'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp0GLc8xAV
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmNPtE0VZC
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpywx8Gep8Q
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK4MgGUhVJ
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDweguipD0a
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySnqE3rZwQ
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVLFgRJ90h
'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5WjOIKYGq
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcZOwKEaxa
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpu2v5hQdN
Broken cables.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno6H2dxAgX
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdN6cCInli
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 -747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dKX4ZcaJr
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcaSyCe0lX
'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqSNLk4wEn
'The trial of revival.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7Ti4m8Vqa
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡui5AUgJaLT
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB03M2kC30
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHfcT9kfq3
'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHkk0lxrvx
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6NtKwm6Kl
'No! I can do it.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwuLM1ehiV
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVCF07DUYM
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!747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM5vBP23xa
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWDfLwn6Sy
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSvkLFDiAM
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjqXmjcnih
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO5a5zkjz3
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!747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxlbIWM14W
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngqP3BA1Ew
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7YLJfFMf9
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7N8dsfjQPE
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESqWop99hA
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX07dSIixP
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jdQ00VNHa
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka2P2hhwHS
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9OXSi1RAE
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNjXQEHqqR
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!747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzKoacW5AN
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ4rr9rlj3
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjUqGUQ3AE
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfmzjr1M2i
...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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPmXJ1xgyf
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpIeD5HVre
His son didn't share his joy.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKYGL53ICQ
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJMdAgBxuh
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxS0BGHY5gq
'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqslR1ajRn
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU1YiEAcf0
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIi8oaCXEp
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQ6Ek4ms3e
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQOneMMLZW
'... I... I can't do it....'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjff2oaDjmN
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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnILfwhNTS
'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.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJyK88nmw0
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBptI7jGjPO
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1SrJ4SUBv
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qXg9QQ0Yo
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -747Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH3Om5CghF
There was a new High Priestess.
