#@#¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤#@#
@¤¤¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤¤¤@
##@#%*=-.. ..-=*%#@##
¤**-...... ......-**¤
##@¤%*=-.. ...=... ..-=*%¤@##
¤¤%%%*=-.. 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... .....=*%%¤
##@#¤*=-.. ..-=*¤#@##
#@#¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤#@#
##@#%*=-.. ..-=*%#@##
#@#¤%*=-.. ..-=*%¤#@#