@@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@@
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
¤¤*~~..... .....~~*¤¤
@@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@@
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. *$ *$* $* .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. *$*$$~~. .~~*$$*$* .~~\*$¤@@#
@$$\\~~... *$ *$ ~~~ .. magic .. ~~~ $* $* ...~~\\$$@
#@@¤$*\~~. *$*$$~~. .~~$$*$* .~~\*$¤@@#
##@¤$*\~~. *$ *$* $* .~~\*$¤@##
@@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@@
#@@¤$*\~~. magic is about being unaccountable, .~~\*$¤@@#
##@¤$*\~~. about removing the source of the action .~~\*$¤@##
¤*\\~..... 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 .....~\$¤@
@@@¤$*\~~. about the heat death of the universe. .~~\*$¤@@@
@@¤¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤¤@@
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
¤$$$$*\~~. *$* .~~\*$$$$¤
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. well. it is what it is. a dying art.. .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. maybe for the best. .~~\*$¤@@#
¤*~....... .......~*¤
@¤$$**\~~. .~~\**$$¤@
@@$$*~.... ....~*$$@@
¤¤*\\~.... ....~\\*¤¤
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#
#@@¤$*\~~. .~~\*$¤@@#