I stood there, frozen, my thoughts spiraling after the realization hit me. The weight of everything I knew pressed down on me so hard I barely noticed the room around me anymore.
A full minute passed.
Then Astrid's voice cut through my thoughts.
"You gonna stay there like a statue," she said flatly, "or are you gonna sit down?"
A couple of the riders glanced over. Ruffnut snorted. Fishlegs blinked like he'd just remembered I was there.
I snapped back to reality, blinking a few times before letting out a small breath. "Right. Yeah. Sorry."
I moved toward the table, the Speed Stinger limping along beside me before carefully lowering itself near my seat. I sat down, resting my arms on the table as the Dragon Eye's glow reflected off the surface.
Astrid took the spot beside me, casual but alert.
"Lost in your head?" she asked, not unkindly.
"…Something like that," I replied.
She hummed softly, eyes already shifting back to the Dragon Eye. "Try not to do that during planning. Things tend to explode."
Despite everything weighing on me, I couldn't help but smile a little.
Yeah.
I was definitely going to have to get used to this.
Hiccup stepped back toward the Dragon Eye, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Alright… let's try that again."
Toothless padded forward, ears flicking as he leaned over the device. His mouth began to glow softly, blue plasma swirling just beneath his teeth—not firing, just charging.
The Dragon Eye responded instantly.
Golden light flared to life, spreading across its surface as rings rotated and symbols shifted. Lines etched themselves into place, forming a detailed map that slowly stabilized.
Fishlegs gasped. "Oh—oh! That's new!"
The room leaned in as islands appeared, coastlines sketching themselves into existence. Routes formed. Symbols pulsed.
Astrid narrowed her eyes. "That's not Berk."
"No," Hiccup said quietly. "But it's somewhere close."
My breath caught.
I recognized it immediately.
The map zoomed in on a cluster of islands, one marked with a symbol that pulsed brighter than the rest.
The Broken Skull.
The hunters' territory.
I felt my chest tighten.
This was the beginning. The first real step toward everything I remembered—the dragon hunters, the wars, the choices that would shape the future.
Fishlegs was practically vibrating. "This is incredible! The Dragon Eye isn't just a map—it's a guide! It's showing us places connected to dragons!"
Astrid glanced at the glowing symbol. "Or places that threaten them."
Toothless let out a low rumble, uneasy.
I stayed quiet, staring at the map, my mind racing. I knew what was coming. I knew who waited out there. I knew how dangerous this path could become if nothing changed.
Astrid noticed my expression.
"You recognize something," she said.
I looked away from the map, meeting her gaze. "I have… a bad feeling about that place."
Hiccup studied me for a moment, then looked back at the Dragon Eye. "Then we should check it out sooner rather than later."
The Speed Stinger shifted beside me, tail curling slightly, mirroring my tension.
I exhaled slowly.
So it starts.
The Dragon Eye glowed brighter, locking the destination in place.
And just like that, the future began to move.
As the others began talking over one another—Fishlegs already theorizing, the twins arguing about who got to name the island—I pushed my chair back slightly.
"Hiccup," I said.
He looked up immediately. "Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you? Privately."
Astrid's eyes flicked to me, sharp but unreadable. Toothless lifted his head, ears twitching.
Hiccup hesitated for half a second, then nodded. "Uh—yeah. Sure."
We stepped away from the table, moving toward the edge of the platform where the wind cut through the air. Toothless followed, settling a short distance away but clearly listening.
I took a breath.
"I don't know how much that thing shows you," I began, nodding toward the Dragon Eye, "but places like that?" I paused, choosing my words carefully. "They're not just dangerous because of dragons."
Hiccup frowned. "What do you mean?"
"There are people out there," I said quietly. "People who hunt dragons. Not like Vikings used to—but organized. Ruthless. They don't care about riders or villages. They care about control."
His expression tightened.
"You're sure?" he asked.
I met his eyes. "I wouldn't say it if I wasn't."
Toothless let out a low rumble, almost like agreement.
Hiccup looked back toward the Dragon Eye, then out at the horizon. "We've run into dragon hunters before."
"These ones are different," I said. "Smarter. Patient. And if we follow that map without preparation…" I shook my head. "We're walking straight into their territory."
Silence stretched between us, filled only by the sound of wind and distant waves.
Finally, Hiccup exhaled. "Okay." He looked back at me. "Then we don't rush in."
Relief flickered through me.
"We scout," he continued. "Gather info. Plan."
"That's all I'm saying," I replied.
Hiccup studied me for a moment, curiosity burning behind his eyes. "You're not just guessing, are you."
"No," I said honestly. "I'm not."
He nodded once. "Then I'm listening."
Behind us, Astrid watched from the table, her gaze thoughtful. The Speed Stinger shifted beside me, tail curling faintly.
The future hadn't changed completely.
But for the first time…
It had bent.
As Hiccup turned back to the Dragon Eye, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I glanced up to see Astrid standing there, arms crossed, eyes sharp. "So…" she began, her voice casual but cutting, "you really seem to know a lot about this world. And that dragon… it's not exactly… normal for it to trust you so quickly."
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "It's… complicated," I said carefully.
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Complicated, huh? You're not from here, are you?"
I shook my head slightly, keeping my tone light. "No. I'm… new."
Her gaze lingered on me, thoughtful, as if weighing my words. "Hmm. You're hiding something. I don't know what. But I do know one thing—you've got that Speed Stinger wrapped around your finger."
I chuckled nervously, brushing a hand along the dragon's neck. "It… trusts me. That's all."
Astrid smirked faintly, shaking her head. "Yeah, well, not many humans get that kind of bond with a Speed Stinger. You… you're different."
Her tone wasn't judgmental, but curious—observant, like she was taking careful mental notes. I realized then that she wasn't just noticing the dragon. She was noticing me, too.
"And," she added, stepping back slightly, "if you're sticking around, I'll be keeping an eye on you. Don't think I won't notice the next strange thing you do."
I swallowed, smiling faintly. "I'll keep that in mind."
She nodded once, her eyes flicking briefly to the Dragon Eye, then back at me. "Good. Just… don't mess with my dragons."
I grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The tension broke, but I could tell Astrid's curiosity wasn't going away anytime soon. She'd be watching. Observing. And maybe… understanding.
The Speed Stinger shifted at my side, almost like it understood. And I felt a strange sense of reassurance.
Whatever happened next, I wasn't alone.