...:~:†§¤#                                          #¤§†:~:...
....:~:†§¤                                          ¤§†:~:....
...:~:†§¤#                                          #¤§†:~:...
..:~:†§¤##                                          ##¤§†:~:..
.:~:†§¤###                                          ###¤§†:~:.
..:~:†§¤##                 †§ †§† §†                ##¤§†:~:..
...:~:†§¤#           †§†§§~~.    .~~†§§†§†          #¤§†:~:...
....:~:†§¤ †§  †§  :::   ..  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.            ¤§†:~:....
...:~:†§¤#                                          #¤§†:~:...
..:~:†§¤##                                          ##¤§†:~:..
.:~:†§¤###                                          ###¤§†:~:.
..:~:†§¤##                                          ##¤§†:~:..
...:~:†§¤#                                          #¤§†:~:...
....:~:†§¤                                          ¤§†:~:....