....~~:†%¤ ¤%†:~~....
.....~~:†% %†:~~.....
......~~:† †:~~......
.......~~: :~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ...:... ~.........
.......... 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... †:~~......
.....~~:†% %†:~~.....
....~~:†%¤ ¤%†:~~....
...~~:†%¤# #¤%†:~~...
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.~~:†%¤### ###¤%†:~~.