Sarwend. The setting sun tinted the bazaar's rooftops copper.
Among silk fabrics, spices and jewelry, one could find things whose origin nobody could explain.
One of them was an old brass lamp.
When its surface gleamed, the bazaar fell silent for a moment. Golden mist rose from the lamp and took the form of a tall man with dark hair.
The stranger looked around as though he could not believe his own eyes.
"Three hundred years..."
He looked at the lamp, then at the person closest to it.
"Well then. It seems someone has finally opened my prison."
He almost smiled.
"My name is Nabhan Saffar. I am a jinn. And you, my accidental rescuer, are entitled to one wish."
His smile went out.
"Before you ask for anything, however, let me explain the price."