.~-^%¤¶###                                          ###¶¤%^-~.
...~~~^§¶¶                                          ¶¶§^~~~...
.~-^%§¤¶##                                          ##¶¤§%^-~.
....~~^§§¶                                          ¶§§^~~....
.~-^%%%§¤#                                          #¤§%%%^-~.
.~-^%§¤¶##                  ...^...                 ##¶¤§%^-~.
....-%§¤¤#            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...                  #¤¤%-.....
.~-^%%§§§¶                                          ¶§§§%%^-~.
....~-%§¤¤                                          ¤¤§%-~....
.....~-^§¶                                          ¶§^-~.....
.~--^%%¤¶#                                          #¶¤%%^--~.
.~-^%§¤¶##                                          ##¶¤§%^-~.