'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hdyyIzWPH
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxYSYRwG30
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu10ltpDnIq
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9B2U0O5Nmg
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3riydHEVjK
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6639q6jNZ
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuiPOU20WS
'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDoZ7al7DI
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaxQGUt0Ug
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSmCVvhr12
Broken cables.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI8GzHgZId
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9285Ke7DU3
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 -688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeFsW8YuF1
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR7nICCbri
'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUtUDBmXu2
'The trial of revival.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpvJ7qKc5o
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJReOQcHT7
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiMqoXo3hp
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9667b2m0q
'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhivHSpebk2
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEE4g9Tg1J
'No! I can do it.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU9YDXI49r
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfjReZSrFp
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!688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUDnbSx9Qt
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3FKnQcUHp
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhiGyxTnrn
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvl3HOdKyE
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYwMH8CpE9
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!688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn8XE43eYj
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIargUCug1
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAUAzzYkCn
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtoYAl8Fco
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMmTK0ZPts
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yIFW7LyPs
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEruYbHUNv
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYJSAI2Cbv
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w2V3QDIWx
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8JMAGdJzE
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!688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYVeJ5A2Cl
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YmF9XHLYp
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvPR8ihsaZ
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrzZPNRDe9
...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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7YJG78jQI
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc67tZAguM
His son didn't share his joy.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJsYpMEw9S
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwNZhcWp7D
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPwYKmYWgU
'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbLu1qWlOL
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA4czKVODX
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5HUPNPIq7
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvuYKDXo6I
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsoMEvQa72
'... I... I can't do it....'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp07l3MbsDR
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbz7Ed4Uqr
'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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfaAh9DqMt
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAeYCHsJf2
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxewyIKfPwi
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWsuOxgqit
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6YwUWwIN7
There was a new High Priestess.
