¶$%%%%/~:. .:~/%%%%$¶ ¶¶¤%%~.... ....~%%¤¶¶ ¤$/~...... ......~/$¤ ¶¤$%/~.... ....~/%$¤¶ ¤¤$$%//~:. .:~//%$$¤¤ ##¶¤$%/~:. .../... .:~/%$¤¶## #¶¤$///~:. NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND .:~///$¤¶# ¶¶$/::.... .../... ....::/$¶¶ ¶¶¤$%/~:.. ..:~/%$¤¶¶ ###¶$%/~:. A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS .:~/%$¶### ¶$$$$%/~:. EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST .:~/%$$$$¶ ##¶¤$%/~:. SUCCESSFUL STUDENT .:~/%$¤¶## ¤$///~~~:. .:~~~///$¤ #¶¤$%%/~:. BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL .:~/%%$¤¶# ##¶¤$%/~:. CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN, A .:~/%$¤¶## ¤¤$%~..... GREAT HALL WITH ONLY A SINGLE TINY .....~%$¤¤ ¤$$//::... 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 .....~%¤¤# ##¶¤$%/~:. TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION. .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. .:~/%$¤¶## #¶¶¤$%/~:. FOR YEARS HE STUDIED AT THE GUILD. HE .:~/%$¤¶¶# ##¶¤$%/~:. BECAME A MASTER, AND THEN A PILGRIM. .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. YET THE IMAGE FROM THE CAVE NEVER LEFT .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. HIM. .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES .:~/%$¤¶## ¶$/:::.... FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN ....:::/$¶ ##¶¤$%/~:. THEM... .:~/%$¤¶## ¶$%%/~~:.. ..:~~/%%$¶ ¤%%%%%/~:. .:~/%%%%%¤ ¶¤%~~..... .....~~%¤¶ #¶¤¤$%/~:. .:~/%$¤¤¶# ##¶¤$%/~:. .:~/%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%/~:. .:~/%$¤¶##