,,,,~*%#@@ @@#%*~,,,,
,,,,,~*%#@ @#%*~,,,,,
,,,,,,~*%# #%*~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~*% %*~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~* *~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ,,,*,,, ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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... *~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,