River stepped forward, eyeing him. "You're an incredibly real thing in a incredibly fake world, but you know that, don't you? That's why you're sufferin' so much. Because you're real, the world is just gonna keep attackin' you, puttin' you to your knees. Isn't that how it feels? Feels like someone is rippin' your heart out and takin' it apart, then tapin' it back together and stuffin' it back inside at an odd angle, and then repeatin' the process? It's so easy to give up. But you know what? You can't. Because then other people will have to go through it too, and you have to stick out for them, however unfair it is." She murmured, and at the end jerking her hand towards Lachlan, Finlay, and Camilla. "You know what? This is a nightmare. A real nightmare, kid. Listen to me, I can't tell you everythin' is okay, because it isn't. Nor can I tell you everythin' will be better soon, or that the pain will go away. All we-- You, can do is try to survive, Wolfram. And I'm so sorry for that, that I can't help more.""Chances? Victory? Against Mapleshade?" Wolfram gave a soft snort of what could have been amusement, if he didn't look half-dead. "She defeated us one time, she can do it again. She's incredibly powerful. A silent killer. Even of you hold a gun to her head she'll still find a way to defeat you." He muttered. He leaned back even farther against the minivan, his dull gaze on Ash. "I wish I could believe you. I wish I could believe we could truly rid of Mapleshade. But I can't...I've seen her fight. There's no way. She has to many people on her side, and she's to strong." He pulled his hands to his head, giving a sigh of defeat. I want to believe you so badly...but I've seen the damage she causes... "Please just tell me this is a nightmare. Please."
