'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLy5JV5VNP8
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokejNlu1D8
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHYF9eMtCn
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNV42hBegH
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciGyDc6qhr
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVO7kT7Pqw
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyGXMZYTxv
'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAtKbgbtvw
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkBWiS2Dhx
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPedST1DZa
Broken cables.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIprmcP4By
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6WpYBuz9B
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 -708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW0gW8U1bk
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtodP03PXI
'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlDWmo2Wsr
'The trial of revival.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkW2p9HYT0b
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wXm80nUyx
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tsfPZ47vs
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPoWIlX4bf
'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMeF5ezu8m
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaBgKsySDO
'No! I can do it.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgSwzSE410
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiMyGuTSun
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!708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLddCchlAS
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgruVSHfdY
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRo5XMhLeq
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPji2gPGoP
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde1jgFn7LP
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!708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LZxbZPCoj
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuTOkeZ3Dr
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71T5gH4zYQ
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqOjrtzxXk
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEn8wPBG33M
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Geef70Wwu
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI39ifw0wsf
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipS6AiGZG7
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdK36YQgwD
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0mDi5yKsi
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!708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4x3LFxtXDs
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSPLWJdUZO
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgYblRJLXZ
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8oonhMAkF
...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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxkcRKJhvk
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KV67Obdox
His son didn't share his joy.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu6iIIQkbV
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIRCWRjFIO
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXEy5NEmIb
'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmqLGPzpom
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ImgEtck5R
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuYIemkJwu
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04X1BwbP6W
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfDgigg9jF
'... I... I can't do it....'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nbeCEEy6C
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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AfDBt0oSq
'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.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveYUIvcuD1
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7aLlnUbv5
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh00wWatQC
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg3BNaA5oS
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZxeNfu1h3
There was a new High Priestess.
