.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@                                          @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#                 ...:...                  #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@           naftakin, the blind            @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#                 ...:...                  #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# a student at the  charcoal  guild... his #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ eyes sewn shut  from  birth...  the most @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#            successful student            #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# but one day he  fell down into a crystal #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ cavern. it was deep  in the mountain,  a @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@# great  hall  with  only  a  single  tiny #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@## inlet  for   both  light   and   falling ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#               students...                #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@                                          @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@# in the  fall, the  quartz sliced off the #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@## threads in  his eyes,  opening them  for ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# the   first  time.   before   him,   the #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ crystals mirrored and refracted the  one @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@# light smidge  into  a  whole night  sky, #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@## and   he  was  struck  down   with   awe ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ but also with  shame,  because his  eyes @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@# had  seen.  hurriedly,  he  used  thread #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@## from   his   robe   to   sew  them  back ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# together, and when help came he  did not #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@        tell of his transgression.        @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@## for  years he studied at  the guild.  he ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# became  a master, and  then  a  pilgrim. #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ yet  the image  from the cave never left @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#                   him.                   #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@# at  the  end  of his life, when  at  the #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@ edge of  the  world he opened  his  eyes @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@# for a second  time, stars had hatched in #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                  them...                 ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
...,~:%$&@                                          @&$%:~,...
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..
.,~:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:~,.
..,~:%$&@#                                          #@&$%:~,..