Without understanding a thing, I ended up being pulled out of that metallic space against my will. A bluish smoke began to gush out and, suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a scorching desert that strongly resembled the Sahara. But the most bizarre part was that I couldn't feel my legs; instead of stepping on the sand, I was floating.
In front of me stood a merchant wearing ancient clothes and, right next to him, a camel carrying several bags. I was about to ask what the hell was going on, but the words that came out of my mouth were completely different:
"I am the powerful Genie of the Lamp, Miria. Tell me your three wishes!"
I froze in internal shock. I didn't mean to say that! It felt like my own body was forcing me to speak.
Without hesitating, the merchant knelt on the sand and made a deep bow:
"Great Genie of the Lamp, I have been in this desert for days. Please, give me water and food to survive and to help my camel."
I felt exasperated. What do you mean, create food and water out of thin air?! But without any control, my hand raised on its own and my fingers snapped. In the blink of an eye, a table overflowing with food and an entire oasis materialized right before him. I was completely speechless, but I had no choice but to watch.
The man rushed toward the water and devoured the food rapidly. Satiated, he lay down on the sand to rest, while the camel also drank the water and settled down next to its owner.
"What would be your second wish?" I asked again, already starting to resign myself to the fact that I was on autopilot.
The man pondered for a few moments before answering:
"My second wish is a map to guide me to the capital."
Once again, my fingers snapped against my will. An old, detailed map materialized straight into the merchant's hands.
"What is your final wish?" my voice questioned imposingly.
I really had no choice out here. Could it be that, outside the lamp, I was just a spectator in my own body? I sighed mentally. The best thing to do was to just accept it and observe, since fighting against the magic was useless.
The merchant thought a little longer and finally declared:
"My last wish is to have knowledge of magic, to protect myself from thieves and other dangers in the desert."
Magic? So actual magic exists around here? Well, it made sense, considering I was making things appear out of nowhere. My hand executed the final snap. The merchant's eyes widened, probably processing the flood of information his mind suddenly received, but he quickly recovered.
With the contract concluded, my body dissolved into blue smoke and I was sucked back into the lamp. I fell, sitting right onto the cushions, taking a deep breath.
"So this really is a magical world..."