The sun was beginning its slow descent when Helios finally led the young Aladdin and Alira into a narrow courtyard tucked between two crumbling stone buildings.
The air was heavy with dust and the scent of roasting meats from nearby street vendors. But here, in this quiet pocket of the city, the noise faded — replaced by the tense silence stretching between the trio.
Aladdin shifted on his feet, arms crossed tightly, his eyes flicking between Helios and the exit behind him.
Alira watched silently, her hood drawn up, almost blending into the crumbling walls like a shadow.
Helios leaned casually against a sun-warmed pillar, seemingly unconcerned by the boy's mistrust.
"You're quick on the uptake," Helios said, voice calm, almost warm. "Smart, too. Not many your age can slip past half a marketplace."
Aladdin tensed but said nothing.
Helios let the compliment hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
"I need someone like you," he said, pulling a small, rolled parchment from his coat. "Someone nimble. Someone... quiet and skillful."
He unrolled the paper just enough to show a rough sketch of a giant tiger's head — a doorway carved from stone, its mouth yawning wide.
Aladdin squinted. "What's that?"
"A doorway," Helios said. "To a cave. A very old cave. Filled with treasure beyond your wildest dreams."
He let the words settle like bait on the water.
Aladdin's expression shifted — wary, but interested.
"And you want me... to steal something inside it for you?" the boy asked, skepticism heavy in his voice.
Helios chuckled, a low, amused sound.
"No, no. Not steal. Explore."
He tucked the parchment away again.
"There are... traps," Helios said, tilting his head. "Hidden dangers meant to stop anyone too dumb, too slow, or too greedy."
He crouched slightly, bringing himself more level with the boy.
"I need someone light on their feet. Someone who can slip through places I cannot. Someone clever enough to spot trouble before it finds them."
Aladdin frowned, clearly thinking it over.
"It sounds... bad," he said slowly. "Real bad."
Helios smiled again.
Without warning, he produced the golden astrolabe — seemingly from thin air — flipping it lazily through his fingers.
The delicate device spun, catching the late afternoon sun, throwing a thousand tiny lights across the stone walls.
Aladdin's eyes locked onto it instinctively — unable to help himself.
Helios casually tossed the astrolabe a few inches into the air — once, twice — each time catching it neatly between his fingers.
The third time, he let it spin just a little longer before snatching it back.
Then, with a smooth flick, he made it vanish into thin air again.
Aladdin blinked, visibly rattled.
"How—? Where'd it go?!"
Helios tapped his coat lightly, as if to say somewhere you can't reach.
He smiled, a touch sharper now.
"Nowhere," he said softly. "I have it tucked away safely until we finish this job."
He straightened up fully, towering over the boy again.
"I trusted you to take it before. I knew you would. I even let you run with it. I have faith in your abilities."
He shrugged casually.
"But trust is a two-way street, kid. If you want to keep surviving in a world like this... you need allies and money. Here I am offering you both and you're hesitating."
Aladdin looked away, the fingers at his side curling into fists.
Helios could almost see the war happening behind the boy's eyes — pride battling hunger, fear battling hope.
Perfect.
He knelt again, dropping his voice.
"You want more than just stealing apples for the rest of your life, don't you kid? You want to one day look from the tallest building in Agarabah and see the sight those with wealth see correct?"
Aladdin flinched as he looked up at the sky above.
"You want freedom," Helios continued, voice like silk. "You want the choices that poverty denies you. Not to be looked down on. Not to be called a 'street rat.'"
Aladdin's jaw tightened.
"I'm offering you a way out," Helios said. "All you have to do... is help me walk through a door. Nothing more."
"And if I say no?" Aladdin said after a beat, his voice low.
Helios smiled kindly.
"Then you walk away," he said. "No guards. No revenge. I'll even forget about the astrolabe. A good deal no?"
He spread his hands as if it truly didn't matter.
"But the opportunity? That disappears too. And I doubt it'll come knocking again. Remember rare things seldom happen again twice in life."
Silence stretched between them.
Alira stood watching nearby, her dark hood hiding the flicker of something new in her gaze — fascination.
Finally, Aladdin licked his lips.
"...You'll really let me go?"
Helios nodded. "No tricks. No chains. You're free to say no and leave you have my word and I always keep my word."
Aladdin chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking hard.
Then—
Slowly—
Reluctantly—
He nodded.
"Deal."
Helios' smile widened just a hair.
"Good. I knew you'd see things my way."
He extended his hand.
Aladdin hesitated, then gave it a firm shake — the boy's grip surprisingly strong.
Helios squeezed back once before releasing.
"Smart choice kid. With this you've just opened a whole new wor;d," he said.
As they left the courtyard, weaving back toward the heart of Agrabah, Helios allowed himself a small, private satisfaction. He'd gotten better at manipulating others with words.