The ground beneath our feet began to rumble, awakening like a sleeping giant stirring from its slumber.

A dozen large, dark brown rats with menacing incisors gathered around the shack's open door. Their eyes glowed with an unsettling intelligence as they focused on Millie, as if awaiting her command. My heart pounded as I exchanged a shocked glance with Spencer.

"Are they... treating her like their leader?" Spencer whispered with disbelief etched on his face.

Millie, holding the flute, took a cautious step forward. The rats remained still. Their attention unwavering. Bandit approached Millie seemingly unaffected by the flute's power. He nuzzled her foot, his loyalty evident.

"Why is Bandit not behaving like the others?" I wondered aloud, my eyes darting between Millie and the other rats. "Why isn't he affected by the flute?" Why wasn't I anymore? No bouts of nausea or anything.

Millie knelt, getting a closer look at Bandit as he sniffed the ground near her feet. "I don't know," she said, her voice trembling. "But it's like he understands me without the flute."

As if on cue, the other rats began to scurry away, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as they had appeared. The ground stopped vibrating, and an eerie silence settled over the shack.

"Thank god they left." Spencer shuddered where he stood. "But why? Where are they going? And where is the ... Piper?"

Millie clutched the flute, her eyes wide with confusion. "I don't know." She narrowed her eyes as she examined the markings on the wooden flute. "But I think we might have just stumbled onto something much bigger than we realized."

The sudden departure of the rats left us with more questions than answers. But Spencer closed the door to make us as safe and secure as possible.

I took a better look around the room, eyeing the remaining stack of individually sealed protein bars on the counter. When Millie caught a beat of what I was looking at she grabbed a bar and gave a piece to Bandit. He took it in his front paws, plopped it in his mouth, and carried it out through the small, jagged hole where he came from.

Millie had tied the frayed ends of the twine together to make a loop and slipped the thread over her head to hang the flute from her neck like a precious necklace, careful to not alter the loose bandage around her neck.

I finally relaxed against the wall. Exhaustion hit me physically, mentally and emotionally. My cheek stung so I placed my fingers to my face to examine the damage, feeling the scratch marks left by Sonya.

If Jade was here, she would do her best to tend to the injuries and help me remain calm, but it was because I left her behind that she wasn't here. I grit my teeth in anger and stopped myself from punching the wall behind me.

I had to find her.

"We need to come up with a plan," I suggested.

"Yes, we do," Millie started. "But first, what are we doing here in the forest? I thought we were being led to another game."

"I'm not participating." Spencer took a protein bar into his mouth and with a full mouth her continued, "I'm done with this game. I'm ready for blood. Their blood."

"I'm done playing by their rules too," Millie added. "But they know that and forced us back here with the fog. They know we would run from it, and it led us here, but why?"

"Maybe we should stop running." Sweat tickled my temple but I ignored it especially as the silence increased in the space.

"Are you saying—?"

"Exactly," I nodded. "Maybe Dylan was onto something." I glanced to Spencer, and he subconsciously rubbed the stubble on his chin as he took in my words.

"Are you sure about that?" Millie questioned. "I mean, you know the risk at what you're suggesting?"

"They took Jade," I reminded them. "Forget the money, headlines, fame or whatever else they use to entice people into signing up for this crap. My focus is on finding Jade and getting you and her out of here safely."

Millie sighed. "Sonya is out for blood as well as the win."

"Forget her too," I said. "She can't compete in the Games against herself. As long as we're alive, she has no chance of winning."

"And as long as we don't play there won't be a game," Millie added. "All their planning and effort would be for nothing. There would be nothing to broadcast."

"They'd just bring in others to pretend to be us and script their own ending," Spencer said. "And who knows, they probably did that for every season."

I shook my head. "No. Tommy Miller's win wasn't scripted."

"How do you know that?" He cocked his head.

"They use him as a highlight of their career," I said. "They literally have a massive picture of him on their walls at Arcanum. Last season saw a return of excitement from the audience. His win was real. They tried to reinvent the Games this season and recreate or exceed that excitement, but—"

"Seems like you and Jade done that this season," Mille interrupted. "I heard what viewers are saying about you two. People love how you both can't keep your hands off of each other. Sex in the Games? What a ratings booster."

"We didn't intend to boost ratings," I said in defense. "Is it a crime to want everyone to view us as human, as one of them? Maybe it would force them to sympathize with our predicament and stop supporting this barbaric competition."

"No one cares the way they should," Mille said. "They want distraction."

"Entertainment, especially the sexual kind," Spencer added.

"And they will take it any way they can get it." Millie shrugged. "Violence, sex, and family drama on live TV? What a combo!" The sarcasm in her voice was apparent.

"Well, Tommy is their poster boy not me and Jade," I said. "They like him so much they refused to let him go, transforming him into the new Wolfman, and none of the fans caught on. Or care for that matter."

I gestured to the door. "Those moving trees out there used to be people too. Who knows what kind of genetic experiments they've been doing to make Grimm Games what it is today. I just wish everyone would see this for what it really is."

Spencer's eyes widened. "Shit. Everyone always use to say those monsters were secret experiments or once human or animal subjects who were genetically modified, but no one suspected a winner would become a monster."

Millie huffed, running her hand through her stark white asymmetrical bob. "I can't believe I was lured in by the promise of twenty million dollars. And look what I've done, brought you and Jade into this."

I shook my head. "This isn't on you, Millie. They're masters at making you believe you have a real shot, that being picked was some kind of blessing. But the moment you sign that contract, they strip you of everything, using you up for their own gain until there's nothing left."

I went on, "It's not just Arcanum doing this either. They're running the whole country this way. They bleed us dry financially, then toss us scraps only to snatch them away again. We're forced to rely on them, trading our power for an illusion of comfort and sanity."

"And my little brother died because of the promise of winning a good life, something we shouldn't have to fight to the death to have." Spencer growled through clenched teeth, "I can't wait to make them pay."

"What's else is on your mind, sis?" Millie stared and patiently awaited my input.

I was aware of the hidden cameras and the possible mics that had stitched into our suits, so I debated if I wanted to be discreet at all. We haven't been so careful with our words and plans up to this point anyway.

"I think our first step should be to find Jade and Tobias."

Spencer nodded. "Strength in numbers."

Millie sighed, her voice low but steady. "You know, there's a real chance we won't make it through this," she pointed out. "I mean, we're talking about the juggernaut that is Arcanum Entertainment. We have to be ready to give everything. Anything less would be self-sabotage."

I nodded. "I'm willing to put my life on the line to make sure you and Jade get out of here alive."

Her posture suddenly strengthened, and she closed the small gap between us. "And I'm ready to do the same for you, sis."

We wrapped each other in a warm, comforting embrace, the months of estrangement melting away like a bad dream. In that moment, our sisterly bond reignited, stronger, and more unbreakable than ever.

"Now why did they bring us back here?" Millie added. "What were we meant to do?"

"They're probably still trying to figure out how to do damage control." I began to pace, trying to think ahead and figure out why the host was heard going on a tirade. "We haven't seen any creatures roaming around other than the Piper. I haven't even seen a drone fly overhead."

"The trees make it hard for anyone to see us from above and make it unsafe for drones to maneuver." Spencer shrugged.

"Good, maybe we can use that to our advantage," I said. "I have a plan, but you'll have to trust me." I knew Millie was on board, but I rested my gaze on Spencer, testing his loyalty.

"Get me closer to my goal and I'll have no reason to not give you my trust." He bowed his head in grief before forcing himself to lift it. I knew it took immense strength judging by the emotional pain in his eyes. "Plus, I've been watching how you played this game so far. You're a good person, Kamila. We could use more of that."

I nodded and forced a brief smile of appreciation. When they looked to me awaiting my next move, I waved them over. "Alright, follow me." Surprisingly they did, moving with me out the door of the safe house and back into the dark forest.

The trees loomed above us, their branches interlocking to form a dense canopy that blocked out the dim overhead lights. The darkness was a character itself, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. We moved cautiously, every rustle and snap of a twig sending a jolt of adrenaline through us.

"Sonya's nearby," Millie whispered. "Watch your back, sides and front."

I led them back toward where the four people in hazard suits came from to retrieve the dead witch after we all defeated her. After a few minutes of walking, I led us to the edge of the set, which was another long, tall wooden wall painted with images of trees that gave the illusion that the forest was vast.

I ran my hand along the wood to find the door with no luck. "There has to be a way to get back there." And then it hit me. Those apples in the safe zone that enticed us but put us under were the key we needed to get behind the door.