...:«†^%@@                                          @@%^†«:...
....:«†^%@                                          @%^†«:....
.....:«†^%                                          %^†«:.....
......:«†^                                          ^†«:......
.......:«†                                          †«:.......
......:«†^                 ^% ^%^ %^                ^†«:......
.....:«†^%           ^%^%%««.    .««^%%^%^          %^†«:.....
....:«†^%@ ^%  ^%  :::  ..  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.           @%^†«:....
.....:«†^%                                          %^†«:.....
......:«†^                                          ^†«:......
.......:«†                                          †«:.......
......:«†^                                          ^†«:......
.....:«†^%                                          %^†«:.....
....:«†^%@                                          @%^†«:....