'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwROkLMnzSF
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxzIZh8Q9U
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKP9KhbSbg
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjBhIx8m7z
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfxP2mnPzQ
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaBRtn8nuv
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiVVZjeFw9
'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RhMq6Y1Eo
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdLBoSdayI
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VZinETs2a
Broken cables.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCnvZZh213
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJQdfGmMFq
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 -729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJplhwdrIsr
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTLrNCos61
'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXCb9iMpZq
'The trial of revival.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBTotU0aBN
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0Z8O26vYC
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd77HCW9wX
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKWlCfHGnn
'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyss1P58Hl
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yyMNeMSi2
'No! I can do it.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJQwU0usuH
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8iOoyov8C
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!729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjaBM7d9ub
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRmWVz55zc
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcWBx66pwh
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOslJhmZAkN
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoWeDpJgAu
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!729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbKZFKgruU
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51rv29Ftex
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2VYU13EqR
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHI3K8pjFRJ
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVomu2pfJeC
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloIkfdmQVu
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsTHalQ5qO
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxowavnQlT
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxwYlxKJxq
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPf3So2USw
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!729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00mUwwDrOV
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD59eySYCw1
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLODOAMUJ2R
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC9QRgWrca
...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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYHIoVdhE0
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9NRDiUVcK
His son didn't share his joy.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeEL8baZIf
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHledwFqyv
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9iJYp26TA
'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9sw5tWwXZ
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdetIcLhCU4
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZyo2HfAdp
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs3Z6aeQIJ
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdGl2u8mRO
'... I... I can't do it....'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98bG29bW1d
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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjulInePC2r
'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.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgvAw1408T
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjG41JABNN
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDmr3Q0tie
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDmbtlpVjv
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUl00hkSmL
There was a new High Priestess.
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