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The Following Content is for 18+; the content present within this Short Story is Sexual in nature.
Content Has Been Updated as of: 26.06.2025
The Coming From the Shadows Series
Coming From the Shadows: Lydia
Connected Stories:
- T.I.C: The Crete Disaster – Surviving the Imperium: Morgan’s Escape and Redemption
- Coming From the Shadows T.I.C: Aftermath – Dreadnought and Betrayal: The War Against the Imperium
- Thomas’ Love – Santorini Secrets: Passion and Pain in 1911
- The Imperium Chronicles: The Scars of Crete – The Rise and Fall of the Cult of the Minotaur in Crete
- T.I.C: The Dying Flame – The Dying Flame: A Tale of the Imperium
- T.I.C: William’s War – The Rise of William Smythe: A Dreadnought’s Fury
Coming From the Shadows
The Dark Chronicles:
Thomas’ Love
Background:
The Imperium; a Shadowy organisation that acted as the unifying body of various Cultist Groups since ancient times, all unified in a single goal; to find and Free their Dark Celestial Master – initially opposed since Ancient times by beings simply called the ‘Guardians’ though, as the Imperium’s influence and strength grew, with a growing influence over Kings and Queens; the Imperium twisted the powerful Kingdoms into tools of their will, using Religious tension to create conflict that allowed them to fight the Guardians – by the Medieval period, those same Guardians began to dwindle, but a new challenge had begun – the ‘Hunters’ a disorganised group of Anti-Imperium fighters from various different nationalities and cultures.
The ‘Hunters’ would launch their on campaigns from the shadows, undermining the Imperium’s operations, sowing tension and discord, though, the Imperium always managed to retain their control over the powerful through the exploitation of Greed and the easily corrupted systems of power.
In the British Empire it was here that one lineage in particular came into focus – The Langdon Family..
On December the 21st of 1872; Evelyn gave birth to her and Cyril’s first and only child; a daughter they would name; Cathryn, but, at the same time that night, they found themselves needing to flee as the Cult of the Minotaur led at the time by Elias Smythe began the purging of the Hunters within Britain,
Fifteen Years later though Cathryn found herself orphaned in 1887 when her parents were killed, subsequently Cathryn would be adopted by Anne Smythe – unintentionally exposing Cathryn to George; Anne’s cousin who would manipulate and eventually force Cathryn into an abusive marriage that would sire twin daughters.
Elizabeth and Lydia twin girls born in December of 1890, with eldest; Elizabeth being born on the 20th during the later hours and Lydia as the youngest being born on the 21st within the early hours, separated by a few hours – Elizabeth would become the Loyal Daughter while Lydia, however aligned much closer to their mother; Cathryn’s moral compass which was seen as weakness – in 1900 Lydia would find herself alone when George separated forcibly removed her mother; Cathryn from the Smythe Estate after one of Cathryn’s own allies acted against George, leading him to punish Cathryn despite her having no involvement, he used Cathryn’s role as a mother against her to try breaking her.
In 1905, Lydia would eventually escape; an event caused by her older half-brother; William who would set fire to the Manor and reunite with her mother; Cathryn after 5-Years of separation.
After reuniting with her mother; Lydia would flee to Spain alongside Cathryn and a mysterious man simply known as ‘The Monk’ and eventually begin training – Lydia would evolve from a timid child to a weapon, blending her initial education on emotional suppression and using the shadows to move unseen; advancing beyond what her father had initially begun teaching, her experiences with new training allowed Lydia to learn to blend in unseen amongst the crowd , aided by the deceptively angelic looks.
For Lydia’s internal conflict though was nothing short of a battlefield; a desperate desire to live a normal life, in 1907, she would encounter Thomas Davidson; a British soldier when she and her mother, along with her adopted sister; Norina had come to interfere with Cultist searching in the Himalayan Mountains – the initial meeting between Lydia and Thomas was one of distrust for Lydia – viewing him as a threat due to his role as a soldier, her early education by her father dominating her initial beliefs that soldiers blindly served the Imperium due to their shadowy manipulation of Kings and Queens.
Though this would shift; Wilson; Thomas’ commanding officer would lead his soldiers to help her and her mother reach the temple they had come searching for as repayment for Lydia’s earlier assistance to get them safely out of a trap Lydia herself had helped create specifically for Cultists.
From the first interaction though; Thomas took a liking to Lydia and pushed as much as he could to get to know her regardless of her hostility – it was due to his rescue months later in 1908 in Egypt things would shift things, Lydia would start to trust, but only barely.
Thomas, and his fellow soldier; a Kenyan-Born man named; Miquel, would join Cathryn and her group, assisting them and providing them suggestions using military techniques that became useful to the group – Lydia herself began to feel new emotions the more Thomas remained around, emotions she had never experienced usually confiding her personal feelings into her journal, but still struggled to articulate the truth of what she felt, barely understanding the feelings she felt.
After an event in Greece in that year of 1908 reunited her with her older sister; Elizabeth, the one-loyal-daughter-turned ally after George so casualty cast Elizabeth aside due to how Lydia had developed and grown into such a formidable weapon, Elizabeth had to begin learning to adapt to the Anti-Cultist approach, often clashing with Lydia.
Forced to work together in 1909; the twin siblings clashed often until Lydia suffered a fall forcing Elizabeth to carry her to safety and later, Lydia would save Elizabeth from a vengeful Japanese woman that came to attack Elizabeth for her part in the Cultists appearance within Japan.
Escaping Australia to Siam; Lydia would find herself encountering Albert – a man selected by George Smythe to marry Lydia, against Lydia’s consent; during the capture, Lydia would be reunited with Thomas and his military regiment during her transport from Siam to Burma, after falling into a river and nearly drowning, it was Thomas that came to her rescue – a reunion that draw Lydia’s emotions to the forefront, the vulnerability and closeness had clicked into place regardless of er understanding of what she felt.
And following a series of events from Burma to Egypt to Italy; Thomas and his friend; Miquel would official join the group on a permanent basis; Thomas adopted a role of Lydia’s companion, always accompanying her on any assignment or objective she undertook, fostering a close and strong bond.
Introduction:
The 18th of December, 1911 A.D.
The Mountains South of Heraklion
After learning of George’s intention to travel to Crete; Cathryn set out her goal to prevent George from accessing a temple hidden within the mountains; sending word via telegram to a safehouse in Istanbul; Lydia, Elizabeth, Norina, alongside allies; The Serbian ex-Soldier; Damir and Manchu National; Xian and British soldiers; Thomas and Miquel, the group converged to meet Cathryn before setting off to intercept the Cultist of the Cult of the Minotaur and their leader George.
Unbeknownst to the group though; William was also present – having been planning out his intentions for so long, organising and orchestrating allies and friends alike, acquiring the support of powerful individuals within the British Empire, and exposing the Imperium to key influential men and women in power, William used the British Dreadnought, anchored in the Port of Heraklion to launch a bombardment of the position, creating massive chaos and destruction – though the consequences of his action wouldn’t become clear until days later.
At the impact site though, Lydia witnessed the supposed death of her mother after watching as William stamped on her hand, forcing her to fall alongside her father into a crate created by the destruction; the action which would spark a massive shift in Lydia’s emotional walls, her initial reaction taking Thomas’ revolver to open fire on William before setting off to chase him pulled Thomas into going after Lydia.
William would escape his vengeful sister; but, the emotional consequences of what had happened began flooding Lydia’s senses; it drove her to escape the group, unable to continue travelling with them, and needing to escape; Thomas, the ever constant companion refused to let her go off alone, and decided to follow her.
Chapter 1:
The 24th of December, 1911 A.D.
The Island of Thera (Santorini)
Seven Days.
It had been Seven days since the events in Crete, in her desperation to escape, Lydia finally arrived to the Island of Thera, she had become aware pretty early on about Thomas’ presence; but, he had kept his distance, merely following in the event she needed someone, she was fine with that, it was not invasive to her current state, though she did make attempts to have him leave, to return back to the group – but he would persist regardless.
Lydia had no destination in mind; she had no idea where she was even going, she just needed to escape; and Thomas, feeling fear for her mental state followed her every move, he saw exactly how it had all impacted her, she was physically messy; her Long Raven-Dark Hair was usually tied neatly back or even in a bun depending on what action she would be taking, and her Silvery-Grey eyes…, well, he could see her emotions bubbling to the surface by the obvious look of vulnerability within them.
Lydia was in pain; and she did not know how to handle those emotions.
If Thomas had learned anything over the year; it was just how disciplined she was, but it came at a grave cost, she suppressed and locked away her emotions, it allowed her to take lives, to do the work that she did without regret, al that training she had been forced to undertake for so long.
Now; it was all coming up, all those experiences, all that training – the act of betrayal performed by her Older Half-Brother, how he sacrificed her mother to ensure George’s death; she was now struggling to maintain control.
During the late hours, they simply walked in silence; Thomas was keeping watch over her, the emotionless expression that was present was cracking, it was clear how she was at war inside her own head, internally struggling with herself.
Eventually, they came to a stop; they had stopped within the charred remains of an ancient city, when Lydia stopped, Thomas abruptly stopped too, he simply watched her before casting a quick glance about the ruins – it had most likely would have been a once-thriving city, but, now it had been snuffed out by a volcanic eruption – he then returned his attention towards Lydia “I’m tired” she said quietly
She seemed distracted, but it was her tone that struck Thomas as odd.
Usually she carried a strength to her voice that indicated to her fierce nature when she spoke; a fierce determination, but now, that wasn’t there.
He questioned if she meant she wanted to sleep, or if it held a different meaning “Shall we rest here?” he queried gentle, slowly moving closer
Chapter 2:
Lydia sensed Thomas’ movement by the subtle sounds of the ground; she didn’t both to look though “Why?” she simply asked without looking, her voice devoid of emotion “It wont make a difference, I’ll still feel tired; an hour, two…, three…, it doesn’t matter” she said, sounding more defeated
“Lydia” Thomas eased around her slowly coming to a stop once in front of her; he felt as though something could spiral out of control very quickly if he wasn’t careful – she was clearly not stable mentally, her emotions, while things she didn’t truly comprehend made her a potentially volatile threat when combined with her skills – her control was slipping, constantly she was close to exploding, there had been moments during their travel that those bubbling emotions had nearly boiled over entirely, it was noticeable due to her voice getting unusually louder over a simple frustration
“Why are you here?” she questioned; shifting her eyes and finally looking at him
“You know why” he answered softly; watching her carefully, he knew he had to be careful, to be delicate in his approach and choose his words carefully
“No!” she snapped narrowing her eyes as she glanced away “I mean why are you bothering with me!; why did you come looking and searching for me, you’ll end up the same, I am not worth pursuing!, I can’t find any form of happiness, this damn life wont let me!” she shouted, her mood had fully switched like the flip of a switch, from her previous calm to her boiling rage, her expression now displaying her anger
“I made a promise to you….” He started; though Lydia interrupted him, her voice raised
“Promises mean nothing!; my mum…, my mum promised….” She felt her voice tremble as she began to stammer “She promised…., she promised to keep me safe, she couldn’t…, she said I wouldn’t have to live like this, that I could have a normal life….” Her voice trembled as she backed away from Thomas, her body shook as she turned away, moving her hands up to her head “Shut up!”
Thomas raised his eyebrow; one moment she was focusing her anger, but that follow up, that ‘Shut Up’ didn’t seem to be directed towards him, it felt as though it was directed at something else entirely “I never said anything”
“Not you!” she snapped “This damn whispering, I always hear it, it wont stop, it wont leave me alone; it never ceases!” she shouts; the more she continued though the less and less sense she seemed to make, she had far too much going on, she could no longer process things or maintain control
Moving away from Thomas; Lydia kept her hands against her head; her fingers pressuring the top of her skull as she dug her fingers into her hair, gripping her head tightly as she closed her eyes “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Lydia simply began babbling incoherently to herself, she completed stopped communicating with Thomas.
There was far too many thoughts racing through her head; her childhood, the lives she took, her near drowning in 1909, the second encounter with Albert where he attempted to assault her, but most importantly – the events at Crete – they all simply looped in her head.
But it wasn’t just memories; the possession of a mysterious box within the confines of her bag that at present as dangling down against her side with its strap crossed over her body to the opposite shoulder; the usual location her Jian sword often hung – but, the box; a strange intricate thing with no discernible means to open it had been a constant ‘companion’ with her since her escape from her father’s Estate in 1905.
Chapter 3:
With her thoughts all over the place, the addition of the eerie whispering that she could once ignore, only amplified her desperation and heightened emotions; she could not contain anything, then; she felt it, something she was not use too, she stopped suddenly.
She traced her fingers against the wetness trailing down her face, it caught her off-guard; she had tears.
From where Thomas was standing, he could see Lydia’s body starting to tremblel her movements though indicated confusion in response “Lydia?”
“Am I…, crying?” Lydia questioned, her voice trembling; she didn’t turn to face Thomas, she was in a heightened state of confusion and emotional turmoil, her breathing was heavy
Approaching slowly; Thomas reached out, gently placing his hand against her shoulder and gently giving her a squeeze; it startled Lydia when he did this; she seemed like she had forgotten he was even there as she turned to face him “You’re not use to these types of emotions”
“What was your first clue!” she snapped angrily; her voice though just trembled, she felt as though she sounded weak; pathetic, she couldn’t stand it, it was only increasing her frustration, her anger; she didn’t like being vulnerable, she started to become more and more fidgety, Thomas could see how agitated she was becoming – he felt as though he knew what was coming.
“I made you a promise; and I will keep it” he tells her “There is nothing you can do or say that will scare me away” he leaned so he could look directly into her eyes, placing his hands towards his thighs as he lowered himself more to Lydia’s height
Lydia simply stared at him through blurred vision; Thomas simply appeared distorted from her perspective, moving her hands up, she frantically began clearing her eyes, but then, she stopped – something seemed to suddenly click in place, her attention fully shifted onto Thomas, despite how her vision blurred him – she suddenly moved forwards, he was directly at her height, he was close, but, the movement did cause him to lift up a little as a reflex, but Lydia simply reached for him almost by instinct pushing herself upwards to maintain that same height with him even if it meant pushing up onto the tips of her toes to do so; her arms brought his head back down to her; she kissed him – she kissed him deeply.
Thomas was surprised by this action, after a moment of hesitation, he gently put his arms around her waist as he felt her body against his, he drew her in closer, subtly lifting her up to help her effort as he kissed her back, they remained locked within that embrace for a moment until Lydia finally stopped – she simply stared up at him.
Slowly, Thomas raised his hand, stroking his thumb against the streaks of tears rolling down her face.
They didn’t say anything; they simply stared at one another that felt like a very long time – but in truth, it was only a short moment, when Lydia ushed herself upwards again, he leaned in, Lydia locked her lips against his; Thomas felt her arms pulling him close as he did the same.
The moment though deepened; escalating as the kissing became more intense and intimate; Lydia could feel the warmth of his mouth against hers as she kissed him with a raw desperation and longing,
Thomas began taking the lead within their interaction that Lydia had initiated; slowly, he eased her back, being careful to make sure she doesn’t trip or stumble.
Lydia could feel the movement, and offered no resistance to his direction; she kept her eyes closed as she kissed him.
Chapter 4:
As Thomas manoevured Lydia back; they reached the wall of an old ruined building, Thomas moved his hands from her waist, pulling back briefly as he pulled her bag upwards to get the strap off over her head and dropped it to the ground before pushing her jacket off of her shoulders, causing it to fall down along her arms and onto the ground.
Locking his eyes with hers; he could see there was no confusion within that moment, Lydia knew exactly what she was doing, and she wanted him to keep going.
It had only been a moment ago that her feelings of vulnerability was causing her anger to boil over, but here, right now with Thomas; she felt safe, she felt as though she really could be vulnerable around someone for the first time, the realisation had dawned on her in the moment she was so close to a mental break; she actually loved Thomas, feelings she was no use too – they weren’t misguided or an infatuation; she really did love him.
Thomas could still feel Lydia’s slender frame tremble against him, gently he traced his fingers down along her spine sending shivers down Lydia in response to his touch, being pressed so close together, the height difference was very telling, but, he could feel her heart was pounding – this wasn’t what he had initially been expecting.
Originally, he believed she was going to lash out at him, turn violent – instead, this intimate response had happened instead.
She was ready for him; he could feel it – he knew it, leaning toward her, he kissed her again, it was much more gentle this time than their initial aggressive kissing, as his lips brushed against hers, she felt the tenderness, the love as she responded, it made her melt into his embrace.
Lydia responded eagerly; her hands, initially hesitant, began to explore – she grew in confidence the more intimate they got, this was something entirely new for Lydia, though, she suspected it wasn’t the case for Thomas; it was obvious by the way he moved he knew what he was doing, and was clearly experienced – but, the feelings of being safe and that she was loved spurred her on.
Then; she felt something that made her stop a moment, she felt something firm against her that made her suddenly wary, but yet, at the same time she still wanted to keep going – Thomas gently cupped Lydia’s face into his hands, easing her face slightly up to lock eyes with her, he wanted to be certain she wanted to keep going “I love you Lydia” he told her, she knew he meant it “But.., I need to know; do you want me to keep going, if you want me to stop, I will, I want to make love to you, but only if you want to keep going”
She stared at him, she felt the wetness of tears in her eyes again, what was only a second of a pause, felt much longer to Lydia as she processed his words, though it was ‘Love’ that she was mostly fixated on; ‘He Loved Her’ in a whisper, she answered him “I love you too; I want this…, I want you”
He leaned into her; he kissed her again, there was much more passion, much more love behind this act; Lydia felt his tongue enter her mouth, he had begun to explore her body with his hands, it sent so many odd sensations across her, when he unbuttoned her top, his hands found their way to her breasts, his fingers teased and she couldn’t help be let a soft moan of pleasure escape her lips.
Lydia could barely contain her sounds; she had initially been exploring his body with equal vigour, but the sensations that sent her body shivering left her unable to really move; her body felt new pleasures she had never felt before as she became somewhat more passive as Thomas continued to take the lead.
As he Thomas further explored; he slowly shifted to begin kissing along her neck causing Lydia’s head to tilt back on an angle; she just felt herself shivering uncontrollably.
Chapter 5:
Beginning to move his hands down further; he slid his hands into the waist of her skirt for a moment, his hand rested against her stomach briefly before pushing downwards before he eased his hand back and began to lift Lydia’s skirt upwards, Lydia regaining a little more control of her body managed to move her hands towards his pants – and not much longer after, Thomas had positioned himself between her legs, lifting her upwards.
Lydia stared lustfully into Thomas’ eyes as her legs wrapped around his waist once she was no longer on the ground, her bac firmly against the wall; then , he had entered her; her eyes widened and she shifted forwards suddenly locking her arms around him as she rested her head against his shoulder, she felt a moment of pain – her sudden movement causes Thomas to stop his movement though; simply letting her adjust to this new sensation.
He had filled her completely as she clung to him, her eyes still wide as she simply stared over his shoulder; she heard him say something, initially she wasn’t even sure what he said, until he repeated with a gentle but concerned voice “Do you want me to continue?” he had asked; Lydia simply nodded her head slowly
Thomas’ movements were slow at first; as Lydia eased her head away from his shoulder, she looked into his eyes, staring lovingly, with a desperate longing for him as he too savoured the moment; he could see by her expressions and increased breathing she was being overwhelmed by all of the new sensations.
His movements picked up a rhythmic pace that just sent her mind blank entirely, she couldn’t focus on anything but that moment – but, it would inevitably come to conclusion and when it did, Lydia clung desperately to Thomas, her arms and legs wrapped firmly around him, she was breathing deeply, it simply had felt incredible for her.
Initially, he kept Lydia in her current position, he knew she would have difficulties after her first experience and when she finally did want putting back down – she realised why Thomas hadn’t immediately done so, and why he was so gentle, clearly unbalanced, she required Thomas’ support even as he adjusted his pants he kept close in case she stumbled.
As he straightened up, he chuckled lightly before helping her sit down, easing himself down beside her.
There was no further words said; Lydia simply leaned in, snuggling against Thomas; attempting to get as close as she could against him, her eyes felt heavy and they just sat in silence, though Lydia would be unable to fight off sleep, as Thomas felt her body slump limply against him, the gentle, even breathing of her body – Thomas smiled.
Thomas knew how much Lydia had gone through, but he had given her something that finally let her feel safe enough to feel vulnerability, he vowed to himself he wouldn’t break that promise, in the silence of the night, he simply let Lydia sleep against her, gently easing his arms around her and letting her get much needed rest.
Written By: Westley H.
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