'The Watcher' was created as an entry in the 2026 Tempest Owl - 1000 word Pro Battle as part of Writing Battle.

Three prompts were provided: Biopunk (genre), Prophet (character), and Plunger (object). The battle requires writers to incorporate all prompts within the story, in this battle the word limit was a maximum of 1,000. Writing Battle is an online writing competition and author support community. The Watcher made it into the final eight stories before being knocked out.

It was the first time I tried to write in the biopunk genre and my first writing battle. It was a fantastic experience. I had great fun participating.

I hope you enjoy the story.