#@#§$*=-~. .~-=*$§#@#
#@#§$*=-~. .~-=*$§#@#
##@§$*=-~. .~-=*$§@##
###§$*=-~. .~-=*$§###
#@#§$*=-~. .~-=*$§#@#
@@#§$*=-~. ...=... .~-=*$§#@@
@@#§$*=-~. NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND .~-=*$§#@@
#§§§$*=-~. ...=... .~-=*$§§§#
§*-~~~~~~. .~~~~~~-*§
@§§§$*=-~. A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS .~-=*$§§§@
#$=~...... EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST ......~=$#
@#§$$*=-~. SUCCESSFUL STUDENT .~-=*$$§#@
###§$*=-~. .~-=*$§###
##@#$*=-~. BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL .~-=*$#@##
@§§*===-~. 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. ...~-***§#
#@#§$*=-~. .~-=*$§#@#
###§$*=-~. AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE .~-=*$§###
#@#§$*=-~. EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES .~-=*$§#@#
§$*=-~.... FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN ....~-=*$§
#@#§$*=-~. THEM... .~-=*$§#@#
§*=-...... ......-=*§
#§$**=~~.. ..~~=**$§#
@@#§$*=-~. .~-=*$§#@@
##@#$*=-~. .~-=*$#@##
##@#§$*-~. .~-*$§#@##