#@#&&=:~~. .~~:=&&#@#
#@#&&=:~~. .~~:=&&#@#
&&&&=:~~~. .~~~:=&&&&
#@#&&=:~~. .~~:=&&#@#
#@#&&=:~~. .~~:=&&#@#
#@#&&=:~~. ...:... .~~:=&&#@#
#@#&&=:~~. 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... .....~:&&&
##&::~.... ....~::&##
&====~~~.. ..~~~====&
#@#&&=:~~. .~~:=&&#@#
&&&=:~.... ....~:=&&&
##@#&=:~~. .~~:=&#@##