,.~==%@@## ##@@%==~.,
,,.~==%@@# #@@%==~.,,
,,,.~==%@@ @@%==~.,,,
,,,,.~==%@ @%==~.,,,,
,,,,,.~==% %==~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~== ,,,=,,, ==~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~= 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... %==~.,,,,,
,,,,.~==%@ @%==~.,,,,
,,,.~==%@@ @@%==~.,,,
,,.~==%@@# #@@%==~.,,
,.~==%@@## ##@@%==~.,
,,.~==%@@# #@@%==~.,,