'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qt0HCmjXq
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KF1O7Nvy9
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNVS0atiDj
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFVkDWYtKN
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDWuMoaX3u
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MQWetj1Gw
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaJa4080zM
'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcgfwguxS2
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEUlhrm2CN
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9Qg5dfd3C
Broken cables.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu18rdXvDA
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡla28BcNO0n
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 -640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OJvBZU3Us
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe54uf0m8FC
'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96KoGZaTt2
'The trial of revival.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWxb4JMV4j
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbjKWtBmtu
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUgE668sIs
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV2qYsjR2j
'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqiqLrqO8F
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9Rtv1hJPS
'No! I can do it.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJDIF227bT
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGaxxtY5Yv
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!640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHTX8IiQeD
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXkhX5uM5b
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfOQFPaMLE
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5gxJ7eWey
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eUyAk7cNu
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!640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK938Fk6vpQ
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLpcHejuxQ
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpPR2Wa4un
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvLDVsqH2o
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9ON5SrXSd
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJgn6ydO1I
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTGuQntmuE
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCrwud7Mzz
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBEFnBccaX
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e4UVt6RUn
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!640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCOxeAy7AM
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5KyOJ8HsM
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheQ3IKOs46
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ4kKeL82r
...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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSt2HFh2dQ
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2TBNDHFYb
His son didn't share his joy.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXjLjJsLva
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jauTW4vNL
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1dymt8eyq
'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6MgwIq8Eb
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuq6iUwTlQ
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1S5qSz5n1
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3kpNJmCxq
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBPeojw5uR
'... I... I can't do it....'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLp73Y4HTO
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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HPqR5jhSf
'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.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUxPLdSgBL
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePk8kT1UiP
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvG2yal917
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4nhMs66CI
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOXZQCVTYA
There was a new High Priestess.
