##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
@$$%~~.... ....~~%$$@
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
@@@$$%=~~. .~~=%$$@@@
##@@$%=~~. %$ %$% $% .~~=%$@@##
@$%%%=~~.. %$%$$~~. .~~%$$%$% ..~~=%%%$@
##@@$%=~~. %$ %$ ~~~ .. 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. .~~=$@@###
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##
@@%%~..... .....~%%@@
@$=~...... ......~=$@
##@@$%=~~. .~~=%$@@##