If our universe is a simulation, there would be a "universal machine language" through which the world governs itself.
A computer operates by executing a sequence of machine code instructions. Likewise, a universe which is established on a computational basis must be running a stream of instructions.
If this is indeed the case, those who are able to access and modify parts of the stream must be the ones who have the power to distort the reality itself.
Ancient practices of witchcraft are part of this.
A spell cast by a wizard, for example, is a line of code that is being forcefully injected in the midst of the universe's machine code. This allows the spell to temporarily "hack" the universe by interfering with the way it generates events.