The first leviathan died over the Sapphire Sea.
It rose from the depths like a living island, barnacles the size of warships, tentacles thick as redwoods whipping storms into existence. Saltwater cascaded from its back in waterfalls that drowned distant fleets before they even saw the beast.
Atlas met it head-on.
He dove from the stratosphere, fists clenched, reality bending around him like a bow drawn for war. The impact punched straight through the creature's skull, driving it downward until the ocean floor cracked beneath the corpse. Water exploded upward in a column that touched the clouds.
Veil was already there, shadows uncoiling from the steam like living smoke. He wove darkness into chains that bound the thrashing tentacles, pulling them taut so his sister could strike.
