing love tales rather than living one dictated by others. Once cast aside by her own father and a stepmother, Alice finds their sudden desire for reconciliation hollow. Only her childhood best friend, Michael, Marquess Lovelace, seems like a true comfort. But as she settles back into her former home, something strange begins to happen. A black rabbit, eerily familiar, appears in the shadows-- just like the one that belonged to Edmond, her long-forgotten imaginary friend. And then she meets Count D'Arcy, the enigmatic and elusive neighbour whose presence unsettles her. His eyes, his voice, his very being remind her of Edmond. Could it be him? Or is her mind playing tricks on her? As the social season unfolds, Alice finds herself tangled in a web of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. The past and present blur, forcing her to question what is real, what is illusion, and whether love can exist beyond the bounds of reason. In the haunting halls of her childhood home and under the watchful gaze of Count D'Arcy, Alice must uncover the truth before she loses herself to the unknown. ~~~ Book One of a Duology. Followed by Unravelling Le Comte D'Arcy (coming this autumn).

Three months in deep space. Three months of routine. Three months of silence. Theta-9 was never meant to be exciting. A small station, a simple assignment, a crew used to the quiet. But lately, the quiet feels different. The station doesn't seem as small as it should. The halls feel longer. The shadows stretch just a little too far. And outside the viewport, the stars look dimmer than before. It's nothing, of course. Just the isolation. Just the long hours. Just the mind playing tricks. ...Right? ONC 2025 Entry

(Nocturnal Law Series) { ONC 2025 Shortlister }Magic and justice collide when witch lawyer Gwyneira Grimheart fights to save vampire Emrys Hawthorn's sorry fangs. Sanguine City is notorious for corrupt bat cops, human trafficking, highly addictive fairydust, and contract killings orchestrated by the bloodthirsty vampire mafia. But even these lowly criminals deserve a fair shot at trial and someone has to do it. Gwyneira defends the supernaturals that no other witch or sane mortal will go near, so when Emrys Hawthorn comes politely knocking at her law office's door in the middle of the night, she knows what she has to do. Vampires are dangerous beings, and Gwyneira knows the risks all too well, but if she's not careful, it won't just be her blood he takes. It might be her heart too. Beautiful cover featuring Gwyneira illustrated by Neige❤️ Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Thriller

A battle trading card company creates the ultimate battle game, and people of all ages flock to play the new, immersive game of monsters and tactics. When Charli finds her new game board and limited edition card set destroyed by bullies, a friend steps in to help her out. Only, he can only give her a beta test version of the battle board and a children's card set. With the inaugural battle competition set to begin, Charli must use her wits to make her weak card set work well enough to enter the competition, but she faces people with more experience, more cards and better battle boards. Can Charli make her way through the stages with only a children's card set and a basic battle board, or will the competition prove too much? An ONC novella, based on Prompt 67: "A trading card game company creates real-life versions of their creatures. What started as fun and games quickly spirals into something far more dangerous."

When college student Celine Marlowe finds a piece of a shattered unicorn horn in the forest, she doesn't expect it to contain ancient magic connecting her to its owner Soren, the exiled prince of the Velkeros. With Soren's magic trapped inside her and the remaining pieces of his horn still scattered around the world, Celine is pulled into a centuries-old conflict between a corrupt scientific empire called the Argent Accord, and the once mythical beings they exploit. The Accord wants Velkeros blood for immortality, Soren wants to reclaim what they stole from him, and Celine just wants to make it out alive. Magic was never supposed to end up in Celine's hands, but the more she learns, the more she realizes that her and Soren's connection might be the key to saving everything. This story is my entry in the 2025 Open Novella Contest! Follow @OpenNovellaContest to be notified about the next one! The prompt I chose: #12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn.

Adeliza of Normandy has only ever wanted a place to belong. The illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Normandy, she never was certain there was a place for her. Orphaned at a young age, all she knew was conflict and misery, as her brother, William, fights to inherit Normandy. Illegitimate like her, William promises that when he is recognized as duke, she will be a princess and marry a powerful noble. When William achieves his goal, he finds her not only an important noble, but the love of her life. As a favor to her brother, she vows to help bring about the marriage he desires with the grand Matilda of Flanders. Like Normandy, he's determined to have Matilda. But his desire might destroy everything, including Adeliza's happiness.

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?

Kat's mom is a member of a secret society called "The Keepers of the Books", or simply the Society as known by most of its members. This women-led organization operates hidden libraries throughout the country of Zondara where they preserve the remaining books left after being banned for over 400 years. Kat wants to be like her mom, a Writer to continue expanding their libraries. But she might just have to put her dreams on hold when she is transferred across the country to one of the strictest academies in the nation. There she will have to face the loss of her family and learn to live in a boarding school where every move she does must be perfect if she is to educate the future children of the nation. To survive, she will have to make new friends she can only meet with in secret and find a way to balance her duties to her nation with her own wants or face the dire consequences.

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?

I didn't think it could get any worse after losing my entire family, being bitten by a zombie and having to search for a cure that probably doesn't even exist. Until we decide to travel with a group of people who hunt and torture zombies for fun... A group of humans infected with the zombie virus must protect themselves from the zombie hunters while racing to find a cure before it's too late.

Faye Whitmore is putting the "rot" in "rotten." After losing everyone she loves in a sting by witch hunters, Faye sets out on a mission to get revenge. Operating under the "eye for an eye" motto, Faye goes after the hunters' children. Maybe they'll be a little more hesitant if the witch they want to kill is their own child. If only her plan actually worked...

The story follows Yun Chen, a half-Xylosian teenager living on Earth, as he grapples with his hidden identity and his desire for connection. The arrival of two transfer students, Candy and Mei, disrupts his carefully constructed world, forcing him to confront his feelings and navigate complex relationships. Candy, revealed to be from Xylos, is on a mission to study human culture and assess the potential for peaceful coexistence. Yun develops romantic feelings for Candy, and Jun forms a connection with Mei. The story explores themes of hidden identity, family, trust, and cultural exchange, setting the stage for future conflicts and resolutions. Yun is now going to tell Candy how he feels. Discontinued....

Mrs. Z, the eternal Mother of the Zodiac. 12 Zodiac children run away through time... Chaos ensues. What happens..? *All Zodiacs represented are based on their characteristics, research, and the people in my life. All other information in Author's Note and Aesthetics Chapters.* (ONC LONGLIST 2025 🎉) (ONC SHORTLIST 2025 🥳) *CURRENTLY BEING EDITED OFF APP, FINAL EDITIONS WILL HOPEFULLY BE MADE AVAILABLE BY NOVEMBER 2025*

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

[ONC2025] | [Shortlist] Marlot and Ké live in the slum of Cyberion, where they belong to the lowest level of society due to their individual flaws. They fear, but also looking forward with excitement to the 'twenty days of freedom' that will determine their adult future. Outside the gates of Cyberion, they discover that things are very different than they thought. They must choose whether to return to the suffocating tech city or embrace their new - unknown - life. ... Prompt 110: '20 days of freedom'

For better or worse, in sickness or health, until death do us part. After his sudden death, Liam finds himself tethered in limbo, unable to move on because of unfinished business . Left with only fragmented memories of his life, Liam must put together the pieces before he turns into a wandering spirit no longer able to move on. As he struggles to save his soul, Liam can only silently watch the wife he left behind gather herself to continue without him. Violet had always believed in her relationship, even when going on a two year rough patch. But her most recent argument with Liam was the last straw. After not speaking to each other for three days, he left for a business trip and she had a decision to make. He walked out of that door without a goodbye, and she let him. Their relationship ended in silence. Novella entry for Open Novella Contest 2025 Based on prompt number 61: The silence in the room is deafening, as though it has a life of its own. It's time to rewrite the fairytale, but this time, the ending will be yours, and it won't be happy.

Assassin Clubroom- a secretive clubroom formed by a group of mysterious students at Acebridgeton. Unaware of this club activities and closed-door group talks. Rhea Hart decides to join this club and gets involved with the members. What started as an innocent curiosity of her made her follow the unknown path of dangers ahead. ♤ Participating for onc 2025 with this book! Support your author!

Delia's mission was simple: help the gorgeous new neighbor date her sister. The problem? He asks her for help... and somewhere between awkward dinners, terrible dating advice, unexpected kisses, and one spectacular misunderstanding, Cupid completely misses the mark. A sweet, funny slow-burn romance about family, friendship, and discovering that love sometimes finds the one person who never thought it was meant for them. My Entry for ONC 2025 (Open Novella Contest). Language and mature themes (16+) All characters and events in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any similarities in plot to other works, movies, books or elsewhere is completely unintentional and coincidental. I work hard to ensure my stories are original from character creation to the storyline. I never publish unless I am 100% satisfied. No part of this story may reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission. Please respect my creative rights.