##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
#==*^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^*==#
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
#@@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@@#
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
#@@#§=*~^¨                 ¨¨¨*¨¨¨                  ¨^~*=§#@@#
@@#=*~^¨¨¨           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...                 ¨¨¨¨¨^^~=#
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
@#===**~^¨                                          ¨^~**===#@
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##
##@#§=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=§#@##