1 The silver ring
At dawn in Casa Vieja, a border town between two countries in the north of the continent.
Sebastian Wild was trying to get up from the ground where he was dying. His body did not respond to any of his thoughts, the only thing he felt was a particularly sharp pain in his head and 3 deep stings around his chest. He also felt a comforting cold that rose from his hands trying to free him from his stupor, it was a small silver ring that he clung to on the ground while he tried to react.
[Beep!]
"Ah, so that's how it is, this ring is the one that is bringing me back from the dead". As he tried to recover from the continuous pain he felt, Sebastian Wild frowned slightly as he slowly opened his eyes.
[Beep!]
"This is the third time and I still can't get used to it. It's not just the feeling of dying, I still feel the previous torture."
"Shit! this time it was three stabs to the body, and it was with those dull rusty knives. And to finish me off a shot in the head."
"Those damn idiots have decided to kill me!"
When he stabilizes, Sebastian Wild looks at the silver ring in his clenched hands. He was standing right where he had found him days before all these strange events that had been happening to him.
[Beep!]
"From what seems like none of the wounds I had at the time of my death are on my body." He thought as he searched his body for some hidden wound.
"It seems to be the same as the previous two times." He muttered as he continued to stare deeply at the silver ring in his hands.
*****
It all started about 10 days ago when on a routine patrol outside Casa Vieja along a rocky path, he saw out of the corner of his eye a shiny object that was rapidly descending to the ground.
BEEEP!
"Suspicious activity 500 meters from Casa Vieja, send people to investigate"
BEEEP!
Alerted by what had just happened, Sebastián Wild immediately took his radio and notified the people in charge of security in the area. After all, Casa Vieja was a high-risk red zone where cartels and law enforcement officers were in constant conflict for control of the territory, and a shiny object that fell within 500 meters of the town was nothing more than alarming.
A spy drone from law enforcement organizations, a raid from the feds, or even worse, a raid by an enemy cartel. Anyone would put at risk the security of Casa Vieja, the operations that are carried out in the town, and what was kept in the town.
BEEEP!
"Deadman? You like to be punished whenever you call you make us waste our time", the man in charge of communication in the town replied.
BEEEP!
"The boss will go in your direction. Get ready! Hahaha" He could hear how the man laughed before cutting off the transmission.
BEEEP!
"Sigh"
"I hope this time is something, otherwise I will have a couple of bad days to come" Sebastian Wild murmured while he shook his head.
A couple of minutes later three vans with scout lights impatiently approached Sebastian Wild's position, they were fully occupied with very bad-looking and highly armed people. They were the hitmen of the Cortez Cartel that controlled about 150 kilometers in the border.
"Damn! I was almost done with that whore, what happened to this Deadman?"
As they got into the trucks a man roared as he finished buttoning his shirt. His face was violent and his scars only magnified the sense of danger he gave off. It was Vicente Cortez who a couple of days ago had gained control of Casa Vieja, his uncle was the current head of the Cortez Cartel.
"Did he notice anything? After all we have not received any information about raids and at this moment we are at peace with the other cartels." Vicente Cortez asked his trusted subordinate as he looked through the windows of the truck.
"I don't think so Boss, after all, if they had realized something that old man would have already acted." El Chema, the head of security and Vicente Cortez's trusted person, responded.
"Pfff!"
"Whatever! Let's see what that Deadman is up to. "
"Give the order, any strange movement kill him immediately. Three days before or three days later, he will still end up dead." Vicente ordered as he pulled out a Glock19 and unlocked it.
"Yes, Boss" El Chema replied as he approached the place where Sebastián Wild was.
"SCREECH!"
The three vans parked about 10 meters before the rocky trail. 15 people with weapons among which you could differentiate a few AR-15s, a pair of M-16s, and a 9mm attached to the waist of each of them, descended on the spot and calmly advanced as if in an armed assault they were, dealing with where Sebastian Wild was.
"Hey, Deadman! Talk, what's wrong, what's the situation." Vicente Cortez growled at Sebastián Wild.
"Sigh! Deadman…." Sebastian Wild thought. "Deadman" was the nickname Vicente Cortez gave Sebastián Wild since he was brought to Casa Vieja. He was the son of a former enemy of his whom he could not kill due to him being protected by a former associate of the Cartel. But this was only a matter of time, that's why the nickname "Deadman" didn't suit him so badly, after all, he had no escape form death.
"I don't know, I haven't come to investigate, but I saw something shiny falling about 50 meters from here, I think it could be a drone or some spy item" Sebastian Wild replied without glancing at Vicente.
SLAP!
"Show a little more respect for the boss, Deadman, how many times will I have to repeat it to you?" El Chema snapped after slapping Sebastian Wild.
"Let's leave it for now, this motherfucker doesn't know what's good for him."
"Men! Assault formation, let's see that I scare this Deadman" Ordered Vicente Cortez while he laughed slightly. "Hahaha"
The men advanced slowly along the rocky path, highly alert for something unexpected that might endanger them. Sebastian Wild followed them at 10 meters with his cheeks red from the blow he had just received, but without any kind of expression, if you saw him closely, the truth is that he looked like a Deadman.
Little by little Vicente's group closed in on a small crater where an object had just landed.
"Everyone calm and alert to any movement I will go to check what fell," Vicente ordered as he approached the crater.
"Umh? Apparently an object fell and hit here, but because there is nothing here". Vicente Cortez thought as he looked at the small crater.
"Could it be that this idiot came and took what could have impacted before?"
"But I didn't see any strange movement on his part, nor did I see any hints of suspicious activity along the way."
"Not to mention that he doesn't have the guts to cheat on me"
"Chema! What do you think about this?" Vicente Cortez asked as he looked at the crater.
"I don't know Boss, it could have been anything, most likely those rocks that fall from space, it is very common to happen in nearby deserts." El Chema answered calmly.
"Umh ... Yes, this could be" He nodded as he thought.
"Hey, men! Back in town, this idiot Deadman freaked out over nothing and wasted our time" Vicente Cortez yelled with contempt.
"And you, motherfucker"
Hmph!
"Come back walking, at this moment I just want to go to sleep, but later you will see again what happens when you make me waste my time," Vicente Cortez said irritably as he walked towards one of the trucks.
"Chema let's go, then you know what to do with that Deadman"
"Yes, Boss" A sinister light passed through El Chema's eyes as they left Sebastian Wild behind.
Expressionless as before, Sebastian Wild, who had stopped to check the small crater, imperceptibly squeezed his hands after hearing Vicente Cortez's order. He knew that the next few days would be utter torment.
While he was thinking about how the punishments would be from El Chema, the sun began to rise over the horizon and a small ray of light entered the corner of Sebastián Wild's eye for an instant.
"Umh?"
"What was that little glow?" Sebastian thought while he looked alert in his surroundings.
A second later the flash shone again and this time, being completely alert, Sebastian realized where he was coming from.
"Did it come from the crater? Umh… But they just finished inspecting it and there was nothing there. " He muttered as he bent down and searched inside the small crater.
There within the crater was a silvery figure that was partially protruding from the ground.
"Umh? A ring?" Sebastian was surprised as he pulled out the object that glittered in the sunlight.
"Sigh"
"All this and future punishment for a simple ring."
"Someone must have buried it in that place and after the meteorite fell, it was taken out by the impact."
"Well ... let's take this after all it could serve the old man"
"Sigh" Sebastian Wild sighed again devoid of emotion or apparent sense as he walked to Casa Vieja and back to his torturous life.
Three days later he was assassinated by a shot to the head because he had 'stolen' the Cartel, obviously a trap that his enemies were finally able to implement. But never in the 20 years of his life had he been able to imagine that he was going to return to three days before his death, to the precise moment when he touched the ring for the first time.
Impressed and incredulous, Sebastian Wild spent the next two days in zombie mode before being set up. Understanding that he was going to die, on the last day, he decided to flee avoiding the trap to take effect, but he was captured and classified as a 'traitor' and a spy for other cartels. The death that awaited him this time? They cut off his head, one of the methods the Cartels use to send a message. But this was only a way to satisfy Vicente Cortez's cruelty. But like the first time, Sebastian Wild was returned intact three days before when he first found the ring.
With his third chance in his hands and a small deep gleam in his eyes, Sebastian Wild, full of courage, left and faced all the traps and countermeasures that Vicente Cortez and his subordinates had prepared for him. The end? He was tortured with a knife and shot in the head for 'attacking' the Boss of the town and nephew of the Cartel Capo.
*****
[Beep! Beep!]
"Sigh"
"Damn vicious circle, every time the pain and torture that makes me pass, I feel it until after I die"
[Beep! Beep! Beep!]
"Damn ring I would have preferred not to pick you up that day, after all, who would like to feel his head cut off and return three days earlier and continue feeling that pain" Sebastian Wild cursed in his mind as he held the ring tighter.
"Well far from that I still have a chance, but nothing I did last time worked. Apart from that, the old man is also a target and in this last death I discovered the complete plot that they tended to me and the old man "
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
"Even more," Sebastian Wild muttered as a cold, somber glow radiated from his eyes.
"This fucking son of a bitch has thoughts about my little sister."
"This time no escapes and plots, this time I will kill my way out," Sebastian Wild said darkly as he looked towards Casa Vieja.
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
"Beep! Beep! Beep! What is your fucking son of a bitch Beep!?... Umh? "
"Where does this annoying sound come from?"
"I have the radio turned off and they have never let me have a cell phone"
"Did these bastards have dropped something before they left? But that's not how it was the last time. What is happening? "
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
"There it is again damn that annoying sound" Sebastian Wild yelled as he grabbed the back of his neck as he showed some discomfort.
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
"DAMN WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SOUND ?!"
[Beep! Starting Main System Beep! Insufficient energy! ERROR!]
[Beep! Beginning of genetic integration with the host. Beep! Insufficient energy! ERROR!]
"WHAT THE HELL!" Sebastian Wild yelled as he clutched his head.
[Beep! Starting Auxiliary System Beep! Insufficient energy! ERROR!]
[Beep! Starting Genetic scan Beep! Insufficient energy! ERROR!]
"WHO THE FUCK IS TALKING TO ME!" The annoying sound and feeling of someone speak to him was driving him crazy.
[Beep! Starting Emergency System Beep! Insufficient energy! ERROR!]
[Beep! Searching for protocols Beep!]
[Beep! Environment scan Beep!]
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
[Beep! The living being not suitable Beep!]
"THE LIVING BEING NOT SUITABLE? ANOTHER DAMN WHO UNDERESTIMATE ME." He was about to have his already fragile mind shattered completely.
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
[Beep! Celestial Orb not suitable Beep!]
"AHHHHHH WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" He began to feel that his forces were gradually losing their lucidity.
[Beep! Dimension not suitable Beep!]
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
[Beep! STARTING LAST SURVIVAL PROTOCOL Beep!]
[Beep! MAXIMUM AUTHORITY GRANTED Beep!]
[Beep! Staring Forced Live Force absorption. Beep! Running]
"Umh ...?" Sebastian Wild lost his strength, he did not know why or how his body stopped responding at this moment.
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!]
[Beep! Starting Zero Beep! Running]
[Beep! ZERO EXECUTED Beep!]
PLOP!
"Zero ..." This was the last thing Sebastian Wild heard as all his lucidity and awareness disappeared into the darkness.
