Theory based on Ep 8
If we take what MIY told Tabitha at face value, it seems that in none of the previous cycles did people ever go down into the tunnels and take action to free the children. They either never tried or never had the courage to do so. That suggests that different circumstances can emerge in each cycle, or that the story has specifically started to change this time.
#FROM
As a result, MIY asked Tabitha to do something that had never been done before. If they go down into the tunnels, the story may begin to unfold in ways it never has before, leading into entirely new territory. So in Season 5, we'll probably see a different kind of struggle than the ones we've seen in previous cycles
#FROMily