.......^=: :=^.......
........^= =^........
.........^ ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ ^.........
........^= ...:... =^........
.......^=: 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... ^.........
........^= =^........
.......^=: :=^.......
......^=:* *:=^......
.....^=:*@ @*:=^.....
....^=:*@@ @@*:=^....