'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1WNKJMuex
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFb7I8Bss8
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVtwHMMx7H
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XHvGEXHr5
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauX0p4lKCR
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtonVlgw21H
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6P1oU9zYN
'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2RmmvGv57
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHbbZjw3Pa
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7pOcDCpy7
Broken cables.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdx67hiboR2
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9j5caRZeH
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 -730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zJRoaqyyZ
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfsHXO7NIS
'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sZXDkmTr2
'The trial of revival.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf0ad4zcgQ
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLEzzVUOCG
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCJWdMZngu
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNvdDhPvxU
'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkPvWvTW16
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkabx19nSl
'No! I can do it.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxFPkMYKFg
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KhYK3MTf0
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!730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNmQkxVSDO
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfwWgmcmxC
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNyV0ffNxI
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReS6e7RgJs
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgBGxyaQcn
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!730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJP6XJpoWe
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rJriiNJCw
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5gCWcPFaA
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuetwJExeS8
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRCuHpLfQ2
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgL6wHj82ZG
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULCPri3UNB
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn4Ug7dljX
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzs05MFQ2T
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vZaoQa412
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!730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn8LIPHBRJ
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTllhb7L0Re
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBZPiZz1b4
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5Tcw4YPEZ
...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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLzCdicmYz
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ105Ul7rqgH
His son didn't share his joy.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUrVvbJzqb
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdly68AmaQ5
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2amEoPaWby
'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aJDXqz4s2
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1Z0Z5ARgA
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ0lxe4hdV
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFPqMURsic
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTXRDbBKKN
'... I... I can't do it....'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mzRvbJFRw
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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJy2uOt44Zj
'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.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghuj25uRAO
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3i0G1TEkP3
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbO8Epd6s1
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7R9fcR3ZX
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJycCVGiFp
There was a new High Priestess.
