###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###
###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###
¤$$^^^^~:¨                                          ¨:~^^^^$$¤
###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###
¤¤$^:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:^$¤¤
####¤$†^~:                  ¨¨¨^¨¨¨                 :~^†$¤####
#¤†††^~:¨¨           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...                  ¨:~^†¤####
####¤$^~:¨                                          ¨:~^$¤####
###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###
#¤¤¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤¤¤#
###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###
###¤$†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†$¤###