.:~*^%@# #@#&%^*~:.
.:~*^%@# #@#&%^*~:.
.:~~~~*% #&%*~~~~:.
:~*^%@## ##@#&%^*~:
....:~~^&@ @&^~~:....
.:~*^%@@ ^% ^%^ %^ @@#&%^*~:.
.::~~***^& ^%^%%~~. .~~^%%^%^ &^***~~::.
...~~~*^^& ^% ^% ::: .. 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. #@#&%^*~:.
.:~*^%@# #@#&%^*~:.
.:~*^%@@ @@#&%^*~:.
.:~*^@## ##@#&^*~:.
.....:*%%& &%%*:.....
.:~*^%## ###&%^*~:.
....::**%# #%**::....