'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKgi4a2lIP
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0CURj0u7s
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUHc5ccviT
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrtrqCZXpR
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJwnPeyxrl
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHQfvTJKim
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bBagIpLdd
'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX4OvXPyOF
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7juMPwKz2
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmYNA9lO2j
Broken cables.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZLpAJgXBN
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABB1X2OO84
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 -716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2dHbiJotd
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIknUaoX5H
'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H0BHtuIiN
'The trial of revival.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZknCL8L7j
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiprLuYa8Y
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnThEKXKb35
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6p6bEdQVv
'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNMG2esoGh
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTh81S0M5Cv
'No! I can do it.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrb0FC5B1G
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7dQiKtqIx
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!716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT4jDZNEn7
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue8KPcBdQU
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CMtLyWd6i
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4gj7afGo8
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqFZcSGgkZ
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!716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyaZSJIeJu
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr0pF5HzQM
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByBRHE5LdA
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn2N2BRbXi
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEqzkGZcNT
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93AfK9T1nn
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdVMRTSesi
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HLSMdW8YF
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YUpae7Ljs
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eeuP7IrhH
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!716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxJRfksN9l
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxURCyY2i2l
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnaI7peVxM
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBB3pZqRbb
...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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwPdN9wWGo
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SQsXNLGJZ
His son didn't share his joy.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxlmvXOz6r
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq50OdMoZOY
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJym2jRhkE
'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OGsTkdaMe
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7T8wkHyXQk
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGacyNCWS3h
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ847IMuOypi
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNu1Yu4FA1
'... I... I can't do it....'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepLlDr8rGh
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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfKrttBfAo
'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.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzZ1j30XVE
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdd54YDtVS
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZjCCKRbcy
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSjPEfO7hU
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZajduHPYo
There was a new High Priestess.
