Changes

Shortly afterwards, Stevie brings Rowena the ingredients for the spell and is annoyed by the witch's lack of a thank you. Stevie warns that most of the ghosts are at the edge of town trying to break down the barrier and asks if they are planning "another magical long shot Hail Mary" which Dean confirms, stating that it hopefully works this time with a pointed look at Rowena. As Sam is distracted wanting to help Dean, Rowena reminds him to keep focused on his role in the plan. After hearing the blowing of the horn and the shaking of the ground caused by the souls returning to Hell, Rowena and Sam perform the spell together. Though the rupture begins to close, Castiel is forced to kill Belphegor before all of the souls are sucked back into Hell which Rowena immediately senses.

As Sam and Dean try to figure out what happened, Rowena grabs a knife and cuts her last Resurrection Seal out of her left shoulder to Sam's shock. Rowena explains that Lilith's Crook and Belphegor sucking the souls into Hell was the Winchesters' only shot, but it wasn't Rowena's only shot: magic can do anything and contain anything, including the vast multitudes of Hell. Rowena can soak the souls up for a time if she pays the price: a spell so simple that it draws its power from its caster and only requires two ingredients. Sam questions why she didn't tell them before and Rowena explains that the ingredients are her own still-coursing blood and her final breath. Rowena can absorb the ghosts and demons and return them to Hell where her body will break down in time and release them back where they belong. Sam realizes that Rowena means she will have to sacrifice herself which she confirms along with the fact that Sam must be the one to kill her. Rowena reminds Sam that her real permanent demise is at his hands according to Death's books, but Sam continues to refuse. Rowena tells Sam that she can't do it herself and it has to be him. Though she wishes there was another way, she doesn't care about anything enough to take her own life, not Sam, not Dean and not even the world. However, Rowena believes in prophecy and magic and they are both there with everything they need to end this. Rowena insists that she knows it in her bones that it has to be this way and demands that Sam kill her.