¤†~~~,.... ....,~~~†¤
##*=~..... .....~=*##
##*=~,.... ....,~=*##
##¤¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤¤##
###¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤###
¤¤¤†=~~~,. ...=... .,~~~=†¤¤¤
###¤*†=~,. NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND .,~=†*¤###
#¤¤¤*†=~,. ...=... .,~=†*¤¤¤#
¤*=~...... ......~=*¤
##***†=~,. A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS .,~=†***##
#¤¤†~,.... EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST ....,~†¤¤#
###¤*†=~,. SUCCESSFUL STUDENT .,~=†*¤###
#¤†~...... ......~†¤#
###¤*†=~,. BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL .,~=†*¤###
#*†~...... CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN, A ......~†*#
#¤¤¤*†=~,. GREAT HALL WITH ONLY A SINGLE TINY .,~=†*¤¤¤#
#¤††~..... INLET FOR BOTH LIGHT AND FALLING .....~††¤#
####¤*†~,. STUDENTS... .,~†*¤####
###¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤###
¤††~,..... IN THE FALL, THE QUARTZ SLICED OFF THE .....,~††¤
###¤*†=~,. THREADS IN HIS EYES, OPENING THEM FOR .,~=†*¤###
##¤*††=~,. THE FIRST TIME. BEFORE HIM, THE .,~=††*¤##
#¤¤¤*†=~,. CRYSTALS MIRRORED AND REFRACTED THE ONE .,~=†*¤¤¤#
#¤¤**†=~,. LIGHT SMIDGE INTO A WHOLE NIGHT SKY, .,~=†**¤¤#
###¤*†=~,. AND HE WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH AWE .,~=†*¤###
¤**=~,.... ....,~=**¤
¤***†=~,.. BUT ALSO WITH SHAME, BECAUSE HIS EYES ..,~=†***¤
¤¤*==~,,.. HAD SEEN. HURRIEDLY, HE USED THREAD ..,,~==*¤¤
¤¤†~...... FROM HIS ROBE TO SEW THEM BACK ......~†¤¤
¤††===,... TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME HE DID NOT ...,===††¤
###¤*†=~,. TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION. .,~=†*¤###
¤†=,...... ......,=†¤
¤†=~,,,,.. FOR YEARS HE STUDIED AT THE GUILD. HE ..,,,,~=†¤
###¤*†=~,. BECAME A MASTER, AND THEN A PILGRIM. .,~=†*¤###
###¤*†=~,. YET THE IMAGE FROM THE CAVE NEVER LEFT .,~=†*¤###
###¤*†=~,. HIM. .,~=†*¤###
###¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤###
¤††=,..... AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE .....,=††¤
###¤*†=~,. EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES .,~=†*¤###
###¤*†=~,. FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN .,~=†*¤###
#¤**==,... THEM... ...,==**¤#
#¤¤¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤¤¤#
#*†====~,. .,~====†*#
##**=,.... ....,=**##
####*†=~,. .,~=†*####
###¤*†=~,. .,~=†*¤###