..:~;****§                                          §****;~:..
.:~;*$§###                                          ###§$*;~:.
.:~;*$§###                                          ###§$*;~:.
.:~;*$§###                                          ###§$*;~:.
...::~~;$#                                          #$;~~::...
.:~~;;;;$#                 ...;...                  #$;;;;~~:.
.....::;$#            naftakin, the blind           #$;::.....
......~*$#                 ...;...                  #$*~......
.:~;*$§§##                                          ##§§$*;~:.
.:~;*$§### a student at the  charcoal guild...  his ###§$*;~:.
.:~;*$§### eyes  sewn  shut from birth... the  most ###§$*;~:.
.:~~;*$§§#            successful student            #§§$*;~~:.
.:~;*$§###                                          ###§$*;~:.
..:::~;*§# 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. §§§*~~....
.:~;*$§### yet the image from  the cave never  left ###§$*;~:.
.:~;*$§###                   him.                   ###§$*;~:.
....:;$$§#                                          #§$$;:....
.:~;*$§### at  the  end of his  life,  when at  the ###§$*;~:.
...~~*$$$# edge of the  world he  opened  his  eyes #$$$*~~...
.:~;*$$§## for a second  time, stars had hatched in ##§$$*;~:.
.:::;;;*$#                 them...                  #$*;;;:::.
.:~;*$§###                                          ###§$*;~:.
.:~;;;;$##                                          ##$;;;;~:.
..:~~~~;$#                                          #$;~~~~:..
.:~;*§####                                          ####§*;~:.
....:;;$##                                          ##$;;:....