I woke up to shouting.
Loud, chaotic shouting.
"IT'S GLOWING AGAIN!"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH IT!"
Ruffnut and Tuffnut.
My eyes opened instantly, and despite myself, a smile spread across my face. So it's starting already… the Dragon Eye.
The Speed Stinger stirred in front of me, lifting its head with a quiet hiss. I sat up slowly, stretching, and reached out to brush a hand along its neck. It leaned into the touch before carefully pushing itself to its feet.
"Easy," I murmured.
Its leg was still injured, but it was better than before. It limped slightly, favoring it as we stepped outside the cabin, the cool morning air washing over us.
Together, we made our way across the Edge toward the main building. Riders were already gathering, voices overlapping as excitement spread through the island. The Speed Stinger stayed close to my side, alert but calm, its red eyes scanning the area as if memorizing everything.
I couldn't help but glance at it, pride swelling in my chest.
This is really happening.
Dragons. The Dragon Eye. The Edge.
And this time… I wasn't just watching from the sidelines.
As I reached the main building, the first thing I noticed was Toothless standing in the center, his mouth glowing softly with swirling blue plasma. He wasn't firing—just holding the charge steady as the Dragon Eye responded, its surface lighting up with a warm golden glow.
Symbols shifted and maps slowly formed across it, lines moving like they were alive.
Then Toothless noticed me.
His ears flicked, and the glow in his mouth faded as he closed it, tilting his head curiously. Those large green eyes locked onto me—and then shifted to the Speed Stinger at my side.
A second later, Hiccup turned.
He walked toward me—well, walked as well as one could with one leg—Toothless padding along beside him.
"Morning," Hiccup said, glancing down at the Speed Stinger. "Looks like he's doing better."
"Yeah," I replied. "Still injured, but he can walk now."
Hiccup nodded. "That's good. Speed Stingers aren't exactly known for letting people help them."
Toothless let out a soft, curious chirp and leaned closer to sniff the Speed Stinger. The Speed Stinger tensed for a moment… then relaxed, lowering its head slightly in acknowledgment of the Alpha.
I watched quietly, heart pounding.
Standing here—next to Hiccup, Toothless, the Dragon Eye, and my own dragon—it felt unreal.
And somehow, I knew this was only the beginning.
Before Hiccup could say anything else, steady footsteps approached from behind him.
Astrid.
She stopped a few steps away, arms crossed loosely, her eyes moving immediately to the Speed Stinger. She studied its stance, the way it stayed close to my side, the subtle angle of its body—protective, but calm.
"You got it moving already," she said. Not a question. An observation.
I nodded. "Still injured, but it's better than yesterday."
Astrid crouched slightly, keeping a respectful distance. "Speed Stingers don't let people that close. And they don't follow humans."
The Speed Stinger shifted, tail curling faintly behind my leg.
Astrid noticed.
"That," she continued, standing back up, "means trust."
Hiccup glanced between us. "You think it bonded?"
Astrid didn't answer right away. Her eyes stayed on the dragon. "I think it chose him."
She finally looked at me, curiosity clear but not hostile. "You didn't force it. Didn't trap it. You're just… there."
"I helped it," I said simply.
Astrid nodded once. "That's usually how it starts."
There was a brief pause before she added, quieter this time, "Whatever you did, it worked."
Then she stepped back, giving a small gesture toward the Dragon Eye. "If you're staying at the Edge, you should be here for this."
Hiccup blinked. "You're inviting him?"
Astrid shrugged. "He's already involved."
The Speed Stinger lifted its head slightly, red eyes reflecting the soft golden glow of the Dragon Eye.
And somehow, I knew she was right.
Before I could move any closer to the Dragon Eye, a familiar voice practically materialized at my side.
"Oh wow—WOW—okay, okay, hold on."
I turned to see Fishlegs staring at the Speed Stinger like he'd just discovered a living legend. His eyes were wide, hands already moving as if he were flipping through an invisible book in his head.
"That's a Speed Stinger," he said rapidly. "A real one. I mean, obviously it is—but still! They're incredibly rare, extremely territorial, and usually hostile to everything that moves."
The Speed Stinger let out a low warning hiss, shifting slightly closer to me.
Fishlegs froze instantly. "—And I am absolutely not threatening it. Not at all. Very calm. Very respectful."
I couldn't help but smile.
Fishlegs cleared his throat and continued, quieter now. "They're pack hunters. Highly intelligent. They don't bond with humans… like, ever." He glanced at me, then at the dragon's position beside me. "Unless something unusual happens."
"Unusual?" I asked.
Fishlegs nodded eagerly. "Injuries can sometimes disrupt pack hierarchy. If one is separated long enough and helped instead of hunted…" His eyes lit up. "It might reassess what it considers an ally."
Astrid crossed her arms. "Which explains why it hasn't tried to sting him."
Fishlegs gasped softly. "Do you know how impressive that is?"
The Speed Stinger shifted again, carefully lowering itself onto its good leg, clearly tired but alert.
Fishlegs' expression softened. "It's still protecting you. Even injured."
I looked down at the dragon, feeling that familiar warmth in my chest.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "He is."
Fishlegs straightened, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You know, if this bond holds, it could completely change what we know about Speed Stingers."
Hiccup glanced at the Dragon Eye, then back at me. "Seems like you showed up at the right time."
I had a feeling this wasn't just coincidence.
Between the Dragon Eye lighting up… and a Speed Stinger choosing me…
Something big was starting.
While everyone talked—Fishlegs rambling excitedly, Astrid watching the Speed Stinger, Hiccup focusing on the Dragon Eye—something finally hit me.
I knew all of this.
Not just the dragons. Not just the Edge.
Everything.
The Dragon Eye. The hunters. Dagur. Viggo. Drago. The Red Death. The battles that hadn't happened yet. The losses that were supposed to come. The moments that shaped them… and the ones that nearly broke them.
My stomach tightened.
This wasn't just a second life.
I knew how this world ended. I knew how it could end.
With a single choice, a single warning, a single intervention—I could change everything. Save people who were meant to fall. Stop wars before they started. Rewrite history before it was written.
Or make it worse.
I glanced down at the Speed Stinger beside me, at the Dragon Eye glowing softly in the center of the room, at Hiccup—unaware of just how much of his future stood right next to him.
No one else knew.
But I did.
And for the first time since I'd been reincarnated, the weight of that knowledge settled on my shoulders.
This world wasn't a story anymore.
It was real.
And now… so were the consequences.