#@##$*=~^. .^~=*$##@#
##@#$*=~^. .^~=*$#@##
#$*==^.... ....^==*$#
####$*=~^. .^~=*$####
#$$*~^.... ....^~*$$#
##$*~^.... ...=... ....^~*$##
#@##$*=~^. NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND .^~=*$##@#
#$$*=~.... ...=... ....~=*$$#
@#*~^..... .....^~*#@
#$$=~..... A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS .....~=$$#
#**~...... 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... ......~*#@
@##$*==~^. .^~==*$##@
@###$*=~^. .^~=*$###@
#*=~^..... .....^~=*#
#$**=~~... ...~~=**$#
#@##$*=~^. .^~=*$##@#