There was almost nothing else she could have said that would have gotten the message across so poignantly. Impulsively, Sam reached across the table and touched her hand, warm and reassuring. At least, that was what he was going for.
"Sarissa," he said. He didn't really know what he was going to say until he said it. "No matter how strong the Mantle is, it doesn't have to consume you. You're stronger, strong enough to fight it." He believed it. He'd seen humans under all kinds of influences, he'd been under them himself. It took effort and sometimes help, sometimes extenuating circumstances, to fight back and regain control-- but he genuinely believed that it was always possible. "Most importantly, don't let it isolate you. Keep people around you that remind you of who you really are. Those kinds of people will make it easier."