'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9A7P6Ov9Ls
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE03SGM4wb
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzoNxb8kAy
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHlT2kSYrB
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyCbw4CRJ0
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzK0jBC2Y5m
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbwu48xr2x
'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSQfoTFK7v
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aubtG71dV
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEySaZXDkkz
Broken cables.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87R7faBr4X
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhq4CpjdIN1
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 -971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiSup1MrWj
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrsmPzGTY5
'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDX8jqZpxSg
'The trial of revival.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BuogYXfyl
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwmy5ZmNFz
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7277sBVZs5
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBpmgnnWlE
'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aGAxSBFal
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzuDjjrsWx
'No! I can do it.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyNTklRtsd
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ173C74OYvZ
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!971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSMkf7C36P
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8d3wH4nqMJ
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSCMfbvAXh
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ojIOok7Z8
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKZhyzoGnq
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!971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7YRzLHOmq
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeMAoViGwC
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C7p9lOxYo
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaYI6mwSbZ
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo54ViUnj1
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswxXAukRqj
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vBwgcuKGJ
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmgn92x4v2
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10qSSyxj5W
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezMINTozE6
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!971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2GkeKUthq
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7abAnAyloi
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJSaIKfK5Y
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2EhAvAQQT
...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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwqShJt4Rj
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO81VcFqDX
His son didn't share his joy.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e6JwlCI9c
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAxq1VMngV
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1krhcVMpjx
'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73Ou05HHsC
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIykJ98KFK
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcShNp8I7y8
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BUYZ8zUmb
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuP9Kn1oUD
'... I... I can't do it....'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaJOIXjKBX
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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYN5XeHb8G
'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.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRit0hJtVE
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNfIw9l9Zy
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5jHnXcgAE
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVn0iUPzerw
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -971Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA3OJQ1gFu
There was a new High Priestess.
and then Add to home screen.