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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.. #£†\=:¨¨¨¨
¨:=\†$££££           maybe for the best.            ££££$†\=:¨
¨:=\†$£###                                          ###£$†\=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:\\$£                                          £$\\:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=\†$£###                                          ###£$†\=:¨
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¨¨¨===\†$#                                          #$†\===¨¨¨