¶¶&@**~~^. .^~~**@&¶¶
&@==~^.... ....^~==@&
#@¶&@=*~^. .^~*=@&¶@#
&&@=*~.... ....~*=@&&
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#@¶&@=*~^. =@ =@= @= .^~*=@&¶@#
&&@*~..... =@=@@~~. .~~=@@=@= .....~*@&&
¶¶@=~..... =@ =@ ^^^ .. 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. ....^*@@@&
@@¶&@=*~^. .^~*=@&¶@@
&=~....... .......~=&
#@¶&@=*~^. .^~*=@&¶@#
#@¶&@=*~^. .^~*=@&¶@#
¶@@*^^.... ....^^*@@¶
&@*~~~~^^. .^^~~~~*@&