One tiger with yellowy fur bare it's teeth. An orange one sniffed the air. The last one, the one with the least stripes, eyed Tao, who wearily looked around for a way to escape. It was no use, all three tigers were surrounding him, closing in. Newfound panic arose as he desperately prayed for a weapon at least. He slowly inched to the ground, ready to dig a hole in order to conceal himself or play dead. But then something under him snapped. He looked down and saw a long stick. Looking at the ravenous tigers, he gulped. There was no use playing dead; they were going to eat him either way. He picked up the stick and threw it at one of the tigers face with all the strength he had. All of them snapped to attention, thinking that it was food. They sniffed the air and the only scent they got was Tao. Since the tigers haven't eaten for days, they growled. Tao backed onto a tree and scrambled on it, climbing as quickly as possible. Thanks to Hyeri and her love of trees, Tao spent a lot of time tree climbing with her and was pretty fast at it. The angry tigers circled around the tree before the yellowy one dug its claws into the bark and began to shake. Every fiber in Tao's body stood up. 

"Gah!" He cursed at the small branches near the top. Clinging onto the trunk with his dear life, he dared to look down. The stripeless tiger had began to climb! And it was climbing at warp speed. The weak branches began to showered down around him. Breathing loudly, Tao scoured the area. There was an open area not far from the tree. He could jump off of the tree and run to the river that was near the area. He didn't know what lay beyond that because it was dark. Stars were appearing and the moonlight was the only thing that gave him light. Tao peeled off a stick from the tree, deciding to keep it in case he needed it. 

Hyeri leaned foward in rapt attention. Tao's stick was so small, would it do him any good? Seeing the huge tigers, she reluctantly started to believe that they might not come out alive. 

"Tao!! Go Tao!!" Hyeri tried to encourage him even though he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, the door swung open and a tall, intimidating woman approached her. The name tag read 'Kim Mooni'. 

Mooni paced around Hyeri suspiciously, "May I ask what you're communicating to him on?"

"I'm encouraging him," Hyeri's face betrayed no emotion, "And you can ask whatever you want."

"I have to check you," Mooni patted Hyeri's pockets, shirts, pants, hair, rummaged through the room, and basically checked everything. 

"Find anything?" Hyeri asked in a bored voice, her eyes watching Tao cling onto the tree, his eyes wide while staring at the growling tiger right under him. 

"You're clear," the officer admitted and left the room, dusting her hands. Hyeri rolled her eyes.

Tao was wide eyed, seeing the huge jaw that the tiger had open. He refused to show any sign of fear, but his shaking body gave him away. His feet were planted on a tilting branch. He had to do something, and fast. The shaking of the tree and advancing tiger wasn't working. One of the tigers were circling the tree, just in case Tao fell. 

"Stop shaking!" Tao gritted his teeth in frustration. When a low growl came from directly under him, he lost his sanity. Tao lept out of the tree, landig on the hard, dirt covered ground in the open area. Upon landing on his left foot, his face contorted in pain. He staggered on to his feet and sprinted away, dragging his left leg. Pain blinded him momentarily. Glancing behind, Tao saw a tiger hot on his heels. With an injured leg, the odds of him out running a tiger were out of question. The stick was still in his hands, so he threw it back, hitting the tiger on the mouth. Out of nowhere, the other two tigers appeared.

Tao grabbed a bunch of random sticks and tossed them backward, hoping to divert the attention from him. Miraculously so, the tigers began to fight for the sticks, thinking it was food.

"Fools," Tao muttered before jumping into the river to erase his scent. Emerging from the river, his eyes grew heavy. He dragged his heavy body to the next turn. Before moving on, he sank to the ground, leaving to go to dreamland. 

Back in the middle of the maze, Hyeri breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Tao sleeping peacefully. She leaned back on the chair and couldn't help but overhear talking again. 

"He isn't like the others," Mooni's voice rang out.

"No he isn't," a man with a low voice agreed.

"He hasn't eaten has he?" Mooni mused. Hyeri froze, knowing what came next.

"No," the man confirmed.

"Poison delicous looking food. He won't be able to resist," Mooni evilly laughed as the man scampered off to follow the duties. Hyeri gulped, time for another dream. Just as she was about to sleep, another voice popped up, "We need to get that girl to cry." Oh so now she was just 'that girl'. 

"It's not over until tears come," Mooni nodded, typing furiously into a computer. As if Hyeri would actually let the others watch her breakdown and become a vulnerable, weak girl. In their dreams! The rest of the conversation was mumbles that she couldn't hear. The only word, or number, she caught was 19. Then, drowsiness swept over her and she began a dream with Tao.

'Tao,' Hyeri looked up at Tao, who was caressing her hair by a river.

'Hmm?' He absentmindedly replied, eyes staring at the perfect sky with puffy clouds.

'You haven't eaten in days,' that was a comment more than a question, but Tao nodded.

'Don't eat their food, it's poisoned,' Hyeri urgently pressed on, 'I'll smuggle you food through dreams. Maybe that will help.' 

'Oh,' Tao was shocked at the sudden news. He expected the maze to give him a rest after those tigers, but what was he thinking? Of course not!

'19,' Hyeri added as the dream began to fade, meaning that it was going to come to an end.

'For what?' Tao reached for her, but was too late.

Hyeri abruptly shot up from her small cot. Thank god she got all the information to Tao. The dream left Tao trouble. No food and the number 19. Of all times, why a puzzle now?