'Christine, could you look over these files for me? Thanks!' The board director dropped the stack of papers on her desk and sipped his coffee.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvmIYXHOIZ
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQNi6woNo4
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO2Pd5ZT8i
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1egf1a62qj
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91LRowHNyW
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc5zGxSNsI
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjt7UssR1u
'SHIT!' The man on the other side of the glass slipped, and with a sickening snap the safety cable broke, releasing the man to the clutches of gravity.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjKtQfhv8G
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrYpFXToje
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOeOzc8kNR
Broken cables.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuonZAS8Mc
And behind that, safely in the crane, the man who fell upwards.
'The trial of fire.' The High Priestess said, as she placed an unlit candle in front of Xavier.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH1YUDoxNa
Focus, he thought. He brought the tip of his finger down to the wick, gently calling the power beneath his feet, feeling it run up his legs and out through his arms -662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP37SXjiEEL
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNINHBGfTvD
'Very well done.' Orla gave an almost imperceptible nod. 'To the next,' she stated simply, as another cloaked figure passed her a cage with a dead mouse inside.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNuRt7eADa
'The trial of revival.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdTFOuQrav
Xavier was surprised. The smaller the living creature, the easier the act of revival was. He had practiced before, on frogs, and even a rabbit (which left him tired for a week). A mouse barely required any concentration.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zQywtymtt
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLtRjQrhUB
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoFWbdHdZb
'You want me to perform telekinesis on the mouse?' Xavier knew there was a catch. Telekinesis was the hardest of the magics, and was harder still to perform on a living creature.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHNCXrIoUz
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOy46KCp3U
'No! I can do it.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e60gWtCOh
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcK8XMAEaSA
Feel yourself walking over to the cage, feel your hand holding onto the soft fur, feel it's breathing through your skin. Feel yourself lifting it up. Lift it. Lift it! Lift it, goddammit!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVWki7JulY
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJsYAikbty
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgljTcbCyo4
Lift the fucking mouse. It's a goddamn mouse. All you have to do is lift your hand. Just like lifting a can of beer. Lift the mouse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkWrmIeeHe
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnFhOGaqJt
Don't fail dad. He needs me to join him in Floor Twelve Minus. He taught me everything. He made me lift bowling balls, for gods sake, you can lift a fucking mouse!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6Mjpv70MT
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzptn7wPgBI
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc504YPa71H
There was a momentary squeal, and a crack, as the mouse flew out of the cage. It's neck had been broken by the invisible hand that flung it.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjGUD3ymYM
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrJkayq3it
The Bind was the most sacred secret of magic - Hughes had talked about it only once before, saying that Xavier was never to know the Bind until he was ready to join Floor Twelve Minus.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUNjimvO5c
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YvcjFk2nb
The High Priestess stood, and cued the others to stand as well, as she broke the table in two and flung the halves to the sides of the room.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb5ALZjPbo
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntJLWDZqwA
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU2NWquqHT
The man had fallen. He had definitely fallen. And there was no way he could have fallen into the crane, the crane had been above him!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfcJPUyPFR
Christine had been granted the rest of the day off after her collapse. And she needed it. She felt completely and utterly exhausted, and spent the afternoon lying still on her sofa as hour after hour of soap, scifi, and news played on her TV.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LMkHk7KkM
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFU9r3xkG3o
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaHUyNhjOP
...And on the eight o clock news, we have a shocking case involving Eclipse Equipment where a harness used for highrise cleaning broke. The man involved, Winston Jones, was not injured, but is filing a lawsuit against the company. Eyewitness accounts say he was extremely lucky to have landed in the crane, saying that it was as if he was launched upward to safety...
The door to the antechamber opened, and Hughes woke.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyakpxJqkOW
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuOyjCBMNy
His son didn't share his joy.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY37HVtePK3
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UiQb1V6yl
The young man was sweating under the watchful eyes of the High Priest. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do what she asked of him. He couldn't kill his own father.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75KlgHpOAI
'Son. Don't fail me now.' Hughes pulled out a knife from his breast pocket, and gave it to his son, his apprentice, his successor.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOz5PQVRHo
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mvGHarcoi
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGM3hnEuk6
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXPH6tiGwT
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7OOTXcZXY
'... I... I can't do it....'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioJUGQVB5I
Orla's grin grew wider. 'You failed.' She rose her hands with the intent of setting Xavier on fire, and the members of Floor Twelve Minus watched on gleefully.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjsk4NhDql
'Kill him, dammit, kill him!' She shrieked, with sudden anger, and someone must have obliged, for a moment later Xavier was in flames, shrieking on the floor.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDVrR9PuSv
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yP69NRf10
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBSSJoU2hF
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqgDrMvfEA
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKqYNOHUmr
There was a new High Priestess.
