###@**==.¨ ¨.==**@###
#@*==.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.==*@#
@@**===.¨¨ ¨¨.===**@@
###@**==.¨ ¨.==**@###
###@**==.¨ ¨.==**@###
###@**==.¨ ¨¨¨=¨¨¨ ¨.==**@###
@*==..¨¨¨¨ 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... ¨.==**@###
####@**=.¨ ¨.=**@####
###@**==.¨ ¨.==**@###
@@***===.¨ ¨.===***@@
#@****==.¨ ¨.==****@#
###@**==.¨ ¨.==**@###