Onc2024 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

[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.

There is still a boy named Raziel; Son of Hades, slayer of Death. With two descendants of legends, he faces the great Hypnos' wrath. To journey to the underworld they must find Da Vinci's hidden work. And the sleeping army isn't the only threat in their path. -------------- Raziel West is entangled in the affairs of secret societies built on the foundations of Greek mythology. He must use his wits and demigod powers to come out victorious and find a doorway to the Underworld. Accompanied by his more-than-ordinary friends, Bryce and Queen, he journeys to the Underworld to face Hypnos and find out why Hades seems to be slacking on his duties. -----‐--------- *BOOK 2 in the SoH series. Based on ONC 2024 Prompt 61 Minor/secondary Prompt; Prompt 42

One night while out partying with her best friend Sue Daniels, Eva Parker meets the enigmatic Stanley Dane. Their instant, electric chemistry is undeniable, culminating in a memorable moment, as they part ways. When they reunite the following weekend, their burgeoning connection is abruptly interrupted as they are torn into an alternate reality, where their lives and love are fractured by forces beyond their control. Eva returns to her childhood home only to find it occupied by strangers, her friend Sue presumed dead, and not a soul who recognizes her. Desperate for answers, she seeks out the clairvoyant Steph, where she encounters Malachai, a guardian of the veil, who guides her into the Shadow Realm. Meanwhile, Stanley revisits the nightclub where he first met Eva, to find it in ruins. Torn between the vivid memories of their time together and the overwhelming sense of loss, he must find his way through the fractured haze. As a sinister force manipulates their realities, Stanley and Eva must confront their deepest fears and navigate a maze of deception. Will they uncover the truth and reunite before it's too late, or will their past and present keep them forever apart? Timeless Love is a gripping tale of love, loss, and the quest for truth, where reality and illusion blur, and the past holds the key to salvation.

Aleksander Atwood, an omega with a life full of hardships who just applied for the job of his life, and actually got it! But, what if he becomes the reason his bosses divorce? What if he finds out the father of the kid he is supposed to nanny is actually his fated mate? Rowan Madden, an alpha with a beautiful family and a beautiful marriage, at least that's what it looks like on the outside. What is he hiding? And why is he kind of an ass to who is meant to be his fated mate? Only time will tell in this, thought to be, unrequited love story of broken hearts beating for each other. ONC Prompt #33: a broken heart beats with all its pieces, and it still wants the same person. ‼️COMPLETE‼️

Are you wondering what prompts we've used in past ONCs? You can find them in this book as we gathered all the prompts used in the past installments. You may use these prompts as inspiration for any story you want to write - no credits necessary! Have fun!

|A SET OF TWO ORIGINAL DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM NOVELLAS| |INKITT HQ FEATURED · ONC 2024 LONGLIST AND AMBASSADOR PICK · 11X FEATURED| Milo and Maisie: Two years after her older brother's tragic death, anxiety-stricken Maisie and her emotional support cat, Milo, attend the Disney College Program, where they must discover a new life meaning in the most magical place on Earth. Milo and Maisie: The Veracruz Ghost: When Maisie and Feya's friendship is tossed into the danger zone, they must work together to save it before Summit 2023 destroys them forever. *** *Featured by Drama HQ on @InkittDrama (August 5th, 2025)!* *Prompt Used: #24-"A desperate wish, made from the heart, is always answered. Sooner or later.* *Based on a true story.* *Main Trope: Friends to Lovers.* *Moral: "Sometimes moving on just takes a little bit of courage."*

[ONC2024] Everyone can read minds except for Ethan Langdon. And Ethan Langdon has the dumbest (and cutest!) thoughts Lukas Hoffmann has ever heard. ____ Part one complete. Part two updating every Friday until completion (but already fully complete on my Kofi!) ____ Lukas Hoffman's life in Brambleburg is about as boring as you'd expect for a town where everyone can read minds. He's used to his routine of dusting the LPs at the record store where he works and helping out his grandma around the house. Nothing in Brambleburg changes. No one in Brambleburg changes. Until Ethan Langdon stumbles in with the soggy remnants of a paper map, asking for the quickest route to Berlin. Ethan, it turns out, doesn't have telepathy, and as aggravatingly inane as his thoughts are, Lukas hasn't felt the excitement of meeting a stranger since.... well, ever. And the more Lukas listens, the more he starts enjoying Ethan's cute thoughts about life, the universe, and Lukas's dimples. ____ Might bring to mind: "Cherry Magic" but set in a fictive European town where everyone except the love interest can read minds. ____ Written for the Open Novella Contest 2024 using prompts 8, 75, 82, and 85. 8. You start singing along to a movie soundtrack late at night forgetting that your window is open. Someone from the outside starts singing with you. 75. You awake in the middle of the night to a voice saying loudly "May the force be with you..." 82. You wake up on a seemingly ordinary day to discover that your thoughts are not private. There is someone else in your head with you. 85. "If you do that again, I'll throw you out that freaking window. What are you doing?" "Checking how high the drop is to see if it's worth it."

~ONC 2024 Honourable Mention~ ~~~ Alaric, the King of Silmarea, recently married to his beloved husband, needs an heir of his own blood to secure the throne. With the help of Emrys, his court magician and best friend, he recalls his youthful escapades and discovers a daughter he once had with a woman he had loved in The World Beyond The Stones (our world). He sends an unlikely but trusted trio on a quest to find her and bring her home-- a brooding dragon shifter and Highlander who owes him a favor, a dashing elf whom he loves like the son he never had, and a loyal, kindhearted dwarf, the elf's best friend. Alaric, the last scion of the old gods, weary of ruling the country and ready to retire and enjoy his love life, doesn't know that this quest will bring much more than he ever bargained for, setting in motion events plotted by the destiny that will challenge his kingdom and legacy. ~~~ Cover: My own picture.

[FIRST DRAFT] Wren Deisy, a young girl plagued with hallucinations and strange dreams, has just discovered that maybe they weren't all in her head. Wren has the ability to portal to another world. And she couldn't have been less prepared for her adventure in the Land of Dreams. __________________ "𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦," 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥. "𝘕𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨." "𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘥." 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. "𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳." __________________ This is my story for ONC 2024! Please enjoy! (NOT EVEN CLOSE TO DONE, STILL WRITING/EDITING!!!)

Three years ago, Ivelle Delaville poisoned her murderous git of a husband and ran away to start a new life. Now blissfully single, Ivelle is content with her carpentry business (apart from the crushing debt), and she's determined to live a life free of romance and villainy. Or so she thinks. Faced with the threat of foreclosure, Ivelle has a choice: poison the evil Prince Eirifold in exchange for a metric f*ckton of gold, or starve to death as her carpentry business goes bankrupt. It seems like a no-brainer... except for one problem. The prince she's been hired to poison may not be as evil as advertised. He's also a really good kisser. ~ Book 1 of The Murdery Marriages ~

🏆 WINNER (2ND PLACE) - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 A misfit of an aristocratic family must find out who is behind the murder at his university before he is disowned and falls victim to the murderer. ⋯⋯⋯ Arlo Crowhaven, a student of the prestigious Lyllan University of Magic, is poised to uphold his family's elite status. That is, until a classmate is murdered, and all of the clues point to him. With little time to clear his name, he must take the investigation into his hands, find the killer, and stop an even bigger secret from leaking out. After all, while Arlo likes keeping his hands clean, he may be entangled in a scheme even his family is not privy to. Now, Arlo must pull all the strings he can to foil the murderer's plan and save his skin. From the award-winning author of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥 comes a story of privilege, wealth, and the divide between the elite and the common. Ideals are a salvation for many, but in the quest for freedom and power, sometimes, they are the first to go. AN INSTALLMENT OF THE LYLLAN UNIVERSITY OF MAGIC AND MISFITS SERIES ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2024 (First Edition) [20,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] 🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 1 WINNER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024

🏆 HONORABLE MENTION - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 A witch has to pretend to be the wife of the Prince of the Dead in exchange for resurrecting her lover. ⋯⋯⋯ Mavyn of Krauss has everything under control until her rich and influential fiancé keels over and abandons her. Now with no place in society as a witch, she moves to the next best option―summon an immortal from the Land of the Dead and strike a deal to resurrect him. Enter Valen Nox, a prince of the Underworld, bringing along an irresistible deal to the table. She will have a chance to comb through the Underworld's domains for her fiancé in exchange for being Valen's date for his sister's wedding. But when the truth comes out with the promise of a conspiracy, Mavyn is thrust into the wicked world of the Kathari, the Underworld's immortal rulers, and their schemes for dominion. Now, she must play by their rules while crafting deadly plans of her own―plans that may endanger more than what Valen bargained for. After all, the most logical thing to do in a court deep in chaos is to use it to one's advantage. From the award-winning author of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥 comes a tale of the deadly and the wicked, set in a world where life and death are not so simple, and there may be more to lose at the edge of the void than at the end of memory. AN INSTALLMENT OF THE WICKED DEATH SELECTIONS. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2024 (First Edition) [22,000 - 27,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] 🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 R1 AMBASSADOR PICK - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024

After a near death experience, James Jones, or Jimmy to his friends, begins to see ghosts. While in surgery, he meets Henry Costa, a renowned ghost buster. Henry is dead, but he's about to become Jimmy's best friend. when he's recovering from his surgery, Jimmy learns his sister has gone missing, and may also be dead. Flying off to America, he sets out to find his sister.

Imperial Russia kills her heroes quickly- and she does not show mercy. ▪︎▪︎▪︎ Imperial Russia, 1852 Arkady Bessmertny's destiny has already been decided. Banished to the Caucasus for his liberal beliefs, he is fated to die in the bloodbath of a cruel war and sacrifice himself in the name of the tsar. His punishment is as devastating as it is simple. But soon Arkady has to realise that there are far more terrible things than the blazing guns of the Circassians and the wrath of his tyrannical superior. For ghosts creep in the old walls of his fortress and blood soaks its mortar as wailing shakes its stones. They are all signs of a terrible truth. Old, long forgotten darkness is rising, ready to swallow the entire empire. But it is the same darkness that flows in Arkady's blood. After all, he is more than a miserable officer and the illegitimate son of a count. ___ Entry for the Open Novella Contest 2024 under the prompts 3 and 36

On a routine training patrol, the last thing Lt. Commander Wraia Clay and the crew of the SNV Cobra are expecting is trouble. But when a frontier colony seems to vanish off the face of the universe, they are dispatched to find out what happened. What they discover is an apocalyptic trail of destruction on an interstellar scale. Following the carnage through system after ravaged system, Clay soon finds herself in a race against time, hunting for an enemy unlike anything she's ever known. And if she fails, billions of people will pay the price.

Seventeen-year-old Daisy Rios is the heiress to the throne of The Mystic Kingdom but due to her Earthling origins, she must prove that she is worthy to become the current Queen's successor. For that very reason, a test is set in place to prove that she's a true fairy. Assigned to help a chosen candidate find their true happiness, to succeed, Daisy must not break the following rules: - Don't tell anyone she's a fairy; - Don't fall in love. For years she has fought to be accepted by the mystic people and this test won't destroy her plans to become a queen. On paper, the test looks simple, but when her chosen candidate turns out to be a wealthy family with seven siblings, Daisy isn't sure she can help them without falling for their charm. Being a queen is her greatest dream, but she never thought the path toward that dream would be more challenging than she ever imagined. An ONC '24 entry based on prompts 24 and 36.

Detective Molly Rayne finds herself in the midst of a high-stakes murder case with two strangers and must uncover the truth before her hidden past is revealed and the murderer strikes again. -x-x-x- It was supposed to be a quick business trip. but the minute the train pulled out of the New York station, things started to go wrong. In the bustling journey to Chicago, a murder in Cabin 7 shakes the train. High-profile private detective Molly Rayne takes charge of the investigation, but no suspects emerge, and it seems the killer vanished into thin air. As Molly delves deeper, she discovers intriguing connections between the victim and a mysterious individual known as Mr. Bingo. Her resolve to uncover the truth is tested as she navigates a web of lies, deception, and hidden agendas. It was like something out of an Agatha Christie novel, only with a lot more blood and sarcasm. With danger closing in from all sides, will she be able to piece together the truth before it's too late? -x-x-x- Revision under the guidance of @MermaidAriel13

Felicette, a charming and curious black cat, serves as a familiar to a young and kind-hearted witch named Lilith. Together, they embark on countless adventures that have never been too much for them to handle. But when something magical goes awry, Felicette is forced to make a difficult decision - one that will test her love and her loyalty, as well as her magical abilities. Through diary entries inside her magical grimoire, the familiar takes us on an emotional journey as she tries to save the one she loves most. 2024 Open Novella Contest Submission

Meredith, a doughty ex-FBI agent has escaped the fast-paced life of a federal gunslinger and is hellbent on keeping it that way. She's content living as a small-town rancher until an old friend tasks her with babysitting a vulnerable tech magnate worth billions. Sebastian is on the run from international criminals and the only person on his side is a reluctant tough girl with a complicated past and a farm she won't forsake. On a mission to outwit the powers that be, this unlikely duo might just learn two truths: #1 the odds are better together, and #2 whatever you sow, you will reap.