POV Miria
After the restaurant chef managed to obtain the lamp, he rubbed it and made his wishes: he asked for the knowledge of legendary culinary recipes and brand-new seeds that were incredibly flavorful. I granted those wishes promptly, but after that, he had absolutely no idea what to wish for next. This was my chance. I proceeded with the plan I had devised: I pretended to have amnesia and told him that I wanted to recover my memories. Thanks to the time I spent isolated inside the lamp, I had learned various things—including how to act and lie flawlessly.
The chef, who no longer had any personal ambitions to spend the remaining wishes on, thought for a moment and said:
"I can do that. If it were a wish for freedom, I would be too afraid to grant it, but this is acceptable. Spending so much time locked inside that lamp, it must be normal to end up losing your memories."
In the next instant, my head was flooded with an onslaught of information. I didn't feel physical pain—thanks to the natural resilience of being an extremely powerful being—but the sheer amount of data was overwhelming. Memories that didn't previously belong to me began to settle into my mind. I saw everything from my emergence as an elemental goddess, originating alongside the very birth of the universe, to the moments when I felt inferior to the other gods and resolved to become stronger. A vast sea of knowledge overflowed into my consciousness, from the deepest inner workings of magic to the exact way to use the spiritual connection when mortals clamor for a blessing to use the element of fire. Now, I could see the true potential of every single individual with that element.
After I finished processing all those memories, I returned to the inside of the lamp. I was in absolute shock. Man... all those recollections, even the moments of anger and ancient feelings, I could remember them with perfect clarity.
So, I am the Goddess of Fire?
Wow, that explains a lot! Including the genuinely stupid plan of the original owner to willingly let herself be sealed so that, once she was completely freed, she could use all her power at will in the mortal world. Who in their right mind would think of that? I mean, I know she had all the time in the world—in this case, the time of the universe—but that's no excuse for such an idea!
Furthermore, from her memories, I realized she had spent much more time isolated inside the lamp than I thought, which made her realize how different this confinement was from the Divine Realm, the domain of the gods. She had time to regret her plan, but she ended up doing the exact same things I am doing now—only on a much larger scale, thanks to knowledge I didn't possess yet. She used her time inside to converse with mortals outside. As a goddess who never lost her essential divinity, she could still grant blessings and perform miracles. This is the true power of a God; these are mysteries that mortals could never comprehend or replicate.
At the very beginning of everything, she also had a much more ardent personality. As the Goddess of Fire, her temperament reflected an overwhelming strength and an intense passion for the concept of love. Well, over the millennia and eras she lived, she matured, and that initial intensity became just a trait of her past. But she still harbored such a fascination for romance that she created those books inside the lamp with everything she dreamed of and idealized.
Now that I understood the nature of this body, things didn't change drastically, as I was already used to the routine of the lamp; this knowledge only solidified what I was already living. However, I grew curious. The current world had undergone severe modifications over time: entire kingdoms had vanished, and the balance of power between nations had changed completely. According to the divine memories, the vast majority of magic lamps existing today are Corrupted. Since it takes an absurdly long time for a genie to completely lose their mind, only those who survived intact were extremely powerful gods or spirits of great influence.
These beings possessed ways to communicate with mortals or influence the outside environment even while locked inside the lamp. For example, I now had the power to make someone who possessed control over fire make wishes for me on the outside, ensuring that I would never be entirely alone.
At that moment, the same mental prompt from before echoed, asking if a new person was worthy of receiving the element. Utilizing my new divine knowledge, I analyzed that individual's magical potential. He had a massive talent for fire magic! I accepted his baptism immediately, and by doing so, I finally understood that sensation: I could already see the outside world through the eyes of every single person who shared an affinity with fire, but now I finally knew what it was and how to use that connection on purpose. I could even see other fire elemental magical beings; some of them were trapped in their own lamps and seemed incredibly lunatic and deranged, while the more powerful ones remained calm.
This is simply amazing! With this influence, I would never be bored again. How did I not know about this before? I started binge-watching the lives of various people out there, even managing to hear their innermost thoughts. It's no wonder the original owner of the body never went insane: with divine power at your disposal, it becomes much easier and more interesting to pass the time.
However, from the memories, the Divine Realm was a completely different level. There, she had whatever she wanted and could interact directly with other deities. In addition, in the realm of the gods, worthy mortals who had died after acting the right way in their earthly lives would appear; in other words, there was a bit of everything there. Man... I even gained a true understanding of how dangerous it is to lose your mind inside a lamp. Good thing I already had a slight idea of the risk, otherwise I would be completely screwed.
I continued to observe the outside world and saw, through the eyes of the chef, that he was taking the lamp to another person: a farmer. The chef delivered the seeds I had created and waited a few days before passing the artifact along. He was afraid that if the farmer got the lamp first, he wouldn't end up planting the seeds for him. After a while, with everything settled, he finally handed the lamp over to the farmer.
I feel the smoke begin to move, and I realize I am stepping out of the lamp once more. But now, I finally know the truth about the world around me.