"There's another one," the old man said, resting his axe on his shoulder, like he's just telling the weather. "Probably a Leviathan, but we still have the buffs from earlier. Should be manageable."
He looked at me. "Name's Micheal, by the way, kid."
I nodded. Looked at the water.
Then a THUD.
The thud came from below the hull— not an impact from outside but something beneath, something with weight enough that I felt it travel up through the deck and into my feet.
Micheal straightened slightly.
Around us, the crew moved toward the railings without being told.
Alex found my hand. I let her.
We looked over the edge together.
The water below was dark in the specific way it had been before the jellyfish and then it did something I hadn't seen water do before.
