The boy trembles, scared and heartsick. For a moment, he looks like he's about to relent, but then fear hardens his heart. "T-That's not good enough," he says between strangled sobs. "He failed, and now I've f-failed, too a-and--"

The boy pushes away from her, staggering over to the middle of the floor again. "T-That's why I need to finish this ritual. I m-might have to start over."