'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj52tCUnzs
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsY5MRinmV
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9s9FityIOg
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz5z4lpIfv
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiz7hdrKxjG
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2xiLnutz7
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzT7Jkfmura
'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPes9kajvv
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobb8iINc5V
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyvGrOLdxD
Broken cables.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CjrnQvcz6
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVgywb3pHc
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 -723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUePVVEpTR
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcDtjrc4op
'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxJWfNR5u3
'The trial of revival.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSPLoEq3WR
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoUfd15mME
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXZyPxMRyQ
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TWbMbHmxC
'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESVaMgBoCF
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAjoHf3Jat
'No! I can do it.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ybk2VUshD
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHzLmVuKad
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!723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVdF0PsQ4w
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9UCkZOcmR
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciEQI9bX2g
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJFXaIx7gD
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVr8ljZE5DQ
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!723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHOym5iSvO
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB8k8Jd8nS
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvTT39FFan
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1Y7GhAFDW
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTORUPiP19
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhG0nIKo1O
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi8qHuOJik
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuirGVEI37
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoskQJSofCj
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkHokFVQPw
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!723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaAZUDCViU
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeZISTSBSf
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF9rvcqsAG
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaofqN6hfkb
...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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVNskoPVBy
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2eEonSpe5
His son didn't share his joy.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu6byYWwAs
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwJ8zmE3oB
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAAJgkhbwx
'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBOfmVJ52o
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OmengsPbR
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QXm2m3T2Y
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTplMFznz0
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdX0cNb7T6b
'... I... I can't do it....'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsalDOD14P9
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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i4Jq5VWHo
'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.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOOguQKV6s
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9CS0795EQ
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyDiN9860b
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMyRuiEKJy
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpd0XN8po4
There was a new High Priestess.
