'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDehucwGmgq
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50PA12UxQV
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3voKbr9RQH
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYe8GDEOaQ6
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkauDRz4wm
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVQVJCpxd1
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IfbxsQsTN
'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1BrX4MQwA
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB72WyjCQaN
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzKdeaKPP7
Broken cables.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVGA1rZjx7
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡussS3gccNB
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 -577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsd67zRejWd
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgeltoPFP2
'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAAwPjTgSG
'The trial of revival.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvLqgI4Mru
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51h0eEitnR
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSjjxFtwBi
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW2Ehsv6Cm
'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEs9eqRNuc
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGW5irH5QZ
'No! I can do it.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolgQaC6bri
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpxINy0W9V
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!577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxLUhdUMnk
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOOkDH41Qp
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiFydrsrzs
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YXyix87aY
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWTRAPrjir
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!577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjnS6o24Sz
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQQKxrR84M
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OAa5VaBMf
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxP9gliZnnA
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iIj2Rj8n0
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EB05Jr7Rc
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6c5f9dQ7z
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBJe7CjCpV
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnxeIzj22M
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLhyhpfkpG
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!577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qgiu9q35Y
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAp8RB7XrI
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouqCdH9KKl
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHySERQwQD
...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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2gOr5GfSO
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeFcZUMh00
His son didn't share his joy.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii1xtrz2LK
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi37N0GxzV
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGlsu56Fhe
'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVqEWh8DYT
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQri6vgVpb
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWBQbm2muG
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ciyo0dlJ5
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34y6Z2j7oa
'... I... I can't do it....'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E0Qelp5t4
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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlDqwqvSu2
'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.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNJqRTh4cw
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooInjU8paf
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6pdCZM4Gs
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmZJfIlzOq
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPoVgiXCwL
There was a new High Priestess.
