Hiccup barged through the front storm door of Astrid's home after he scrambled off of Toothless.

At the crack of dawn, Fishlegs came to his door saying neighbors of Astrid heard her screaming. A raw and agonized wailing that flared the air, it mimicked her being murdered. Knowing Astrid isn't one to scare as easily, Hiccup threw off the covers of his bed and grabbed his heavy coat.

He pounded up the steps where everyone else was gathered around Astrid, who sat in her bed, her knees tucked to her chest, gently rocking herself back and forth. She was slightly shaking, and Stormfly was on edge since seeing Astrid scared, even a little was unnatural.

Hiccup eased his way through the gathering people in her room and eased his way onto the edge of the bed. He didn't want to touch her until she permitted him to. "Astrid, Astrid . . ." he gently called.

Astrid slows her rocking and slowly trails her eyes up his body until she met his eyes. Glassy shock obscured her normally crystalline blue of her eyes. Hiccup furrows his brow in worry. He's never seen her like this. He slowly raises his hand and angles it to cup her cheek, she flinches away as his hand draws close. Hurt clenches at his heart like a fisted hand.

"Astrid it's me. Hiccup." He gently whispers. "Do you understand me?"

Her eyes flick back and forth from his hand to his face. Then slowly, she presses her cheek to his palm. Relief floods Hiccup and he scoots closer, as does Astrid. He gently wraps his arms around her as she burrows into the warm crook of his neck. Hiccup rocks her back and forth until in she settles. Almost as if realizing he was real, that she back I reality and whatever terror of the night was merely an illusion.

"What happened?" Hiccup asks the others as he continues to comfort her.

"We're not sure." Fishlegs answers. "Meatlug and I were out for the night stargazing, then we heard a neighbor calling for help after hearing Astrid screaming from her room. Her parents came up and found her thrashing at the air, at nothing. As if she was fighting off something they couldn't see, when they woke her up, she was quaking like a leaf."

Hiccup goes rigid and his grip on Astrid's shoulder tightens as the event is fairly similar to his night experience. Though this was enough to even rattle Astrid Hofferson. Guilt germinates through his chest, feeling as though he brought this onto her. Hiccup strokes her hair, resting his cheek against her head. He offers no words of encouragement or assurance. He doesn't know what she went through, so he can't say it's okay.

He knew better.

All he could do was comfort her until she was ready to talk. But he wanted so badly to help her he needed to know what was wrong.

So he asked. "Astrid what happened?"

She had since calmed down and ceased her rocking, she was still a little shaken, but just from the way she was sitting seemed more familiar to Hiccup. She took a deep breath, every horrid detail still sharp and clear.

"Last night, I remember I fell asleep immediately, I was so tried. Then the next time I woke up, my window was open. I get up to go shut it, and I stop. And I see a figure standing at the foot of me bed." She pauses as a sob rise from the depths, she clamps her hands over her mouth before it could escape. She forces herself to swallow. "I, at, at first I thought I was Hiccup, but as he got closer," she stutters. "He changed, and his voice, his voice it was, raspy and different." Her words spill out like a fountain.

Astrid's words lacerate his heart as he connects the dots all too easily. Hiccup swallows thickly as he forces himself to say the word he thought, or hoped he'd never have to repeat ever again.

"Hadrian?"

A shudder ratcheted its way up Astrid's spin at the memory of the monster's mouth pressed to hers. And that smile. That horrible smile.

As his name rattled against everyone's skull, they went rigid and immediately shuddered in fear. The mere name of the demon still managed to jolt fear within everyone even after so many moons of his so called 'imprisonment' in Grandmamma's spellbook. Hiccup instantly thrusts toward Astrid, gathering her in his arms, now realizing the true horror she had endure.

"Oh my gods Astrid, I'm so sorry." He plead to her. "I'm so, so, sorry this happened."

"It wasn't your fault." She says, burrowing into his chest. The feeling of his warm flesh against her cheek was more rewarding to her than he will ever imagine. He felt real, warm and full. "But how did he get back?"

Hiccup wanted to offer her and answer, and an assurance that he will lock him back away immediately, but he was just as perplexed as she was, as well as everyone else.

How did he get back here? How is it he'd found a loophole through which to enter his world again? It made Hiccup wonder if a version of that same loophole existed for the woman in his dreams. Or even his mother. He recalled the forest that had surrounded them. The piano the woman had played, and the smell of his mother as he handed him the ribbon.

Other images of the dream continued to swirl through his mind. Astrid's mention of Hadrian had tipped the first domino of Hiccup's recollection, bringing the rest of the dream into stark relief. It was clear that somehow, some way, they had both found a way to enter back into reality.

If so, why had Hadrian appeared to Astrid and not Hiccup? What had he been doing?

Hiccup's eyes glazed over as he brushed his fingers over the hamsa at his throat. It felt warm and cold at the same time. He stroked his thumb over the smooth surface of the pendant, it still held the cold of the frigid air.

"When did you get that?" Astrid asks.

Hiccup dropped his hand from the necklace with a flutter, as though he hadn't realized he'd been fiddling with it. Astrid took it and brushed her thumb over its growing warm surface.

"Grandmamma gave it to me. She said it's supposed to protect me from evil spirits." Hiccup admits.

"When did she give that to you? Snotlout asks. Peering at it, curious.

Hiccup looks to the floor, remembering he never told anyone about his dreams. Up until now, there was no reason, especially since Stoick thought Hiccup was the only one experiencing these strange phenomena. But with Hadrian back, and targeting Astrid, it was best for him to tell them everything that's happened.

Who knows, maybe somehow the pieces will connect better.

Hiccup sighs. "I've been having these weird dreams. Each one it's different, but I feel like their visions. I don't what they mean, but I always get a feeling something bad is going to happen." Hiccup explains. "One dream that I had, I was in the woods, and I found my mother."

Hiccup feel the shift in the room at the mention of her.

"She handed me a sash, and told me to remember who I was." Hiccup repeats, her words floating to the forefront of his mind. "And when I woke up, I found this in my hand."

Hiccup pulls forth from his vest pocket, the purple ribbon with the initial stitched in the corner.

"V. H?" Fishlegs reads.

"For my mother." Hiccup says. "It startled me. I didn't think it was real, but now, I don't know what to think."

"Does Stoick know you have it?" Astrid asks.

"No, he keeps them somewhere hidden in the house. I can understand why, but if he didn't give to me, how did it find its way out of hiding?" Hiccup asks. He looks around the room, then continues on. "The following night, I had another dream. I was flying over the village, and it was like my body was controlling itself, and I few over to a, almost hollowed out house."

Hiccup traced his hands through air as if painting a picture.

"Inside, there was a strange mist, and it floated toward the door. To you," Hiccup point to Snotlout who grows pale. "And then it, it surrounded you, and you became gaunt and haunted. You were like a, like a . . ."

"A zombie." Fishlegs finishes.

"Yeah. And then there was an entire line-up of people behind him, and once it was done with Snotlout, it went onto the others. It's like it was draining their energy. Going onto the next victim once it was finished with one." He pauses to take a breath. "Then it, it noticed me. It surrounded me, and I couldn't fight back. I felt arms wound around my waist, and a breath travel down my neck. Then it vanished and I started to fall. As soon as I was near the ground, the next thing I know, I hit the wooden floor, in my kitchen. My pillow and blanket had phased through the floor, and they were just dangling there. Once I got back into magic, my dreams stopped. And now . . ."

There was a pause after Hiccup trails off. The story settles cross the teenagers and each one slowly connects the dots leading up to now.

"Should we tell Stoick?" Fishlegs asks.

Hiccup looked to Astrid for confirmation, and she lifts her head from his chest and she numbly nods.

"Okay, we'll tell my dad, but first we need to get to Grandmamma's house and check for that book. If Hadrian's really found a way to re-enter our world, we need to get some protection spells so he can't interfere with anyone else." Hiccup orders and no one questions him. He turns to Astrid. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'll push through." She says, though her voice shakes, Hiccup knows she's telling the truth. "I'm a Hofferson, remember?"

Hiccup nods and fakes a small laugh. "Okay, we need to get to Grandmamma's house and find out if Hadrian really has escaped." Hiccup orders.

Everyone mounts their dragons and flies off to the home. Astrid was stable enough to steer Stormfly to the home. The whole ride, Hiccup clasped the hamsa in his hand. The pendant more reliable and useful than he gave it any credit for. He had not realized that it was the reason behind the ending of the dreams. It provided a barrier to keep out anyone, or anything that tried to enter his realm of dreams. He was probably the original target for Hadrian, but when he realized he couldn't infiltrate his mind, he settled for the next best thing. Or even the better thing.

Hadrian knew that Hiccup was loyal to a fault. He'd do anything to ensure the safety of his friends and family. He'd risk it all if it mean protecting someone he cared about. And by targeting his friends, it hurts Hiccup more than any physical pain anyone could endure on him.

As they landed outside of Grandmamma's house, Hiccup wondered if giving the hamsa to Astrid would be better, then again, that could be just what Hadrian wants. So he could easily target Hiccup if it's true that he's gotten free.

Hiccup leapt off of Toothless and bounded the steps, banging on Grandmamma's door with harsh persistence. "Grandmamma! Open up! It's an emergency!" he shouts.

The door swings open and Grandmamma stands there with two vials in one hand, and the smell of something sharp and rotten fills Hiccup's nostrils. Looking behind her, he can see the bit black cauldron boiling over the hearth.

"Grandmamma I need to see the book." Hiccup demands. He pushes his way past her before she could even answer. He barrels down the basement steps and strikes the torch at the start of the archway.

Navigating his way expertly through the maze of tall shelves, he weaves left and right until he spots the white trunk with gray metal corners traced into exquisite floral curves, the outer rim traced in silver. His heart thrummed in his chest as he nears it with careful feet. The salt circle he traced on the outside wasn't even moved a slight, not one grain out of place. The latch was still in the same place he left it, frozen in its place. Hiccup grasped the hamsa as he kneeled down in front of the trunk. Above, he cold hear the muffled voices of Astrid and Fishlegs explaining to Grandmamma for the urgent intrusion.

Hiccup takes a deep breath, and, with shaking hands, he places them on the rim of the trunk. His fingers twirl the dial and unlock the padlock. The trunk open with a low growling creak. The hinged lit tilted back, held at ninety degrees by two silver strips of chain in either corner. The book was at the center of the trunk just as he left it. Nothing changed. Hiccup rests his hands on the rim of the trunk. His hand reached in and ghosted across the surface. Nothing radiated like he expected.

He mumbled a few words as he reached in and pulled it out. Grandmamma said to say the words if he ever decided to pull the book back out. Which he never thought he'd ever do. It helps to, in a way give you your space from the beings. Tells them to give your space, and leave him alone. Hiccup sits with the book in his lap. There wasn't even the slightest hum, in a way, the book was dead in his hands.

Maybe it was quiet for a reason.

Hiccup took a breath and started flipping through the book. The pages whispering against one another as they lifted and settled into place. He leafed through until he turned one final page.

An artist's intricate rendering of a young warrior holding a sword in one hand, dripping with blood, and the horn of a dead Nadder in his other. The boy held a scowl and his body sliced with multiple cuts all over his limbs. His clothing torn and ratted, weapons adorned his body as well as a studded shoulder pad on one shoulder. Blood flowed from the Nadder's mouth, and slid down the blade, puddleing at the boy's feet. The artwork filling the entire left-hand side of the book. In the background, the gray slate of an arena poked out from a decorative border that framed the picture.

Hiccup swallowed a lump in his throat as he gazed at Hadrian.

He waited for something to happen. To watch Hadrian breath, blink, smile.

Nothing.

Hiccup stood and still holding the book, he rises to his feet and navigates his way back up the steps. The gleam of the sunlight blinds him for a moment, and he sees Grandmamma with the others. Her eyes widen when Hiccup comes up with the book.

"Is he there?" Astrid asks. The nervousness in her voice obvious.

Hiccup doesn't say anything, he walks over to the podium and places the book open to the page. He steps back and lets everyone see and their looks of perplex only adds to the confusion. Hadrian was freed somehow. And whoever did it obviously needs a pawn and is targeting Hiccup and the others.

He walks over to Grandmamma and pulls her aside. "Did she tell you?"

Grandmamma nods. "I wish I had answer, but I don't. I'm just as astonished as you."

"What do we do? If my father finds out about Hadrian, he'll probably put me on lockdown. Along with adding double, even triple the security in the village."

"Well we don't know if what she saw was real. It could've been a dream." Grandmamma says.

"Grandmamma, you and I both know we shouldn't underestimate the capability of dreams." Hiccups sternly says. And she only nods in agreement.

"But it doesn't make sense," Fishlegs says. "If Hadrian's still in the book, then how did he visit Astrid?"

"I wish I knew." Hiccup admits.

"Look, just leave the book here, I'll keep an eye on it." Grandmamma instructs. "And I'll let you guys know if anything happens. Until then, go home, relax, and let's keep this a secret until we know for sure."

"What about the others?" Hiccup asks, the hamsa plastered to the base of his throat. Hiccup resist the urge to grasp it.

Grandmamma goes over to a table with a small mahogany jewelry box. She pulls out a sliver of paper and hands it to Astrid. "Say this before you go to bed, and it should keep you safe from any unexpected intrusions."

Astrid takes the paper and nods. She looks it over and mumbles the words. The kids leave the house with a less reassurance than they anticipated. Hiccup couldn't draw his hand away from the charm. He clasped it for reassurance, a promise that whatever's happening, he will solve, and they can all rest easy.

But Hiccup began to doubt if he would ever now true rest again.

As the day dragged on, at the Academy, Gobber was hired to teach combat. Everyone too unfocused and rattled to pay attention to anything else. At least with practicing combat they know they can defend themselves. Even everyone knew they can't really fight what they can't see.

That night, Hiccup had prepared a simple dinner for one since Stoick was off acting as a pastor for a wedding tonight. Hiccup had made rice and chicken, but his appetite had since dissipated. He can't even remember having breakfast he was too urgent to get to Astrid. He gave his food to Toothless and dumped the dishes in the sink before stalking up the stairs to his bedroom.

Hiccup strips off his tunic and drapes it over the end board of his bed and pulled out his night tunic. He was just ruffling his fingers through his hair when he heard the front door open.

"Dad?" Hiccup calls.

There's no answer.

Muttering, he trudged down the steps and saw the front door cracked an inch. The knife-blade slice of frost-colored light that streamed from outside flickered as villagers walked past, hurrying home. Hiccup walks over and opens it wide. Peering outside, a fanning of snow settles over the village and coats the houses. Hiccup sighs, his breath puffing out in front of him before he closes the door.

Suddenly behind him, the buttery glow of the fire flickers, as though someone had darted past, inside.

"What the . . .?" Hiccup whispers.

He looks up and his heart pounds when he sees a shadow dart across the wall. He rushes upstairs and when he reaches the top, the room is empty. Toothless follows him up and scours the room. He sniffs Hiccup's bed and his own, but only looks to Hiccup perplexed. He wasn't hissing, and Night Furies have uncanny sense of danger. Just like Toothless found Hiccup hunting with Dagur.

Hiccup steps into his room and walks to the center, rotating in a circle to let his vision search every inch of his room. The skylights were shut and Hiccup made sure to lock the front door. He sighs and sits on his bed running his fingers stressfully through his hair.

"Stressful day huh?"

Hiccup froze. He jolted out of his seat and stumbled back to the first step down the stairs. Hiccup felt his stomach drop, his mouth went dry as sandpaper.

He was sitting at his desk. Leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, he sat staring at the floor in front of him. His hands hung in between, one overlapping the other the curved of his fingers aimed toward the floor. His eyes flickered up. He raised his thin, abnormally long hand, the tips of which ended in long black, talon-like claws. He waved at him.

He had changed.

He had porcelain white skin, his dark-night black hair fell over one eye and shadowed the other. His clothes were black leather and chains. He wore boots, and his pants were covered with buckles and dull silver chains. He had on a thin strap-covered black coat that almost looked like a strait jacket. It fitted snuggly against his still muscular frame. He leaned forward, turning his head toward Hiccup, revealing the other side of his face. Hiccup froze, his eyes locking on the jagged black hole that marked his cheek, as though an entire chunk of his face had been knocked out, like a chink in a porcelain vase.

Hiccup slowly eased his way to his feet. Fear pulsed through him, and yet he stood hypnotized. He was horrible and fascinating all at once, like a scorpion prepared to strike, all angles and sharp lines and menace.

"So you can see me." He says. The sound of actual words coming out of his mouth startled Hiccup. His voice was quiet, smooth, ad acidic somehow corroded in essence. "That's very interesting," he continued. "that you can see me like this." He smiled, flashing a dangerous grin.

His nails, more like the fangs from some deadly venomous snake, gleamed in the light. Hiccup found himself once again staring onto the hole in his cheek, his gaze held by the movement of the jawbone as he spoke. There were no muscles, no tendons, no cartilage, nothing to hold him together, only hollow blackness.

He raised a clawed finger to point at the missing portion of his face. "Oh, don't' let his bother you. Happens to the best of us."

It was then Hiccup finally saw his eyes. Stark and cold, the concentrated green of pale jade. It wasn't until Hiccup saw them that he finally made the connection. Up until this moment he hadn't even recognized him.

But the eyes were unmistakable. And that's when the spark of recognition ignited in his memory.

Hadrian.