As soon as I said the words out loud, Thasmius smiled, and I knew something was wrong. The smile was too wide, the look in his face menacingly happy like a cat playing with its food.

I've known Thasmius for two months, ever since I found and rubbed an old silver locket in my grandfather's attic, and his smiles were always warm and genial. He acted like a kind teacher for my first two wishes, offering me advice and not turning them against me at all.

When I wished my family was rich, he happily gave them not only money, but property. In just a few weeks my father had seemingly inherited multiple mansions from unknown relatives. He was surprised, but seemingly genetically gifted with the knowledge on how to run a real estate empire.

My second wish was for my little brother's health, and with a gesture from the djinn, my brother not only was guaranteed free from illness, he also grew tall and muscular rapidly over the next few weeks. I was ecstatic and even gave the genie a tight hug.

But now the smile was as cruel as it was sincere. Thasmius's eyes glowed as he held up his purple hand and snapped his clawed fingers.

"As you wish." He spoke, and his golden bracelets fell from his bare wrists. Purple smoke poured from him and towards me, rapidly closing the distance in my small studio apartment.

"Wait a minute, why are you casting at me?" I asked.

I still wasn't scared yet, despite the stories of evil genies he had never twisted my words or screwed me over. I had even told him I intended to free him as my final wish when I realized what he was. I could see now that I fell right into his plans.

"Nothing in this world is free, child," he said with a chuckle. " A life for a life. For me to be free you must not be. But don't worry! I made sure you were able to wish your life to perfection before I took it over!"

He started cackling madly as his purple skin started to pale and freckle, and his black hair slowly started to lighten.

I attempted to get off my bed but I was too late, the smoke hung around my feet like concrete despite its wispy appearance.

"I trusted you!" I yelled as the smoke slowly rose to my shoulders.

Thasmius just laughed, a shocking thing to view as he had nearly completed his transformation. It was like I was laughing at myself: even his voice was the same now.

"We all make mistakes," he reached over to the dresser where his locket lay and held it out to me, "goodbye Tristan, I will treasure the life you have given me."

He smiled triumphantly at me as the smoke started to develop my face, every facet of his being seemed wrought with victory. His cruel laugh was destined to be the last thing I heard as a free man.

The look started to crumble the moment I started laughing with him.

"Has madness reached you child?" He asked, stepping forward and looking down at me imperiously, "I have taken your life. Despair."

"You never questioned why I wished only for other people's happiness?" I laughed as the smoke covered everything but my mouth, "I thought it would be too selfish to wish I wasn't dying!"

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The last thing I saw before being drawn into the locket was the rage that can only come from someone who thought they had the complete upper hand before having their victory snatched out from under them.

–––

Black, featureless void surrounded me on all sides. I floated around aimlessly with no sensations other than the passage of time, and even that was probably off, it's not like I had a clock or anything.

I can't believe I fell for that, I thought angrily, my gut told me he was bad, and I remembered the stories, but he seemed so sweet and grateful that I let my guard down.

I did at least feel some satisfaction that I never let him know about the brain cancer. I assumed my wishes were working out right because they were selfless, not because I was being manipulated. I decided the best use of a wish-granting djinn was to set up my family for happiness after I was gone.

That lying asshole has about 3 months of my life left, I hope it was worth it. I smiled at the thought. But what do I do now?

As if prompted by my query a light appeared in the void and started to grow larger as I approached.

It slowly coalesced out of the nothingness, forming a simple desk and chair sitting on a floating hardwood floor, lit by an old fashioned lamp on the desk.

Once I reached the edge of the floor I stopped floating and landed clumsily and nakedly. Luckily the floor wasn't cold. The only thing I was wearing was an unadorned golden bracer on each forearm.

I carefully got up and, not knowing what else to do, went to sit in the chair.

Wait, I thought, I don't want to sit in a fancy chair with no pants on.

I blinked twice and was suddenly wearing loose gypsy-style silk trousers that ended, cuffed, just below my knees.

Okay. I shrugged and sat down on the green cushioned piece of furniture and waited.

After a bit of time, a piece of paper suddenly appeared in the middle of the table with a deep magenta puff of smoke alongside a black feather pen. It was blank, but started to fill itself with glittery dark pink cursive writing:

Please fill out the blank spaces:

Name: Tristan MacLennan

Rank: Apprentice (Inherited)

Assign three points below:

Power: 5

Incarnate: 7

Limits: 3

Domain: 6

Anathemas:(choose three from list B: Available Anathemas)

Breaks: (choose three from list A: Available Breaks)

List A) Available Breaks

Magical Mortals: gain the ability to infuse mortals with magehood, or empower current magehood with a wish.

Variable Wishes: gain the ability to grant an extra or take away one of a mortal's wishes, changing the number to four or two wishes, respectively.

Gifted incarnate: gain the ability to cast small magics while incarnated into the physical world.

Shared Domain: gain the ability to invite others into your vessel.

Wish Refusal: once per Master, gain the ability to refuse to grant a wish that doesn't violate one of your Anathemas.

List B) Available Anathemas

Resurrection: you are unable to bring the dead back to life.

Murder: you are unable to kill.

Sacred Youth: you are unable to allow harm to come to children while incarnated.

Chastity: you are unable to touch mortals while incarnated.

Integrity: you are unable to directly lie to your Master.

Oh wow, I thought. It seems like Breaks are ways that I can do more with wishes and Anathemas are restrictions on what I can do. As for the stats above then I couldn't even begin to guess at them. Power seems self explanatory, but Incarnate, Limits and Domain aren't as intuitive.

"Can you explain the stats?" I wrote on the paper with the black feather, not really expecting a response.

It seemed to oblige however, more writing appearing underneath.

Power: your magical strength, it affects how easily and quickly you can grant wishes. Also affects the use of magics.

Incarnate: the combined power and malleability of your physical body. Affects your physical strength, speed and fortitude.

Limits: every ten levels you may remove one Anathema.

Domain: the amount of control and power you have over the inside of your vessel, at level 10 you may create false life

Looks like I have some choices to make.