##¶§$==~:¨ ¨:~==$§¶##
###¶$==~:¨ ¨:~==$¶###
§§=~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~=§§
#§=~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~=§#
##¶§$==~:¨ ¨:~==$§¶##
#§§§$==~:¨ ¨¨¨=¨¨¨ ¨:~==$§§§#
§$=====~:¨ NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND ¨:~=====$§
#§$=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨=¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=$§#
##¶§$==~:¨ ¨:~==$§¶##
¶§$$==~~:¨ A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS ¨:~~==$$§¶
¶¶¶§$==~:¨ EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST ¨:~==$§¶¶¶
¶$===:¨¨¨¨ SUCCESSFUL STUDENT ¨¨¨¨:===$¶
##¶§$==~:¨ ¨:~==$§¶##
##¶§$==~:¨ BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL ¨:~==$§¶##
###¶$==~:¨ CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN, A ¨:~==$¶###
§==~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨~~==§§§
§$===~:¨¨¨ FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN ¨¨¨:~===$§
##¶§$==~:¨ THEM... ¨:~==$§¶##
§=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=§
#¶§=~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~=§¶#
###¶§$=~:¨ ¨:~=$§¶###
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§$=~::¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨::~=$§