'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXYpaVOmBd
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxbtVQIbAA
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2N7vC6TDC
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fdWZFoZk5
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIuwvfMHj7
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdkVITsP3X
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtbqCFmGno
'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SIrSZ9iix
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptQeiReLgU
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTL6xXHlow
Broken cables.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwMnabfZIX
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LfADVX1fe
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 -695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLZvXIfxbv
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMvXez8ahX
'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0TApvnpWZ
'The trial of revival.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ764FGggWAK
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM5sth7vjR
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrIA1eGr6J
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfXv6AiE3v
'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqHe1LSIlw
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7s79QWUte
'No! I can do it.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWKPnrN2s7
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡib7UuZvCcY
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!695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWyPmfIsEZ
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoWmxXFcwk
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7cdC0TEaQ
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYVeX9WbNW
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJUpGqjKrq
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!695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1F1HeEpzC
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKL42AS14XV
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacnsUB5AIe
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmgpT5AsAS
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyus5Lev7p
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0ZGMBDfTF
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2t7RGxZXOZ
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ2AAwDFXD
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qeUMGCvU9
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmgv3RbLZd
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!695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NbBGOv9MH
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7v319pg0m
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXe2EmDi6I
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFj0wfF5cpm
...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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE0z15BA1R
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEWU9MrRPO
His son didn't share his joy.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNgstqlngl
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRfaSos3JR
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwXzfsCIf2
'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSleNh1Fkwp
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UcF2yFj7D
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFuyhAPjaA
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s1pcWu03m
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1gDOG9ObI
'... I... I can't do it....'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGU0XBt3Gy
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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Kzvl6e2ED
'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.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5IJiGtlop
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCg9l7PmC6v
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYNtDMXnfT
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio27MW6obQ
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGe5bmVI5B
There was a new High Priestess.
