§=;^...... ......^;=§
##@§¤=;-^. .^-;=¤§@##
###@¤=;-^. .^-;=¤@###
@¤¤=;^.... ....^;=¤¤@
§==--..... .....--==§
@¤;^...... ...;... ......^;¤@
@¤;;^..... 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... .^-;=¤§@##
###@§¤=;^. .^;=¤§@###
@¤=--..... .....--=¤@
@@¤=-..... .....-=¤@@
##@§¤=;-^. .^-;=¤§@##
@§=--..... .....--=§@