##¤@*:~~.. ..~~:*@¤##
###¤@*:~~. .~~:*@¤###
##¤@*:~~.. ..~~:*@¤##
#¤@*:~~... ...~~:*@¤#
¤@*:~~.... ....~~:*@¤
@*:~~..... ...:... .....~~:*@
*:~~...... 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... ....~~:*@¤
@*:~~..... .....~~:*@
*:~~...... ......~~:*
:~~....... .......~~:
*:~~...... ......~~:*
@*:~~..... .....~~:*@