'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjnyTyoCz2
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KtcjCdJim
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbCZpONfZ1
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZcgusH3UF
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBYUCabe7d
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILxfIH5l5K
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lgnYjiDci
'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOTBihy7tM
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wLiG8BF1r
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryXqx9JfBH
Broken cables.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNTGiUL04Q
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPjNn0cO3G
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 -684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XbinTcccs
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVuePi8EbF
'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMFI0A2Yau
'The trial of revival.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLaJYx6cM5
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmHdbk7Mo0
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZtdi6SdBP
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKuAjcNxs4
'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsJhOHPNx3
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAN8ObTEBoB
'No! I can do it.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3PcOghsYn
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2bseqrfmP
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!684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjK36vqh5z
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GvMJKxenJ
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC1MYRoimb
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSvf44EOzm
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVZ2EYXLgg
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!684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYnRnddsd2
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cIxKCfEoC
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB5oksDN57
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMsk86ek1S
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7URknxxIFu
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLn2kTPcvT
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBlrab7EyP
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ804i1nXSMy
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqOOBz6wmU
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VSR81PH4G
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!684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CtGU9qfh3
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFQm1HMC9w
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLi6EGs8PQ
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOoK4sI616
...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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8OsUTqrTn
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLYHZoXcYh
His son didn't share his joy.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnOjNVDFGM
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRqZGTfsqJ
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIu6jsPPrO
'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVpWKhrgFv
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XSMKCwTlR
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQUWHRIYPa
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicq8b9vL8e
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZBX5LuW1v
'... I... I can't do it....'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz3keF6GQo
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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxjopJhmuR
'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.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiu5AuVs7mI
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUETRygszZO
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2hOWMLpMU
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7KCZgz5uW
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -684Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJFdxwAD3e
There was a new High Priestess.
