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###¤%%\=:¨ naftakin, the blind ¨:=\%%¤###
¤¤¤%%%\=:¨ ¨¨¨\¨¨¨ ¨:=\%%%¤¤¤
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###¤%%\=:¨ 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... ¨:=\%¤####
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###¤%%\=:¨ 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... ¨:=\%%¤###
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