..=*†@@@## ##@@@†*=..
.....*@@@@ @@@@*.....
..=*†@@@## ##@@@†*=..
.....==*@@ @@*==.....
..=*†@@@## ##@@@†*=..
..=*†@@@@# †@ †@† @† #@@@@†*=..
..=*†@@@## †@†@@==. .==†@@†@† ##@@@†*=..
.......*@@ †@ †@ ... .. 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. #@@**==...
..=*†@@@## ##@@@†*=..
......*††@ @††*......
..=*†††@@# #@@†††*=..
..=*†@@@## ##@@@†*=..
.....=†@@# #@@†=.....
.....=†@@# #@@†=.....