Using Dark Vision to approach the terrified girl, Angel bent down and gave her a hug. Only when she felt the trembling body in her arms gradually calm did she whisper:
"Don't be afraid. Dominic sent me to save you."
"Th-thank you..." The girl, who had been bravely trying to save herself just moments ago, now spoke with a sobbing tone. "I thought he'd been taken too. I... I was so scared..."
Angel took out her dagger and cut the ropes binding Sonia's hands and feet, then helped the girl to her feet and led her from the dark room into the corridor, where there was still a faint glimmer of light.
With her vision restored, Sonia looked curiously at the woman who had saved her and could not help asking:
"I don't think I've seen you before. Did Dominic ask you to help? Where is he now?"
Actually, I'm Dominic. Angel had wanted to make that joke, but seeing the tears still hanging on Sonia's face, she could not bring herself to tease her.
"He's downstairs drawing the gangsters' attention. The faster we get out of here, the safer he'll be."
With Sonia in tow, Angel crossed the empty corridor and reached the stairs leading down to the first-floor hall. The boy named Ian, whom she had rescued earlier, was peering cautiously out from the stairwell. Hearing their footsteps, he shuddered in fright.
"It's you... So that's the girl you came to save? Congratulations on finding her." Ian, though young, spoke with remarkable maturity. "There's a lot of gunfire outside. It sounds like two groups are fighting. We need to find another way out."
"That's my companion drawing their attention. We'll go through the back door. I came in from there just now—"
Boom—
Before Angel could finish, a