#@#@$†*--. .--*†$@#@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@$†*--... ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@#@$†*--. .--*†$@#@#
@#@$†*--.. †$ †$† $† ..--*†$@#@
#@$†*--... †$†$$--. .--†$$†$† ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. †$ †$ --- .. 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. ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@#@$†*--. .--*†$@#@#
@#@$†*--.. †$† ..--*†$@#@
#@$†*--... ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@#@$†*--. WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. .--*†$@#@#
@#@$†*--.. MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ..--*†$@#@
#@$†*--... ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@#@$†*--. .--*†$@#@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@
#@$†*--... ...--*†$@#
@#@$†*--.. ..--*†$@#@