'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmzlWft5a5
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3qdxHZiY4
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5T8xRIDmpe
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXYMzl1T9u
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPnClfM9xG
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi4OrOGLCi
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qEGhesFBc
'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuaKblq0U8
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMR7A9hnUbG
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev1OIyZ96r
Broken cables.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYgy5wJNXf
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3O38WMfpp
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 -731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAkUtU7j6o
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2WJfGgfTN
'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSVnM89x1A
'The trial of revival.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgVoEqO26d
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4HQgru651
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGB4PksAnbm
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwniuEd9lr
'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGYYxL6OqK
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp58fw09bB3
'No! I can do it.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcR938i9jUV
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wn7mSrtz7
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!731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BPkRAVBGy
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzakwu7bd8H
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Vnz9TPP2Z
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTzwae5ghp
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtneh6y71R
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!731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsewfsuv3Z
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLEohu53m0
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOe01Amm2U7
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0RMa7DXNe
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SVgJOu8Wg
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4bmQPZQeA
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyA3r2KMKG
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvChXIykrB4
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyOqHXLfw9
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbagxm3yUWZ
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!731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKoU6TlIeS
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1FM5l8ktm
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzMUOdQJEZ
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcBdUX6p5G
...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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSERY5mb6t
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3srduSazX
His son didn't share his joy.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW52zy1T2Y4
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK5KFvBU8O
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiQpBofVsa
'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMMCZg9R2I
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkB8MOvHlSG
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQtiYno1nS
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K28GnFq49
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIyHZGh8Wm
'... I... I can't do it....'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLA8YtATMAp
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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9BSIghTk0
'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.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6BiRtBDP7
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dBqz62IK4
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdNxGnJywS
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltICvkFqkE
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -731Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsA02EDD6Pk
There was a new High Priestess.
