Mira knew there was a perfect set of words to stop him in his tracks. Soon doubts flooded into her head not knowing what to believe she decided to back down. She was confused and tired of running in circles. She had failed not only Aviary but her village as well. She looked around defeated with a worrisome look on her face. She let out a subtle sigh but it still could be seen as clear as day. Her failure to find the Rat made the noisy troops go into panic mode. This was the last straw.

Not only did the army need to deal with a monster now it’s including Rats. They came to the assumption that Aviary had been hiding information from them. Their captain couldn’t trust their army so instead she entrusted information to the enemy. They were all fed up listening to someone they didn’t even consider captain, even less human. Some soldiers began spreading the word which then led to others picking up their guns. From the very beginning, the events leading up to this moment were inevitable. Mira knew this.

This has to be planned precisely down to the troops and weapons. They hand-picked each person for this result. All the Rats have to do is create chaos. They achieve this with ease and without any complication. In case of complications, the Rats don’t know their allies, so they won’t be able to Rat them out. They made sure to pick lazy, selfish, and cowardly people for this army just to destroy them. The best way to kill them was from the inside. As the troops pick up their weapons some are heading towards Aviary’s tent next to Royse. They already had Betsy and Mira in custody. Aviary and Royse complied in silence understanding that this was unavoidable from the start. They understood that Mira tried her best, yet she let herself and everyone down.

Milles was right outside the Venus flytrap waiting for Jaques to give the order to kill the foolish and weak army. This is the perfect time Jaques has been waiting for, all of them together in one spot and nowhere to go. He wanted to ensure it was simultaneously when they were the most vulnerable or weakest. Jaques wanted to make sure to avoid the most altercation. Milles could hear everything that was going on inside the plant and it was in complete chaos. 

While the Army was starting to destroy itself from the inside, Milles would finally go inside to exterminate them all like roaches. He will kidnap Betsy and give her up to the Gasyer family where the wolves will kill her. Asa and Danny are waiting for the signal from Cassie. To kill Kaleb including everyone on the farm and make it look like it was some kind of wolf or bear attack. They were all waiting for some sort of signal starting from Milles. Milles was a bit slow in the head, but still got the job done in his way, or by dumb luck, he was still somewhat reliable. 

“Hm… Now what” Milles murmured to himself, trying to remember the way Jaques told him to communicate. “It was green ball go… Red and yellow… what was purple and blue again?”

Jaques gave Milles the solution to the problem by giving him heavy balls to throw over the forest leaving Dasher to watch out for the signals. As Milles tries to remember the communication signals to begin the operation, Kaleb is sleeping like a baby. Unbothered and peacefully resting on top of the farmer’s comfortable bed, Kaleb was in a deep sleep. While Kaleb is sleeping without a care in the world someone is watching him, with pure ire in their bright red eyes. The way he’s sleeping without worries made Asa unbearably furious.

‘Is he not scared of us? After a brutal blow to his stomach would’ve been certain death. He should be sleeping with one eye open!’ Asa thought to herself 

 Her loud and rapid breathing annoyed Dasher as they watched him through the window. They’re so close to the cold window that their breath fogges up the window every time they exhale. They are both in their Wendigo state ready to kill him when Cassie gives the signal. Finally, Milles was starting to remember the signals. 

“I remember now. Red means get ready. Yellow means waiting for the right moment. Green means starting.” Milles said struggling to remember the rest. “But the blue and purple… Blue means failed and purple means I will die soon.”

Milles looked up the Venus flytrap not with fear or courage but with uncertainty. Why would there be a purple signal if he’s done this before? Fighting the army was a breeze for him plus fighting Betsy was equally or more difficult. So the question is what does Jaques know that he doesn’t? Uncertainty turned into confusion and fear if Jaques isn’t sure his plan will work then there’s more going on than meets the eye. Jaques was worried about his task, but not Dasher and Asa’s mission.

Milles threw the Red ball as high up as he could so Dasher could see it. He then waited for a few seconds and threw the yellow one up and caught the red ball with one hand. Milles planned to wait until the troops shot Aviary, Mira, Royse, and Betsy. He would then take Betsy and kill the army himself it was a simple and easy plan to follow. Suddenly a Blue ball appeared in the distance then a Green ball.

“Failed and start?” Milles questioned himself. “Danny and Asa failed? I should start now?”

Milles completely misunderstood Dasher’s signals. Dasher meant Asa and Danny failed while starting. Milles took this as an indication to start now. Jaques's plan was falling apart in a rapid paste. Asa and Danny somehow failed in their objective, thanks to Cassie. Cassie had no idea the slip-up she caused that compromised the mission, while Asa and Danny knew exactly what she did. She tweeted like a bird to attract their attention and give them Milles signals. She tweeted not knowing that was Kaleb’s alarm clock. It’s one of his morning routines.

‘Birds wake up in the daybreak and sing to double-check check all their friends survived the night. So ya make sure to hear 'em and make sure we all alive as well.” Kaleb remembered those words as he woke up and saw two Wendigoes sitting by his window. He watched them with wide eyes in shock. His eyes laid upon the Wendigoes and sparked that sense of nerve that gave him gallantry instead of fear. The Wendigoes flinched in astonishment

as they saw a weapon under Kaleb’s pillow.

Kaleb always prepared for the worst. The weapon didn’t seem to be a part of the village which meant one thing. It was from the army. They had no idea the amount of power the weapons from the outside world held. They knew in the hands of someone capable, it would be unpredictable and powerful. Amid Danny’s and Asa’s thinking, they hadn’t realized they were paralyzed in one spot. They snapped out of it as soon as Kaleb pulled out his weapon. They’ve never seen a gun like that before. It’s the type of technology that may take the village decades to develop.

Kaleb pulls the trigger aiming right in between Asa's eyes. He misses inches away from her face. She could feel the heat of the fire from her face as she escaped by a hair. Literal fire came out of the weapon. The fire was shaped like a bullet and disappeared in the air leaving a trail of fire and smoke behind. Kaleb is currently beyond the Wendigoes' expectations, fighting an improved opponent with a new unknown weapon. Cassie has truly cost them the mission. Asa and Danny are forced to retreat with fear and disappointment written all over their faces.

Cassie has no idea she is the one to blame for the mishap. She begins to criticize and scorn both of them subtly so they won’t even realize.

“Oh my my, What happened out there did you guys make a mistake?” Cassie asks while covering her mouth with both of her hands hiding her mouth. “Some mistakes can be made as long you know it’s your fault. You can't let this happen again, or it might cost someone their life, later on, dears. Even giving up is unforgivable.”

Danny and Asa stayed silent as Cassi kept talking behind them not even looking in Cassie’s direction. They were walking toward the house to tell Jaques they’d failed. They didn’t turn to look at Cassie because they knew what she thinking and her true expression.

“Oh, sweethearts! You’ll get him next time I’m sure of it. I know he’s a bit scary-looking, but I’ll be with you the whole way. Next time I’ll get revenge for you to ease your minds.” Cassie said with a joyful smile filled with bliss. It was like she was happy that they failed. “I’ll have no choice but to make sure Mother knows you both failed by not even landing a hit on the sleeping boy.”

Danny and Asa stopped walking, but Cassie kept walking, passing them, then stopped when she was in front of them. They were as quiet as a mouse, waiting for Cassie to say something. She’s just standing there with her back toward them. Even Danny was quiet and known to have a robust attitude.

“Kaleb wakes up for training when the birds chirp,” Asa said with a high-pitched voice. “You woke him up.”

“Is that some kind of excuse?” Cassis’s whole demeanor changed in a split second turning the cold air dense which made it hard to breathe. “Why didn’t you attack him the moment he was getting up?”

Danny was now the one to respond. “There was a mirror in front of him and we saw… he was smiling. We didn’t want to risk it. It simply startled us.”

“He was smiling?” Cassie asked

“It was as if he was smiling at the thought of death,” Asa explained with dread on her face. “He’s not scared to die so it just caught us off guard. When people see us they usually scream in terror and fear for their lives. But that boy isn’t scared to die. He took us for a joke.”

Kaleb wasn’t the only one who faced death, but also Royse, Mira, and Betsy. The three of them waited on their knees as the soldiers argued about how to kill them or whether they should at all. While they continued to argue Royse began to convince Betsy to stop them. But her soft and kind heart wouldn’t let her. Royse was confused about why she couldn’t just kill them all and escape. It continues to pester his mind until he asks her upfront.

“Betsy, just break the binds,” Royse said

“I can’t… Someone will just get hurt in the process.” Betsy replied. “I’m done hurting people.”

“Then we’ll all die you idiot. C’mon, hurry before they make a choice.” Royse insisted

“I-I can’t,” Besty said slumping her head down defeated.

This is when Royse realized Betsy truly had feelings just like a human being. He was surprised and felt pity for her at the same time. She valued human lives like everyone else. 

“You know… I have parents right? Mira and I were supposed to be back home days ago. We go missing for a few days and appear again. This time our parents will be out there looking forever.” Royse said. “Kaleb will go on a rampage and start setting fire to the village’s houses again. He has no family, and once we're dead he’ll have no friends. When someone dies it’s not only one person that dies, but several other people. Their friends and family will have a hole in their heart. Something they’ll never get back. When you’re in complete something inside you dies.

“What about the other soldiers? They have family and friends too,” Betsy added.

“Everybody loses in a war. All you can do is to make sure it’s worth it.” Royse said with a smile 

Betsy gave him a soft smile and an affirming nod showing him a greater determination than it was before. Afraid of being overheard she looked around before talking again.