'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qqhpSweh9
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0xdiNNEcy
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfOEYAOAA1
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4sHopmAxL
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUR6mi1dwl
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrAwM6FGEo
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaPwkjTY03
'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EmZr4cEOx
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSmu6eOTy6
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gUIFqBTLB
Broken cables.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUgEKbluEt
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgt6R13PF2
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 -809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitzMVCqVSG
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ472sMBqopG
'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vQaYRBo55
'The trial of revival.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtnIzKlUJC
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXnMaT0PJ8
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1YkgyVkqH
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJlZJKyWYw
'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8z6joNpGp0
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZ2xLtx1BY
'No! I can do it.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xvRguYeDi
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Bqj5ph54k
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!809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wDCd4N3bS
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO0DYnRaBN
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSpPiSQZWh
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefSfGwIS7K
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTRnDmE8ZZ
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!809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzREGqi0ND
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4w2VyyyNfm
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqFuxAJjj6
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu8TvO0pLU
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqGgoVbFgI
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SBhgS34MQ
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBigqhA5uh
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qyCYLd1sl
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yN7M8oPcm
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmvhaSVMyu
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!809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjgZiOVcm1
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZtmuI6tTy
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61Hql6o4n0
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwXvvzPxk4
...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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl63rc6d6p0
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZeUpmQmUq
His son didn't share his joy.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X05ohTxCf
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtbjIRdwr2
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4iyCxkMRw
'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOa58V8ELf
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIOM5uIfTE
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwhvFIhXlR
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgO3RIyyR13
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiebQFtssOk
'... I... I can't do it....'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqBp6shol7
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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbD1G68ndz
'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.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0jIiCRyJa
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxi2n6MB3c
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh35BmOdSg
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4jAT1rjfz
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -809Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWk3xyGXnR
There was a new High Priestess.
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