^~^....... .......^~^
$^~^...... ......^~^$
@$^~^..... .....^~^$@
@@$^~^.... ....^~^$@@
#@@$^~^... ...^~^$@@#
##@@$^~^.. ...†... ..^~^$@@##
###@@$^~^. naftakin, the blind .^~^$@@###
##@@$^~^.. ...†... ..^~^$@@##
#@@$^~^... ...^~^$@@#
@@$^~^.... a student at the charcoal guild... his ....^~^$@@
@$^~^..... eyes sewn shut from birth... the most .....^~^$@
$^~^...... successful student ......^~^$
^~^....... .......^~^
~^........ 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 .......^~^
$^~^...... became a master, and then a pilgrim. ......^~^$
@$^~^..... yet the image from the cave never left .....^~^$@
@@$^~^.... him. ....^~^$@@
#@@$^~^... ...^~^$@@#
##@@$^~^.. at the end of his life, when at the ..^~^$@@##
###@@$^~^. edge of the world he opened his eyes .^~^$@@###
##@@$^~^.. for a second time, stars had hatched in ..^~^$@@##
#@@$^~^... them... ...^~^$@@#
@@$^~^.... ....^~^$@@
@$^~^..... .....^~^$@
$^~^...... ......^~^$
^~^....... .......^~^
~^........ ........^~