.,~\*$#¶@# #@¶#$*\~,.
.....~\$¶¶ ¶¶$\~.....
.,~\*$#¶@@ @@¶#$*\~,.
....,,~**# #**~,,....
.,~\*$#¶@# #@¶#$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶@# *$ *$* $* #@¶#$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶@@ *$*$$~~. .~~*$$*$* @@¶#$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶@@ *$ *$ ,,, .. 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. ##@#$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶@# #@¶#$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶## ##¶#$*\~,.
.,~\*$##¶@ @¶##$*\~,.
..,~\\\*$# #$*\\\~,..
.,~\*$##¶¶ ¶¶##$*\~,.
.,~\*$#¶¶¶ ¶¶¶#$*\~,.