Sophia just woke up to find herself and her mother tied up. She is very angry. Sophia struggled to escape from the rope tied around her wrists Sophia: Damn it,quickly untie me and my mother.

Lily yelped when she heard the voice as she was still asleep. Her body trembled in fear, not sure if this was some monster trying to play a trick on them or something else. She turned her head slightly to look at Sophia, hoping that she would wake up soon and help them out of this mess.

Lily: Er...Sophia? Do you see what's going on here? He tied us up! I don't know who he is but...He wants something from us.

Sophia finally woke up when she heard her mother's voice. When she saw the ropes binding them, she immediately panicked and started thrashing about, struggling to free herself from the confines of the chair. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any kind of weapon or escape route that might be available to them in their current predicament.

Sophia: L-let me go! This is ridiculous! Who are you?!

Sophia yelled at Dio, "Don't play games with us! Untie these ropes now!" Her heart raced as she struggled against the bindings that held her tightly. Looking to her mother for support, she could see fear in Lily's eyes but also determination not to give up hope just yet.

Lily panted heavily, trying to catch her breath after all of the thrashing around. "Please," she begged in a quiet voice that carried more desperation than authority, "we don't have anything valuable...just let us go." She paused before adding softly, "You don't want any trouble with Lord John's family."

The two women exchanged worried glances as they continued their futile attempts to free themselves from the ropes. Neither of them had expected this nightmare scenario when they sought shelter at Dio's home; now they were at his mercy, uncertain of what fate awaited them next.

Sophia felt anger building up inside her as she heard Dio's response. "Then we are in for a lot of trouble," she growled, not sure why he had tied them up. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the peasant man who now held their lives in his hands. Maybe there was some reason behind this...but what could it possibly be?

Lily closed her eyes tightly, trying to control her breathing as fear gripped her chest like an iron fist. "Please," she whispered again, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "We don't want any harm to come to you or your family...just let us go and we'll leave quietly."

The mother-daughter duo continued their struggle against the bindings that bound them, but neither seemed to make much progress in loosening them at all. Time ticked by painfully slowly as they waited for Dio's response, not knowing what he intended for them next.

Sophia scoffed at Dio's arrogance, her face flushed with anger. "We may not be peasants," she snarled, "but we have friends in high places who will make you regret ever messing with us!" She glared defiantly up at him, wishing she could reach out and slap that smug look off his face.

Lily winced as her daughter spoke, afraid of what their words might provoke. "Please," she repeated once more, her voice shaking, "just let us go...please..." Tears streamed down her cheeks now, making it difficult for her to see anything but blurry images around the room. All she wanted was out of this nightmare and back to safety.

"Ow!" Sophia yelped in pain as Dio slapped her across the face. Her cheek stung where he had hit her, making tears spring to her eyes once more. "You don't know what you're dealing with!" she spat through clenched teeth, trying to control the rage that coursed through her body.

Lily cringed at the sight of her daughter being slapped, wincing in sympathy as well as fear for herself. "Please," she begged once more, her voice growing weak and hoarse from all the struggling and crying she'd been doing lately, "just let us go...we won't cause you any trouble..." She coughed, trying to clear her throat of the tears that had threatened to choke her earlier.

Their attempts at negotiation seemed to fall on deaf ears as they continued their hopeless struggle against the ropes binding them. Time ticked by slowly, making it seem like an eternity since they had first arrived at this house. Would anyone come looking for them? Or would they be left here to rot? Neither thought was a pleasant one.

Both women yelped in surprise as their ropes fell away from them suddenly. They rubbed their wrists where the bindings had been, relieved to have finally regained some freedom. Looking up, they saw Dio staring at something behind them with wide eyes. Following his gaze, they saw a ghostly figure standing there; it untied Lily's ropes and disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

Lily turned to face Sophia, her tear-stained face alight with hope. "What...what was that?" she whispered hoarsely. "Who was that?"

Sophia shook her head, still unable to believe what had just happened. She took a step back from Lily, unconsciously putting some distance between them and the peasant who'd been their captor only moments ago. Despite his previous cruelty, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of gratitude towards him...for whatever reason.

"Angels?" Lily repeated dazedly, her eyes still fixed on the empty space where the ghostly figure had been standing just moments before. She didn't understand what Dio meant by that; angels weren't real...were they? Looking at him with a mixture of confusion and gratitude, she tried to formulate a reply when suddenly her gaze was drawn to something else in the room: a large wooden chest tucked away in one corner.

"What is that?" Lily asked, pointing at the chest with trembling fingers. It looked like it might be valuable...maybe they could take it and use it as leverage against whoever had taken them captive? The thought made her heart race with hope for their escape and possible survival.

Sophia glanced over at the chest, her curiosity piqued. She hesitated a moment before taking a step towards it, unsure if they should risk trying to take anything from their captor. Looking back at Lily, she asked softly, "Do you think we should...?"

Lily bit her lip, considering the possibilities. They had nothing left to lose; if they were going to survive this nightmare, they needed to take whatever advantage they could find. With a nod, she moved slowly towards the chest as well, keeping one eye on Dio in case he decided to change his mind about letting them go so easily.

They both reach the chest at the same time and open it, revealing a treasure trove of jewels and coins inside. "Oh my God," Lily whispers in amazement,

As Dio looked at them, his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't known what was in the chest either. Sophia glances over at her mother, fear still evident in her eyes but hope shining through as well. "What should we do with this?" she asks quietly, gesturing towards the treasure before them.

Lily hesitates for a moment, considering their options. They could try to use it to bargain for their freedom...or maybe even buy protection from whoever had been involved in their capture in the first place. It was a dangerous game, but they were running out of choices. "I think we should take some of it," she finally decides, reaching into the chest and carefully selecting several jewels and coins, "and see if anyone will listen to us."

Together, mother and daughter close the chest again and slip the items into their dresses, hiding them from view. Looking up at Dio once more, they wait for his reaction; hoping against hope that he'll honor whatever deal they manage to strike with him now.

"If you give us back our freedom," Lily says firmly, meeting his gaze evenly despite the fear she still feels deep inside, "we'll make sure no one comes looking for vengeance. We can keep quiet about everything that happened here tonight." She hesitates, then adds softly, "We won't even tell Lord John or anyone else connected to him what you did with his family."

"What...more?" Lily whispers in disbelief, her heart sinking as she sees the smirk returning to Dio's face. "You can't expect us to agree to any more conditions!" She glances at her mother nervously, unsure of what they should do next; their options are running out fast and they need to find a way out of this situation soon.

Sophia's eyes dart around the room, looking for anything else that might be useful in their escape or as leverage against Dio. But there is nothing obvious: just furniture and a few other household items scattered throughout. Desperation begins to bubble up inside her as she realizes the precariousness of their situation; they're at the mercy of this peasant now, with no way out except through his goodwill.

Lily looks at Dio with confusion and fear in her eyes. "What do you mean by that? Tell them to come and get you?" She turns to Sophia, desperation evident in her voice as she whispers, "Is he serious? Do we have any choice?"

Sophia shakes her head slowly, feeling a cold knot of dread forming in her stomach. She knows they can't risk angering Dio further; their only hope lies in trying to placate him and make whatever deal they can. "Fine," she says reluctantly, "we'll tell them." Her voice trembles slightly as she tries to sound more confident than she feels. "Just let us go first."

The two women exchange nervous glances once more, unsure of what will happen next or if they've made the right choice. All they know is that their lives are in Dio's hands now; and until he decides otherwise, they have no power to control their own fate.

The two women stare in shock at the newly formed hole in the wall as they hear Dio's instructions. Without a word, Sophia takes her daughter's hand and together they hurry through the new opening. They don't stop running until they reach their horses, where they quickly mount up and gallop away from this nightmarish place as fast as their steeds will carry them.

As they ride off into the distance, neither woman looks back; neither wanting to see what might happen next or risk any chance of being caught by Dio or his mysterious ghostly allies. All they can do now is hope that Lord John and his army find them before it's too late, and they fall victim to whatever scheme Dio had in mind for them.

The ride back to Lord John's camp seems like an eternity; every bump in the road jostles Sophia's exhausted body, and she winces with each movement. Lily looks over at her mother worriedly, wishing there was something she could do to ease the pain or make their escape from Dio a little less traumatic.

"Are you sure we should have done that?" Lily asks quietly, her voice trembling slightly as she wonders if their decision has only made things worse for themselves and their family. "Maybe we should've just stayed silent...and tried to convince him ourselves." She bites her lip, remembering the terror of being tied up and at Dio's mercy.

Sophia shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "No...I'm not sure," she whispers hoarsely, "but we had to try something. If we don't warn Lord John..." Her voice trails off as she pictures the chaos that might ensue if they are caught or Dio manages to carry out whatever plan he has in store for them.

"I just wish we knew who those ghosts were and why they helped us," Lily says, still staring blankly into the distance ahead of them. The mystery only serves to heighten their sense of fear and unease; they feel like pawns in a game much bigger than themselves, powerless to change its course or outcome.