'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJYqH8AlWB
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcG7li7CI8a
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzxUXooQvF
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3JLoPsYDY
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8SM7sL62z
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMY2mJ8pLJ
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ydVFm5MKC
'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyRpham5cX
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJhqZ8xwSq
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMmH67d0jn
Broken cables.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpKlwQMDHn
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwlzna1nSi
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 -674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1mcnjHiI1
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw5VTnYlw2
'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyzNGXFPXX
'The trial of revival.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BlJojBZhh
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aCzqeWk3f
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD7QpITMCL
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDnMwOGobq
'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDiLxuz4E7
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIYAeGX7j0
'No! I can do it.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LIKB5ISr4
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKieWmMzO9N
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!674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahlxIpLExg
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmOvtexGGZ
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciVVdDogup
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqX1p7nLMk
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFP7zUKFedk
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!674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu7pGmmrIh
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAkiWb21DD
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7cjs4OqVR
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6z6m3xe6m
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKIOeMUTbb
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTH3HsTTME
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GBkS35DDx
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkm40D0P8B
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhbPPaTh5T
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWH86WvzlwC
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!674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8w8pHiFdU
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CbfsL8gRG
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7211ESEtj
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcE4GTcYcd
...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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qGll22QlL
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJJHGdBMtt
His son didn't share his joy.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKslEbtgcI
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfqHpRYg0u
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JiTeGxJuK
'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DJ176WyTc
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gDiGD8pN8
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08ZM7RKlzi
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qjGgo2Owv
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5cTtmnY2H
'... I... I can't do it....'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjR0ukUkai
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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdERgSzEKxh
'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.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyHSNclCzA
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk31nDf7E3e
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4Dx9DdK3G
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHug29zjNkm
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevrSM6FLmi
There was a new High Priestess.
