,,,,,.==¤¤ ¤¤==.,,,,,
,,,,,.=^$¤ ¤$^=.,,,,,
,.=^=$¤### ###¤$=^=.,
,.=^=$¤### ###¤$=^=.,
,=^=$¤#### ####¤$=^=,
,,,,,====¤ ,,,^,,, ¤====,,,,,
,.....^==¤ 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 ¤=^....,,,
,.^=$¤#### HIM. ####¤$=^.,
,,,,=^^=¤# #¤=^^=,,,,
,,,,,.^$## AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE ##$^.,,,,,
,.=^^^$$## EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES ##$$^^^=.,
,.=^=$¤### FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN ###¤$=^=.,
,,,.=^=$¤¤ THEM... ¤¤$=^=.,,,
,,,..===¤# #¤===..,,,
,,,,,.^^$# #$^^.,,,,,
,,,,,,,==¤ ¤==,,,,,,,
,.=^=$¤### ###¤$=^=.,
,.=^=$¤¤## ##¤¤$=^=.,