####%*=-~¨ ¨~-=*%####
#*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*#
###%*-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-*%###
##%*=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=*%##
#%=-----~¨ ¨~-----=%#
####%*=-~¨ ¨¨¨=¨¨¨ ¨~-=*%####
#**-¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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... ¨~-=*%####
##*=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=*##
#*=-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-=*#
#%%*-~~~~¨ ¨~~~~-*%%#
#%%==--~~¨ ¨~~--==%%#
#%=-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-=%#