The ocean stretched endlessly before them, its surface deceptively calm. Percy stood at the edge, his sea-green eyes scanning the water as if he could sense something beyond the horizon. Beside him, the others waited in silence, the weight of their decision hanging heavy in the air.

"We’re really doing this?" Piper asked, her voice breaking the quiet. Her gaze flicked between the group and the water, uncertainty in her brown eyes.

Percy nodded. "We don’t have much of a choice. If Atlantis is out there, it’s our best shot at finding answers." He glanced at the others. "The gods wouldn’t have sent us here without a reason."

Jason stepped forward, his usual confident stance a bit more tense. "But we don’t even know where Atlantis is. What if we’re just swimming blindly?"

"Not blindly," Will said quietly, his hand hovering near Percy’s arm as if ready to offer support at any moment. "Poseidon gave us the ability to breathe underwater and find Atlantis. I think Percy will feel it when we get close."

Nico, standing next to Thalia, cast a wary glance at the ocean. "This whole thing feels off. But we don’t have any other leads."

Thalia adjusted the strap of her bow, her expression as grim as ever. "We’re not turning back now."

Piper sighed but nodded. "I guess there’s no avoiding it. Just… don't let anything drag me to the bottom, okay?"

Percy gave her a reassuring smile, though the tension in his own shoulders betrayed his unease. "We’ll be fine. The water is where I’m strongest."

With that, they began walking into the surf. The cold water lapped at their ankles, then their knees, until they were waist-deep in the waves. Percy was the first to dive beneath the surface, his body sliding smoothly into the ocean as though it welcomed him.

One by one, the others followed, hesitating for only a moment before vanishing beneath the waves.

The instant Percy was fully submerged, he felt it—a faint tug, deep in the water, like an unspoken call. The ocean was speaking to him, guiding him toward something ancient, something powerful. Atlantis.

The others floated behind him, their movements slightly awkward as they adjusted to their new ability to breathe underwater. Will stayed closest, his eyes scanning their surroundings cautiously.

"It’s strange," Will said, his voice slightly muffled in the water. "Breathing down here feels... natural now."

"It’s Poseidon's blessing," Nico murmured, swimming near Thalia. "But still, I don’t trust it completely."

Percy nodded, understanding the wariness, but he could feel the ocean's reassurance, as if Poseidon himself was guiding their path. He pointed ahead, toward the deeper blue. "This way. I can feel it."

As they swam deeper, the ocean around them darkened, the light from the surface growing dim. Fish swam by in schools, darting in and out of coral reefs, oblivious to the demigods. The pressure of the water should have been crushing at this depth, but the blessing of the sea kept them safe.

Piper floated next to Jason, her expression tight with concentration. "Do you think we'll know when we're close?"

"You’ll feel it," Percy answered. "Atlantis... it’s alive. The closer we get, the stronger it’ll pull."

They continued swimming for what felt like hours. The ocean grew colder, the waters around them darker and more foreboding. But Percy remained certain. The pull toward Atlantis was growing stronger, a magnetic force guiding him deeper into the abyss.

Will, who had been quiet for most of the swim, suddenly tensed. "Percy... do you feel that?"

Percy stopped, looking around. The water around them had changed. It felt heavier, more intense, like the ocean itself was vibrating. He nodded slowly. "Yeah. We’re close."

Jason swam closer, his expression serious. "Do you think Poseidon’s waiting for us?"

"Maybe," Percy replied. "Or maybe Atlantis itself will greet us. Either way, we need to be ready."

Just as he spoke, a deep, rumbling sound echoed through the water. The ocean trembled around them, and for a moment, Percy thought it might swallow them whole. Then, in the distance, a massive shape began to emerge from the darkness.

Atlantis.

The city was enormous, its towering spires shimmering with an otherworldly glow. It was unlike anything Percy had ever seen—ancient, yet somehow alive with energy. The water around the city seemed to hum with power, as if it were connected to the very heart of the sea.

"Whoa," Thalia whispered, her eyes wide with awe.

Nico’s usual stoicism broke for a moment as he stared at the city. "I’ve seen some crazy things, but this... this is something else."

Piper’s eyes lit up as they took in the sight of the city. "It's beautiful."

"Atlantis," Percy murmured, his voice filled with wonder. "We made it."

As they swam closer, the pull Percy had felt grew stronger, more insistent. The city called to him, and he knew that this was where they would find their answers—about their powers, about the gods’ plans, and about their future.

But even as they approached the city, Percy couldn’t shake the feeling that something waited for them below, something more dangerous than they could imagine.