.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~~~~=&¶ ¶#&&=~~~~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†### ####&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†&&& †& †&† &† #&&&&†=«~.
....~~«=†# †&†&&««. .««†&&†&† #†=«~~....
.~«=†¶## †& †& ~~~ .. magic .. ~~~ &† &† ##¶#&†=«~.
.....««†#¶ †&†&&««. .««&&†&† ¶#†««.....
.~«=†¶## †& †&† &† ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~~~«=††## magic is about being unaccountable, ##††=«~~~.
.~«=†¶## about removing the source of the action ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## from yourself. it works by exploiting a ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## kind of gravity, called the ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«===== arrow of time. #&=====«~.
....~=†### ###†=~....
.~«=†¶## things in this universe always seek the ##¶#&†=«~.
....«==&¶¶ least energetic state. all potential is ¶¶&==«....
.....~««†# gradually lost into lesser forms (such #†««~.....
...~~=†&¶# as heat). #¶&†=~~...
.....~«=†# #†=«~.....
...~««†#¶# magic then, is creating tunnels, #¶#†««~...
...~~=†### specific and intricate canals, for this ###†=~~...
.~«=†¶¶# to happen in a controlled manner. think #¶¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## of it as setting an elaborate trap for ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†### entropy. ####&†=«~.
.....«†#¶¶ ¶¶#†«.....
.~«=†&¶### and then, when the circuit closes, the ###¶&†=«~.
.~«=††## arrow is forced to do your bidding! ###&††=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
..~~=††† of course, you're also irreversably #&†††=~~..
..~~~««†## draining time from the universe, but ##†««~~~..
.~«=†#¶### yeah. ###¶#†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
..~~~=†# †&& † † &&† ##&†=~~~..
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
....~=†##¶ ¶##†=~....
.~«=†¶¶# the danger is a runaway spell - if the #¶¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## filament of your canal is too weak, or ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## the potential is high enough to escape ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## any self-closing mechanisms - a breach. ##¶#&†=«~.
...~==†† #&††==~...
.~«=†¶## these are usually catastrophic. ##¶#&†=«~.
....~==†## although many are local, they stay ##†==~....
.~«=†¶## active until closed off by counter ##¶#&†=«~.
....«=†# spells (hard to pull off) or there's no ##&†=«....
.~«=†¶## more energy to fall through. ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†#¶¶ ¶¶##&†=«~.
...««=&&&¶ in that case the outcome depends on the ¶&&&=««...
.~«===&&¶¶ spell. small-scale breaches might not ¶¶&&===«~.
.~«=†### even be noticeable by the uninitiated; ####&†=«~.
.~«=†### but a spell might also very well bring ####&†=«~.
.~«====&¶# about the heat death of the universe. #¶&====«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## †&† ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.....~=& #&&=~.....
.~«=†¶## well. it is what it is. a dying art.. ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†### maybe for the best. ####&†=«~.
.~«=†¶## ##¶#&†=«~.
.~=†¶### ###¶#&†=~.
.~«««««†## ##†«««««~.
....~=††## ##††=~....
.~«=†&¶### ###¶&†=«~.
.~«=†### ####&†=«~.