Razzmatazz | horror | Complete
In the dark and treacherous abyss of Oratoria, Esper lives a solitary existence among the dead. Trapped in a lifeless prison, she makes a desperate bid for freedom as she sets out on a journey to the surface, guided by an ancient whisper carried by the winds. But the path ahead is fraught with danger, as strange and unseen forces conspire to stop her at every turn. As she battles to overcome the grim machinations coming into motion, Esper discovers that her journey is not just about physical escape but also a quest for the truth about her past, her true identity, and the reason for her confinement in the abyss. Along the way, she will encounter a host of fascinating and mysterious characters, some of whom will aid her and others who will seek to impede her progress. With her courage and determination, Esper must overcome the obstacles in her path as she races against time to reach the ever distant surface, which she so desperately dreams to see. Will she finally escape the abyss and see the light of day, or will she be doomed to live out her days in the depths of Oratoria? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure! (Complete!) (Neuro-Divergant Protagonist) (Classic Fantasy) (Dark)
57.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:37
It is the final days after the end of the world and you only have one month left before the last sanctuary erupts into chaos. There's a dead body hanging from a tree and cadaverous giants watch you sleep at night. The end is already here, you just don't know it yet. Now rated in the top 3% of all novels on Royal Road! Palus Somni (Marsh of Sleep') is a worldbuilding webnovel about what happens when your God forsakes you. Inspired by gothic horror and mingled with British myth and folklore, join the Alucinari nuns as they struggle with day-to-day life after the world has ended. Every night when the sun sets the monstrous Gol, colossal beings with too many teeth, awaken and roam the marshlands. Only those with a faithful heart will be spared. Young acolyte Wille has never seen the walls fail, but when a fellow nun is murdered within their sanctum the very safety of the monastery is thrown into question. Did the Gol find a way to breach their defences, or is there a human traitor amongst them? The answer lies both far in the past and deep beneath the earth, through the maze of ancient catacombs. With a cast of over thirty different characters, watch as your friends and enemies spiral into inevitable madness at the hands of a callous and unforgiving world. Discover the secrets of Palus Somni through letters, diary entries and notes found scattered across the monastery. Uncover the mystery of the grotesque giants that stalk the night and bring your challenge to the Gods themselves. Each character has their own handmade pixel art, and every update includes a music recommendation for a dark atmospheric dungeon synth album that you can listen to while you read. Slice of life meets cosmic abomination: Palus Somni is a collection of intertwining stories, some chapters are stand-alone tales while others feed into the overarching narrative. It is an exploration into a community, and rather than focusing on any one character the story meanders through the convent, exposing the hopes and fears of its inhabitants. Story updates every full moon.
83.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 10:57
In the city of Kholakel, the highlight of the year for the upper classes is the annual monster pacification of the misty woods. Ostensibly it's a culling of the monster population to prevent them encroaching on urban areas, but it's an open secret that it's actually treated as more of a blood sport, the participants competing to score the most kills. After all, why else would the politicians and elites of the city bother to attend personally? Given the intense competition and high-tech weapons and gear in use, one might wonder how the forest has not yet been completely depopulated. As this year's culling approaches, a group of unfortunate children are about to discover the answer first-hand, but thanks to an unexpected twist of fate, one of them will score the chance to play the role of the hunter instead of the prey. This was an attempt at writing something darker than my usual fare. The story I actually ended up with isn't as mean to the MC as I'd originally planned out, to the point that I'm not sure the story deserves the horror/grimdark tags anymore, but this is still an unfair world with unambiguously evil antagonists. Chapters are short to start with, but get longer once the first act is over. Published here and Scribble Hub.
34.37 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 16:03
XKARNATION | horror | Complete
Book one of this novel is being reuploaded after a round of professional editing: Here Victor awakens in a new world with a body taller than the trees, composed of pure darkness and far too many eyes. He had become a Netherborne, a legendary creature from the void that does not tire nor die. Instead, they consume all that lives until there is no more. Legends say when a Netherborne is summoned to the mortal plane, civilizations that stood for centuries are toppled overnight while their nobles evacuate to the seas. As a being from the void, the world fights his existence. However, resistance is futilethe prey can only run. But what happens when a human mind inhabits such a creature? Does only destruction await, or will there be a new age of civilization? Victor is about to find out. [Kingdom Building] [OP Undead MC] [Isekai] [Strong to Stronger]
69.53 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:39
Monsoon117 | horror | Complete
There once was a world formed by a god known as Gaia. She filled the seas and crafted the skies. She dominated her world with a fist of iron and ice. That is, until the Darkened One came. Born a mere man, The Darkened One traveled across the land like a plague, tearing Gaia's control away. In his legends, he stood tall and towering with skin gray as ash. If you defied him, he would eat your flesh from your bones, savoring your screams. He killed kings, brought nightmares to life, and devoured the remnants of Gaia. His legend will be told throughout time. Care to hear of it? Here is the sequel: Jehovah's Harmony Here is my other fiction: Biomancer: Songs of Sirens Proud initiate of The Order of Phantasmal Architects. A group of authors of quality original fiction. See link for other great works though not as good as mine...jk
115.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:33
In a world of sky islands orbiting around a core of mist, humanity is besieged with countless threats. When a young girl from the slums unwittingly becomes one of those threats, she finds herself capable of horrific things that she can't help but learn to love... Vigor Mortis is a lighthearted story about existential terror. Come for the horror, stay for the hope. Updates Fridays. Enjoy the read!
456.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:39
[This is a reimagining of the story The Tutorial is Too Hard by Gandara.] On New Year's Eve, Lee Ho-Jae decides that he wants to die. The universe seems to hear him for the first time in his entire life, and just as the clock hits 00:00, a message pops up inviting him to the Tutorial. Lee Ho-Jae accepts. But at the prompt to choose the difficulty level, is there anything the former pro gamer can do but pick the very hardest--appropriately titled Hell? And so begins Ho-Jae's true descent into Hell in every conceivable form, thrusting him into a world where pain is the currency needed to gain power, and the only ally he has is his own flesh and blood. It doesn't take much for the human mind to crack and crumble, but to build it up again is even harder. In the spiral of white madness that Ho-Jae finds himself tumbling into, will a hand reach towards him and pull him out, or will he just drag them down with them? [This version of the story has now been concluded; the story continues in "A Gamer's Guide to Beating the Tutorial" from the same chapter as it ended from] This story is loosely based on the concept and story by Gandara, but is apart from the setting and name of the main character different on almost every conceivable level. You do not need to read the original story to read this, and doing so will change very little of your experience with the story. It is almost recommended not to read the original if you enjoyed this one since the original has a vastly more lighthearted tone in comparison. Thank you, and I hope you'll enjoy the story!
138.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:40
Mike Spivak | horror | Complete
Fate conspires to unite Cody, a grieving man who lost all he held dear, and Suzy, an eldritch abomination from beyond the stars. Together they attempt to save humanity from yet another end of the world. They will travel beyond time and space! They will face madness, violence and greasy food! They will laugh, cry and fight for the sake of all mankind. Spoiler: Spoiler They will also fail. This story will update infrequently for the last of its run. WARNING: This story contains violence, swearing, sex, many depictions of suicide and dark subject matter. Reader discretion is advised. This story is considered NSFW.
78.71 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:11
Elysium July | horror | Complete
The kids warned you not to enter the forest, but you didn't listen. Now, you're stuck with nothing but your dead phone and the clothes on your back. You will experience a series of strange events, which include meeting an entity who calls himself Lone Man. Learn more about the forest, the cursed people, and all its strangeness, but don't forget that you have to survive. Remember, your choices influence not only your future but also the characters and the plot itself. The choice is yours to make. There are over 20 different endings! There's only one rule in this game: trust the Lone Man. Warning: Do not read this book from beginning to end. There are options to choose from at the end of each page. Do not try to get all the endings at once; you'll be confused. GO TO PAGE 1 Originally made as a Tiktok slideshow game. Check out my TikTok: @elysiumjuly.
31.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 15:12
NolanConrey | horror | Complete
The Sapient Union city-ship Craton, twenty-five light years out from Sol have an encounter with a terrifying life-form. The giant entity, known as a Leviathan, has been asleep for deep ages of time, but now . . . they may have woken it up. Other-Terrestrial is a hard sci-fi story with cosmic horror elements.
15.57 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:53
DWinchester | horror | Complete
[June 2023 Royal Road Magazine Contest Entry] This story is a work of Lovecraftian horror set in the 1920s, detailing the inexplicable happenings at the Bergen Estate, and the only one Josephine can turn to for help is a 200-year-old vampire. Though she has thwarted many smaller evils, and is not without her own powers, sometimes only a monster can hope to defeat another monster.
6.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:43
fsarbolaez | horror | Complete
While checking for squatters in an abandoned building marked for demolition, the contractors found a room containing the body of a missing tech entrepreneur, who appeared to have died of natural causes. When authorities were investigating the room, they noticed that the walls were covered in scribblings, scrawls, and old headlines. According to forensics and detective work, the following are all in chronological order:... *A one-shot story (Content Warning: Contains gore and body horror)
0.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:33
Starsail Nightmare | horror | Complete
Alexandra Bedford is a weapon, a young woman with telekinetic powers capable of leveling entire cities, born to fight in the desolate remains of post-apocalyptic North America. There is only one problem: she may be losing control of her abilities. Sixteen years after a global pandemic devastated the earth's population, the lines in the old United States have been drawn between the Cheyenne Directorate in Colorado and the New England Alliance on the East Coast. The Directorate, of which Alexandra is a part, is a small but powerful organization dedicated to returning the country to its former glory. However, when a diplomatic mission to the New England Alliance goes wrong, Alexandra finds herself at the center of a bloody civil war. Battles are fought on the old highways and in dilapidated towns and once-great cities. And as the conflict escalates, all of North America faces the threat of being burnt away by nuclear fire. Against this backdrop of war, Alexandra tries to uncover the long-hidden secrets behind the plague, her abilities, and the two men fighting to decide the fate of the United States - Henry Bedford, Alexandra's father and leader of the Directorate, and John Martin, the mysterious figure at the heart of the New England Alliance who may hold the key to everything she seeks. None of this will matter, however, unless Alexandra can prevent the power growing inside her from taking over and consuming the very world she is fighting to save. Author's Notes: I appreciate you taking a look at my novel, The Girl from the Mountain. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, military thrillers, and/or cosmic horror, I think you'll enjoy this story. I completed the novel's first draft back in 2011 and made significant changes in 2016. Since then, I've more-or-less sat on the manuscript while working on other projects. Thanks to a bit of prodding, I've decided to send this story out into the wild with some touch-ups and additional revisions. I welcome any comments or criticisms, and I hope you enjoy The Girl from the Mountain!
137.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-19 15:30
Cosmic deities? Ha! They're far more than that. They are our universe and its masters, and the masters of all other worlds, their flesh being the space between. They are the creators, the destroyers, preservers. Alpha and Omega. Their immortal servants are mistaken for demons and angels on the world of plain and stupid mortals, and although we may call ourselves their descendants, our divine blood has been so diluted and our eyes have grown so rotten that we can no longer see them without going mad upon a mere glance at the outline of their shadows. No, instead we delude ourselves, thinking we can hurt them by battling with their ageless, yet barely killable abominations of children, just like the old Mad King, and just like me. Baron Arthur Grey of Oxfordshire. A fool and a coward, who's fear of losing his own world, led him to lose a free one.
1.40 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:32
Detective Constable Walker is tasked with following the investigation of a recently deceased oxford academic. However as he unravels the mystery, he finds it to not be entirely human. *** Won the Short Story competition for my year, so I thought it would be worth sharing. If it seems rushed, there was a 1500 word limit. Thanks. And yes, I like the Weeknd if you couldn't tell.
0.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 11:57
NOT ACTUALLY COMPLETED Can't figure out how to remove the "Completed" tag :P Update 02/29/24: Working on chapter 12 Voracity - A low-fantasy romance steeped in pain, misery, and an internal hunger bent on consuming the most sane of us all. Thomas is a gentle person, too innocent for his own good. He's kind, thoughtful, and caring. Tragedy befalls the compassionate man and he's torn from his peace by the violent, strangling grip of anguish. Can he remain the kind-hearted man he's always been, or will he slip into dark depths occupied only by those with cracked minds and wicked thoughts as he embarks on the journey of a lifetime, or does he even have a choice? The story is a bit of a slow burn to start, but I promise you'll be rewarded for sticking around. I hope you enjoy Thomas's journey through the dark as he slips into madness.
28.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:23
Hokage of Literature | horror | Complete
When Calvin finds a knife walking home he is engrossed with its tempting powers and learns of its means of bringing back a loved oneat the cost of killing a human. He kills his brother, Nathan, in order to ressurrect his life's love, Yui. However, complications arise when his brother rises from the grave as a flesh-eating monster bent on gaining untold power. And what's worse is Yui seems to have memories of when she was deada mystery that could have bigger implications than humanity could understand.
29.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 11:54
Dreiki has a promise.His lowborn mother walks the path towards nobility as a Venator Knight. The day he turned ten, his mother was called upon to rejoin the battlefield. Before leaving, she warned Dreiki never to show anyone the brand on his shoulder especiallya noble.He promised he'd survive until she got back, but a shadowy pursuer has other plans.Kaara has a curse. Everyone sees Kaara as an energetic and helpful child. No one, not even Kaara, would've suspected she'd been cursed from birth. But one night, Kaara overheard the truth. Horrid monsters are drawn to her, bringing chaos and death with them.If she told anyone about her curse, would they see her differently?Amaro has a burden.The scar across his nose is lauded among other xiozians as a badge of honor. But to him, it's a reminder of the day his father stopped being his father to become 'Duke Xirxus'. As the eldest child, any sign of weakness means war for his family. Amaro's future is a path bathed in bloody conflict and sacrifice.And Amaro doesn't wish to walk it any farther.-----------------------------------------------------------New Chapters posted daily at 6:07PM CST!I also want to thank everyone for the support and kind words. Even if this book is incomplete in a lot of ways, I'm happy the story is resonating with everyone. If you guys wanna go above and beyond to help me out and support me, all I ask is that you share this book with other people and give it the rating you feel it deserves.Feedback is always welcome too. I plan on using the feedback to create a more finalized draft for a potential audiobook or EBook. I don't think anything so unfinished as this web novel should be paid for, but it would be a dream come true if I could eventually make a living off of my writing and share my story with the world. So in the end, your feedback and sharing this story with people helps me get closer to that goal.Thanks again for the support!
180.46 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:11
(Y/N - your name) After years away from your home town, you return to the old pizzeria, this time not as a guest but as a nightwatch worker.
7.84 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 13:54
A team of bioengineering specialists has been sent to a secret location managed by the mysterious political power known only as the Coalition to develop new technologies in the fields of biological and cybernetic warfare. Just when it seems like they are about to make the breakthrough of the century, the lab goes dark. Join the cleanup crew as they force their way back into the complex and investigate what went wrong, and uncover something that could change the way humans interact forever...
43.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:59
