'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjTXethiSI
'Sure...' But her words went to no one. Brandon had already left the room.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca4h1Ttvng
She glanced down at the uppermost page with a sigh.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qCS0eeJxB
TAXES PENDING ANNUAL REPORT, AS COLLATED BY CEO GARETH GREENE...725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlRTbWJWOM
Christine rubbed her eyes, and rose to get a cup of much needed water. Had she really not had anything to drink yet?725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWUtx51qGN
She stopped at the cooler next to the window, graced with the view of suds and scrapers. Wednesday window wash.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKA2hzw0jC4
She downed the cup in one gulp and went to refill, when -725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk06kuYEDH
'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbe7dbRs2UW
'Oh my god!' Christine yelled, as a sudden faintness took over her and she collapsed onto the ground.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJs0XK80jk
People came rushing over, some trying to help Christine, some trying to peek through the opaque soapy bubbles to see what happened.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HRnNIBEtu
Broken cables.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRVDMhozby
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡem1Rsxvl10
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 -725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7mCgLzbfz
With a soft hiss, a flame spurted into life, the candle burning brightly.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFve1rag3AN
'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PtmiVsa1G
'The trial of revival.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i7hmpZMZl
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38JXPpoCPV
With a raise of his fingers, the mouse lifted up it's head and began sniffing the High Priestess' hands.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomk9Mn5qn1
'Good.' She whispered, as she opened the top of the cage. 'Now lift the mouse out. The trial of telekinesis.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1ghvmvlE2
'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzH2z8znSN
'Yes. Can you not do it?' Orla smiled mischievously.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3ndDWELJu
'No! I can do it.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEWfXtot0a
Xavier closed his eyes - and with a gasp, he began the telekinesis.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQHkBm6dhN
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!725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKxNFjdWGg
He opened his eyes. The mouse was still in the cage, nibbling curiously at one of the plastic bars.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsP0uqkfqp
'I can do this. Give me one more try.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeeU047yGW
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4WKckXJzc
He was vaguely aware of Orla, cackling viciously at his struggle.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡos4u0HPAs3
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!725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkHo12NDqp
'Aaargh!' Xavier strained at the effort, veins rising on his forehead.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrCmRO6zS6
Lift. The goddamn. Mouse.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqAgI56RT1
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxJJUiEgvP
'...very good, Xavier.' Orla closed the cage. 'There is just one more thing. Your father mentioned the Bind to you, no?'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvUBhd9POL
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqfURrtaOd
'Yes. I'm ready to know.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjSRc2KYX9
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ859a0cr4gR
She walked towards Xavier and leaned into his ear.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAcKmO6MPb
'Do you really want to know?' She whispered, and murmured the ancient pact that bound them all.
What had just happened?725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacLQWpSCDy
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!725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF5Z8TRyvA
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHqboGoXnZ
She checked the date. Her birthday. How had she forgotten?725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcsgS7bmTZ
Well, she thought wryly, happy birthday to me.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtMyMC7UuX
...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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgavzNuusE
'Xavier! You did it!' Hughes laughed.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaBSZwXYZA
His son didn't share his joy.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqNiPICU9B
'Well, come on, Xavier. You know what you have to do. You don't have a choice.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf48p8gNMgn
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83gKZjPV3c
'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCHdS0cnYU
Xavier simply looked at the metal object in his hands for a few moments, mesmerized by the reflections in the candlelight.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93MGCBubx8
'Come on, Xavier.' Orla smiled. This was the final trial.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwfDiMzwx3
'Xavier. You're stronger than this. I had to satisfy the Bind on your behalf for months, don't you let me down now.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0Bq1E5xSv
Xavier's mouth was agape, arms shaking as he tried to lift the knife.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnI7ByKpKxF
'... I... I can't do it....'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDMAfJvlUB
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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcY3B4SJG7
'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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIlAzwMChj
Hughes spat on the burning body. 'I didn't know you were this weak.'725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAHjuUPeK3
It had only been momentary, but nothing escaped Floor Twelve Minus' attention. The High Priestess had failed to cast a spell.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94atVUpN87
The High Priestess was the most powerful magician of them all, and there was only one woman gifted with such skills each generation.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW1QcBGYFF
Orla had lost the power, which meant only one thing -725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqpoWseSFh
There was a new High Priestess.
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