...-\\*&&£ £&&*\\-...
.-~\\\\*&& &&*\\\\~-.
.---\\†**& &**†\\---.
.-~\†*&£## ##£&*†\~-.
.....-~†*£ £*†~-.....
.....~†*££ †* †*† *† ££*†~.....
....---\*& †*†**~~. .~~†**†*† &*\---....
.-~\†*&£## †* †* --- .. 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. #&††~~....
.....~~†*£ £*†~~.....
.-~\†*&&£# #£&&*†\~-.
......-\*£ £*\-......
....~\**£# #£**\~....
.-~\†*&£## ##£&*†\~-.
.-~\†*&£££ £££&*†\~-.