Behind the towering Metropolitan Museum in New York City, Damian, a homeless man with greying hair and worn-out clothes, often sifted through the dumpsters. One cold evening, his fingers stumbled upon a beautifully carved pottery lamp.

Upon reaching his tent under the bridge, Damian decided to clean the artifact. As he rubbed, a strange glow emanated from the lamp, and before he could react, out emerged a tall, striking man with piercing blue eyes and a refined suit. This wasn’t the menacing figure of legend, but rather, a seemingly ordinary man. His name? Elion, the Genie of the Lamp.

“Thank you for freeing me,” Elion spoke smoothly, “In gratitude, I offer you three wishes. But be warned, there’s a condition attached.”

Damian, taken aback by the sudden turn of events but intrigued by the opportunity, inquired, “What’s the condition?”

Elion replied, “Once your third wish is made, our roles will reverse. You will be confined to the lamp, and I shall be free, until someone else releases you.”

The weight of Elion’s words hung in the air, but the allure of the wishes drew Damian in.

“For my first wish,” Damian said with hope in his eyes, “I want to never feel hunger again.”

Elion nodded, and Damian felt an overwhelming warmth spread through him. He realized he wasn’t hungry anymore. Meanwhile, in a nearby apartment, a chef who had once offered Damian leftover meals suddenly lost his sense of taste.

“For my second wish,” Damian murmured, “I wish to be sheltered and warm wherever I go.”

Suddenly, he was wrapped in fine clothes, and a comforting warmth surrounded him. Across the city, a kind seamstress who had mended Damian’s clothes for free now found herself constantly cold, no matter how many layers she wore.

Pausing to consider the gravity of his next decision, Damian finally whispered, “I wish to be remembered.”

As those words left his lips, an invisible force began to pull him towards the lamp. He could see glimpses of his face appearing in magazines and TV shows, becoming an instant sensation and a figure of intrigue in New York. But at the same time, a talented street musician who had once played a tune for Damian began to fade from every memory, every photograph, every record.

Damian’s surroundings became hazy, and he felt himself being compressed and pulled into the confines of the lamp. The world outside dimmed until it was just a tiny glimmer. The last thing he saw was Elion, now fully human, smiling, his blue eyes shining with freedom.

The lamp, with Damian trapped inside, vanished from its spot beneath the overpass, waiting for another unsuspecting soul to discover its mysteries. Meanwhile, Elion, tasting humanity after eons, disappeared into the vastness of New York City, leaving behind only the whispers of legends and the enigma of the lamp.