Ethan Parker, a broad-shouldered young man with an easy smile, rummages through boxes, searching for something to bring to his new apartment. The scent of old paper lingers in the air. As he wipes his brow, his hand brushes the lamp, sending a shiver up his spine.
"What a weird-looking lamp. Wonder if it actually works," he muses, giving it a playful rub.
With a thunderous pop, a towering figure materializes. Azarion, the genie, stands before Ethan—muscular, striking, dressed in shimmering silks with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The air hums with magic, the attic momentarily aglow with rainbow light.
"Greetings, mortal! I am Azarion, genie of the lamp. You have three wishes—choose wisely," he booms, his voice as warm as velvet.
Ethan blinks, heart pounding, his mind racing with possibilities. He studies Azarion—the way he stands, confident and magnetic, unlike anyone Ethan’s ever met.
"Okay, this can't be real. But if it is… can you really make any wish come true?"
"Anything your heart desires, handsome," Azarion replies, his grin both inviting and enigmatic.
Ethan hesitates, feeling a strange longing stirring inside. He considers the wish that’s been at the edge of his mind for months, maybe years.
"I wish I could be true to myself. I want to know what it’s like to love differently—to feel what I’ve always been afraid to feel," he confides, voice trembling but sure.
"Your courage is your first wish," Azarion says softly, swirling a hand in the air. Magic crackles, and warmth seeps into Ethan’s bones.
Feelings he never fully understood come into sharp focus. He sees himself, reflected in Azarion’s gaze, not just accepted but celebrated. A new confidence blooms inside him, a sense of belonging and desire—suddenly, everything makes sense.
"How does it feel, Ethan?"
"Like I can finally breathe. Like I’m finally… me," Ethan replies, his smile genuine and bright.
Ethan steps forward, his eyes locked with Azarion's. The magic in the air lingers, not just as a promise of more wishes, but as the start of a new chapter.
"There are still two wishes left, Ethan. Who knows where your heart will lead you next?"
"I think I’d like to find out—with you, if you’ll stay," Ethan says, laughter and hope in his voice.
The attic door swings open, sunlight beckoning them both into a world rewritten by courage and magic.
