%^*~...... ......~*^%
¤%^*~..... .....~*^%¤
¶¤%^*~.... ....~*^%¤¶
#¶¤%^*~... ...~*^%¤¶#
##¶¤%^*~.. ..~*^%¤¶##
#¶¤%^*~... ...*... ...~*^%¤¶#
¶¤%^*~.... 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... ......~*^%
^*~....... .......~*^
*~........ ........~*
~......... .........~
.......... ..........
~......... .........~