in the clandestine hours, just before the dawn commences its embrace, the unofficial gatherings of magicians would unfold, where they would deride the very notion of preadmission into their secretive circle. here, in the shadowed corners of ancient halls, they would commence once more, sharing suggestions whispered through centuries, teaching one another the forbidden magic tricks that danced like specters in the moonlight. these congregations were not acknowledged by the realms of mortals, yet they held the essence of true magic, unbound by the constraints of the official world.