..~»^†*&£@                                          @£&*†^»~..
...~»^†*&£                                          £&*†^»~...
....~»^†*&                                          &*†^»~....
.....~»^†*                                          *†^»~.....
....~»^†*&                                          &*†^»~....
...~»^†*&£                 †* †*† *†                £&*†^»~...
..~»^†*&£@          †*†**»».    .»»†**†*†           @£&*†^»~..
.~»^†*&£@# †*  †*   ~~~  ..  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.            £&*†^»~...
..~»^†*&£@                                          @£&*†^»~..
.~»^†*&£@#                                          #@£&*†^»~.
..~»^†*&£@                                          @£&*†^»~..
...~»^†*&£                                          £&*†^»~...
....~»^†*&                                          &*†^»~....
.....~»^†*                                          *†^»~.....