##@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@##
@@@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@@@
@&&&%=^^¨¨ ¨¨^^=%&&&@
#@@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@@#
#@@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@@#
&&%%=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨=¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=%%&&
@@@&&%=~^¨ 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... ¨¨^^~==%&@
@@@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@@@
##@@&&%=~^ ^~=%&&@@##
@@@&&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&&@@@
@&%%=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=%%&@
&%=^^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^^=%&