.:«^*%&¶## ##¶&%*^«:.
.:«^*%&¶## ##¶&%*^«:.
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.:«^*%&¶¶# #¶¶&%*^«:.
.:«^*%&¶## ##¶&%*^«:.
..::«^%% ...^... #&%%^«::..
...««***&¶ 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... #¶%^«.....
.....««*%¶ ¶%*««.....
.:«^*%&¶## ##¶&%*^«:.
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.....«^%&& &&%^«.....
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