🌟NO GOING BACK🌟

CHAPTER FIVE

🩷 TALIA 🩷

Talia sat at her desk, her fingers lightly tapping the edge of her keyboard as her eyes unfocused on the screen in front of her. The familiar hum of the office was soothing—people talking in low voices, the occasional clicking of a mouse, the rattle of a printer in the corner. But nothing felt quite right today.

Her mind kept drifting. To him. To Ronan.

She shook her head, trying to push the thought aside, but the image of his intense gaze lingered. She’d barely slept the night before, the remnants of her dream still clinging to her. There was something in it—something cold, a warning, but she couldn’t remember the details. All she could recall was the feeling of something creeping through the shadows, something that made her skin crawl. The dream hadn’t made sense, but it didn’t have to.

The sensation of eyes watching her in the café from earlier was still fresh in her mind. Every time she looked up from her screen, she half-expected someone to be standing in her doorway, watching her, waiting.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard again as a notification popped up on her screen. She clicked it without thinking, opening an email from a client that was supposed to be routine. But the words didn’t make sense.

I know what you are. Don’t try to run.

Talia’s heart skipped a beat, her fingers trembling as she pulled the email back up. The words were still there, clear as day. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and reread it. The message was dated from a few minutes ago.

This isn't funny, she thought, but a shiver ran down her spine nonetheless. She quickly clicked the email closed, hands clammy as she tried to convince herself it was spam or some kind of sick joke. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t.

She stared at the screen, struggling to refocus.

Her coworkers, usually a welcome distraction, weren’t helping today. They were talking about weekend plans and office gossip, but Talia’s thoughts were elsewhere. It was like an itch she couldn’t scratch. She couldn’t get rid of the weight on her chest, the feeling that something was out of place.

The office door swung open, and her boss, Allison, walked in, her heels clicking on the floor.

“Hey, Talia, can you stay late tonight? The Johnson account needs some last-minute updates, and you’re the best for this kind of thing.” Allison gave her a warm smile, though Talia could tell there was something more beneath the surface. She’d always been able to read people—another gift, or curse, depending on the day.

“Yeah, no problem,” Talia replied, her voice flat.

“Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”

Allison turned and left, and Talia sat there for a moment, letting the quiet settle back in. Her thoughts kept returning to that strange email. Who had sent it? Why? And why did she feel like she wasn’t the only one who had noticed her?

---

That evening, as Talia headed home, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. The streetlights flickered slightly as she walked, casting long shadows that stretched across the sidewalk. Each step she took felt heavier, as though the world around her was closing in.

She reached her apartment, and the minute she opened the door, something felt wrong. The air was thick, charged in a way she couldn’t explain. It wasn’t just the usual dust or the stale air of an apartment that hadn’t been aired out in a few days. This was different.

Talia stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. The lamps were all off, and the quiet buzz of her refrigerator was the only sound. Yet something felt... off.

She walked toward the kitchen and froze. The small trinket dish on her counter was empty.

She hadn’t touched it that morning. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d moved it. It was where she kept her spare change, some old receipts, and a small, unremarkable rock she’d picked up years ago on a hiking trip. But now? It was completely bare.

Her breath caught in her throat. Was she losing her mind?

Talia ran a hand over her face, trying to dismiss the feeling of dread crawling over her skin. She turned to the living room, where the curtains were drawn tightly. As she reached for them, a sharp, sudden chill ran down her spine.

Then the air shifted, and she felt something—or someone—close behind her.

“Hello, Talia.”

The voice came from the shadows, low and smooth, wrapping around her like a snake. She whipped around, her heart pounding in her chest, but there was no one there.

The chill remained, hanging in the air as if something invisible was present, watching.

---

The next day, Talia found herself in the café again, though she wasn’t sure why. She had tried to push everything out of her mind—her eerie feeling, the strange occurrences at her apartment—but they followed her like shadows, constant and unshakable.

She stood in line, her thoughts swirling when the door opened. Her heart skipped a beat before she even looked up.

Ronan.

He strode in as if he owned the place, his presence undeniable. His tailored coat brushed the doorframe, and everyone seemed to instinctively move aside. Talia’s throat went dry, and she instinctively looked away, pretending she hadn’t noticed. But her gaze kept flicking back to him, and she couldn’t help it.

He ordered, his voice deep and smooth, the kind that sent a shiver down her spine. He turned as if sensing her presence, and his eyes met hers across the room.

Talia felt her breath catch. The connection was instant, magnetic, and undeniable. For a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning. She could feel the weight of his gaze, as if he were seeing straight into her.

Then, without warning, he turned away and stepped toward the counter.

She exhaled, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for her own cup. But she couldn’t escape the feeling that he was watching her, even from the other side of the room. And the strange, twisted pull between them only grew stronger with every passing second.

---

Later that evening, after another long day at work, Talia found herself once again standing in front of the mirror at home. She had a strange sense of disconnection from herself—like she was watching someone else.

Something was shifting inside her, something she couldn’t explain. She was being pulled in too many directions. There was the mysterious force—whatever it was—that was watching her. There was Ronan, with his magnetic presence and unreadable intentions. And there was the growing fear that whatever was happening to her was only the beginning.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from an unknown number:

You’re in danger. Stay away from him. He’s not what he seems.

Talia’s heart froze. Him. Ronan. But why? And who was this? The message was signed with a strange symbol she didn’t recognize.

Her hand shook as she set the phone down, the weight of her growing realization settling in. There was no going back. Not now.