Sable City, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa
Deep in the dense jungle of the Congo, beneath a veil of mist and legend, lay Sable City—a forgotten metropolis buried by time and covered by canopy. Once the crown jewel of a lost African civilization, it now held something far more dangerous: the final Seraphim key, said to be encoded in an artifact called The Heart of Kimbala.
A decrypted file from a St. Petersburg server led Damien and Nora here, trailed by Elijah, Kiyomi, and two local guides from Kinshasa—twins named Moïse and Malika, descendants of the last known guardians of the city.
But they weren't alone.
Satellite feeds confirmed a covert unit had already landed nearby, led by a man known only as Gregor Volkov—Archer's former mentor. A tactician once erased from every intelligence database.
Volkov wasn't just after the Heart of Kimbala.
He wanted to reshape the Seraphim network into something far older… far darker.
---
Somewhere in the Jungle Outskirts – Near Sable City
Thunder rumbled overhead as Nora crouched by an ancient stone marker, brushing away moss to reveal old symbols—half Swahili, half lost script.
"This isn't just a city. It's a power grid," she murmured.
Moïse nodded. "Our great-grandfather said the stones speak to the soul. But only to those who carry clean blood—untainted by greed."
Damien activated a thermal scanner. "Volkov's less than 3 kilometers ahead. He has drones with him—military grade."
"We'll need to go low-tech," Elijah said, slipping his rifle across his back.
Malika smiled grimly. "Good thing the jungle doesn't favor machines."
---
Location; Sable City Ruins – Kimbala Chamber
Volkov stood at the center of the ancient chamber, cloaked in a rain-soaked jacket, eyes fixed on the floating prism embedded in a massive obsidian pedestal.
"This is what the world forgot," he whispered. "The blood of kings and gods—pure evolution."
Behind him, guards scanned the perimeter, unaware that Nora and Damien had already breached the outer ruins through an underground aqueduct system.
"You trained Archer," Damien's voice echoed from the shadows. "And now you're here to finish what he started?"
Volkov turned slowly. "Archer was a student. I am the architect."
A tense standoff ignited—energy weapons drawn, flash grenades flying, and Nora sprinting toward the pedestal as Kiyomi engaged the override beacon to disable Volkov's support drones.
Volkov's guards fell one by one to Malika's swift jungle combat tactics and Elijah's sharpshooting. But Volkov himself? He didn't run. He advanced.
---
The artifact responded to Nora—its glow pulsing in sync with her heartbeat.
"What is this?" she breathed.
Volkov snarled. "The Heart of Kimbala only chooses the bearer of truth. You don't deserve it."
He lunged, but Damien intercepted him.
Blow after blow, they fought among the ruins until Damien pinned him.
"This ends with you."
Volkov chuckled, even bleeding. "No, Damien. This ends with choice."
He pressed a detonator.
But nothing happened.
Kiyomi's voice crackled over comms. "You're late, Volkov. I rerouted your signal."
Volkov passed out moments later, sedated by Moïse's herbal toxin dart.
---
Location; Sable City – Sunset
As the team emerged from the ruins, the jungle hummed in reverence. The Heart of Kimbala, now contained, pulsed in Nora's hand, its core revealing lines of ancient DNA sequencing—pure, untouched by centuries of war, corruption, or power.
"It's not just a weapon," she said softly. "It's a cure."
Damien placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then let's use it right."
Elijah, watching the jungle fade behind them, whispered, "We're not the only ones looking anymore."