"Ryan, I understand exactly what you're going through," Soren started, his tone calm yet serious. "In fact, I'm in a similar position myself and have already experienced the terror firsthand. Honestly, I barely made it out alive. If it wasn't for outside help, I would already be dead, and Ethea would be gone."
He looked directly at Ryan, letting the brutal truth hang in the air for a moment.
"I hope you never have to experience that kind of helplessness. But we both know how indifferent reality is to what we want. I'm not going to sit here and give you false hope or spin some fake comfort just to make you feel better. The truth is, we can't afford to be caught off guard. We have to be as ready as possible for the absolute worst." Soren leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "Before I give you my advice, though, I need to know one thing. How much time do you think you have left before things get critical?"
