###¤@*†~~. .~~†*@¤###
¤*†~...... ......~†*¤
###¤@*†~~. .~~†*@¤###
###¤@*†~~. .~~†*@¤###
#¤@@@*†~~. .~~†*@@@¤#
##@@*†~... ...†... ...~†*@@##
##¤*~~~... 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... .~~*@¤####
###¤@*†~~. .~~†*@¤###
¤@*~~..... .....~~*@¤
#@@††~.... ....~††@@#
¤*~~...... ......~~*¤
¤@*†~~.... ....~~†*@¤