§§@*/--... ...--/*@§§
@#@**--... ...--**@#@
#§**//-... ...-//**§#
##@#§@*/-. .-/*@§#@##
#@#§@*/--. .--/*@§#@#
§§§@**/--. .../... .--/**@§§§
§§§*/-.... 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... .--/*@§#@#
§*/-...... ......-/*§
###§@*/--. .--/*@§###
#§@/-----. .-----/@§#
#@#§@*/--. .--/*@§#@#
##@§@*/--. .--/*@§@##