¨:-^*$#@##                                          ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^***###                                          ###***^-:¨
¨¨¨¨¨-^$@#                                          #@$^-¨¨¨¨¨
¨:-*$#@###                                          ###@#$*-:¨
¨:-^*$#@##                                          ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^^^*$#@                 ¨¨¨^¨¨¨                  @#$*^^^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@##            naftakin, the blind           ##@#$*^-:¨
¨¨¨:::-*#@                  ¨¨¨^¨¨¨                 @#*-:::¨¨¨
¨:-^*$#@##                                          ##@#$*^-:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:^*# 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. #@#*-::¨¨¨
¨:-^*$#@## yet the image from the  cave never  left ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@##                   him.                   ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@##                                          ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@## at the  end  of  his life, when  at  the ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$$### edge  of  the  world he opened  his eyes ###$$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@## for a second time, stars had  hatched in ##@#$*^-:¨
¨:-^*$#@@@                  them...                 @@@#$*^-:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:^$#                                          #$^:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:::^$##                                          ##$^:::¨¨¨
¨:-^*$#@##                                          ##@#$*^-:¨
¨¨¨¨:^^^$#                                          #$^^^:¨¨¨¨
¨:-^*$$$@@                                          @@$$$*^-:¨