I found that if you invested a lot of mana into the spell, you could force it to full-cast on its own and use the incantations for something else. And with a bit of tweaking, that let me put together a loophole that made the spell feasible to use.
*Starts to speed up*
If you use a human soul as a catalyst, you can force a natural evolution into a travel spell that exceeds that of even a global teleport. And if you set up your incantations in just the right way, you can nudge it into a feedback loop that avoids consuming the soul, and only burns the initial casting cost! Neat, huh?
It is, though that seems like a lot of work for a teleport. Although I am one to talk being a god and all...
*Leans in closer, examining the etchings in greater detail*
Hmm. Let me try something. Maybe instead of harnessing light, and paying off a cost, we could do something a bit more subtle.
*I alter the runes, the shape and its meaning becoming completely different in the process until it was naught more than a single symbol*
There! Rather than teleporting one somewhere, that symbol will enact a bargain of sorts with reality, one that allows you to transport yourself wherever you wish the moment you envision it in your mind. At least in theory anyway. These are just notes after all.
*Steps back and crosses my arms*
Anyway, what do you think?