§§§^^=~~., ,.~~=^^§§§
§%%==.,,,, ,,,,.==%%§
##§%=.,,,, ,,,,.=%§##
§^^^^^=~., ,.~=^^^^^§
##%%^~,,,, ,,,,~^%%##
###§%^=~., ,,,=,,, ,.~=^%§###
####%^=~., 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... ,.~=^^%%§#
###§%^=~., ,.~=^%§###
###§%^=~., ,.~=^%§###
#%^=.,,,,, ,,,,,.=^%#
##%^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^%##
#§%^^==~., ,.~==^^%§#