'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJvbTpiH8e
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopt4Lbm1y8
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbr9wTPGjU
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql3LjuH4RO
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkxZNRFQ83
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrgInmqpa6
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzyxw8J8KG
'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8BO2rGYNj
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUfaExooFd
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgSvTIj4AP
Broken cables.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C4BNPhvM4
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWN4CFDqjWd
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 -746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNQvauvUou
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeKNO5QlB1
'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXesLVFoHy
'The trial of revival.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQ6M8YZ7Jy
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgHYKpMR96
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhpgOzdZXs
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrmRsrQz70
'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMub25m1UnL
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJosmNyWsa
'No! I can do it.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMACeKTonXv
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBUJmIvw0K
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!746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrXFrVlthv
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuzxWosteI
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihydv5kuRS
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoz5d2nu49
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqQb6Rrmq7
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!746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T8UzdIJr5
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOZJLs0agx
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqX85NM6JEf
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVVNbVaeO1
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL42wba2T8V
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULMLUBzalS
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZn2LiCbyyZ
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzAJarQEAs
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y04LGJT9B
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgyBFeVjY9
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!746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu3ddVLl5i
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdTaIVtsyM
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEIcrev77Q
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPeGGwBvgO
...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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxTuN8XYCf
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ162xn6UkGy
His son didn't share his joy.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6igbz0D49
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iVF3kte4S
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToPQyDjDxs
'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWhkhuDOm2
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡME7sni2zfL
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOJS8n3E01
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcHo3DbC01
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXzu0mEnUX
'... I... I can't do it....'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgvg22nkkU
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAHCnDIP9u
'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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTMUIsSqsJ
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJRSW7LQeN
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUuRuzDM4D
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJdGwjHIuJ
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfYGbZVSp8
There was a new High Priestess.
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