...@.@.@@@ @..@.@@.@@
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@@.@@.@@.@ %$ %$% $% ....@@@@@.
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@.@@.@@..@ %$ %$ ~~~ .. MAGIC .. ~~~ $% $% ..@@...@.@
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.@@.@@@@@. %$ %$% $% @@@@.@..@@
@.@@....@@ ...@@@.@.@
@@.@...@.. 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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@@.@@.@@.@ ....@@@@@.