"You're gonna be okay, little angel. We'll meet again someday" he spoke softly before placing a kiss on my forehead.

I looked at him desperately as I started to cry once again.

The roars were getting closer and the thunder was booming louder and louder through the air.

Then he started to back away and it was like we were moving. I raised my hands towards him but we were distancing too fast for my liking.

"NO!" I shouted in agony, trying to kick away the one that was holding me tightly by the waist. Suddenly I wasn't the small child anymore as I kept debating against the stone like grip of the one behind me.

I trashed and kicked but it was all useless. Then I was turned away as the thunder echoed through the expanse along the blood-curling scream.

I was gasping for air as my eyes shot open, wildly searching around the room I was in.

It was gloomy, only slightly illuminated by the dim light of a candle placed on a small wooden chair. My arms felt sore and I could barely feel the ground under my feet but I was still caught up in the turmoil of emotions after the nightmare.

I let out a breath and raised my head up, eyes closed, trying to regulate my breathing and racing heart. I've never seen that nightmare like that, I was always a baby in it, and now…? I shook my head a bit in disbelief and cracked my eyes slowly just to see ropes holding my arms above me.

My heart dropped right in my stomach at the sight, dread settling in as fear crawled up my spine. I gazed down at myself just to see that my tunic and wrappings were missing.

Sucking in a breath I eyed again the ropes and room, searching for something that could help me or for a way to get out of this situation.

A dark chuckle came from the front and my eyes snapped in that direction to figure out the source of it.

"If you could only see yourself now, so pity and helpless" the voice taunted and I froze.

It couldn't be. I got out of there.

No. This couldn't be happening.

My mind was telling me to try to find a way to get out but all I could do was stare at the faintly lightened face coming towards me. Three claw mark-like blue tattoos running from above his left eyebrow down to the middle of his left cheek. A scar slicing his right eyebrow and uniting with the other end coming from his right temple.

Aquiline nose.

Red brows.

Red hair.

Red scattered beard.

Green emerald eyes.

My heart was hammering hard in my chest, ready to break out; pants came chaotic out of my mouth while I tried to get away but with no avail.

"I escaped! They came for me!" I cried out, trying more to convince myself than the man walking towards me.

He scoffed "And people call me crazy" with a few last steps he was in front of me, eyeing me deviously "Wake up girl, it's all real. Just look around" he said and gestured around with a dagger, my eyes fixed on it.

I let out a whimper "No… no, no, no, no…", tears started to cloud my vision as the dagger petted my cheek.

"Oh yes, would've been so much better for all of us if you would cooperate…" he trailed off while he moved the poniard to my neck "And when I think that it would take only one deeper slice—" the sharp tip stopped right where the vein should be, pressing slightly into the skin "—right about here, to end your miserable life"

I swallowed hardly as I was trying to pull away from him but with no use. A small sob came out of my mouth and tears were trickling down my cheeks.

"Please…"

"Aww, look who's crying like a wimp, begging, and I was sure you were tougher than this when I first saw you" he mocked and I felt the dagger being removed.

My gaze moved to his wicked one and I could swear the color of his eyes turned red for a second.

He stepped behind me and I could feel the dagger glide down my waist "So tell me again sweetheart, where's the Dragon Eye?"

I shivered and shook my head once then closed my eyes shut, wincing as he grabbed firmly the other side of my waist coated in bruises, pressing my back against his chest armor.

"Tell me, baby" he demanded and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, making my skin crawl.

"I… I don't know…" I croaked out.

"So whipping it is" he simply concluded as he strode to the front.

The color drained from my face as I snapped my widened eyes to his "Please… I don't want—" whatever I was starting to say was cut off by a scream when the whip slashed against my bare back.

I looked up pleadingly to the green eyes that were watching me from a few feet away.

The man just chuckled and looked at the guard behind me "Make it twenty" then his wicked gaze was back to mine "Can't get enough of those screams. Music to my ears" with that he started to walk to the door as another scream erupted from my lungs when I was lashed once again.

I closed my eyes shut and the next thing I knew I was laid flat on something, covered in something, soft.

I stayed frozen for a couple of moments, trying to calm down and get a hold of my own mind.

"What in Thor's name…" I tried to move my arms and surprisingly could, then I rubbed my face confused as to what was happening.

All of it had to be just a nightmare… I couldn't have been just whipped and then the next second it's gone, and I am laid on something, I can move my limbs and there's no rope holding them.

Which begged the question… Where was I?

Slowly I opened my eyes again and took in the space I was in as I got sit, pushing away the furs above me.

It was a gloomy room but I would recognize it every time.

My room.

Furrowing my brows I got up slowly and looked around. It was the same as two weeks ago, before I left. My gaze shot to Phantom's empty stone slab.

"Okay…?" reluctantly I walked to the door and cracked it open. There was a complete silence in the house, which meant my parents weren't home or at least my father wasn't. At this hour at night they'd sleep already and my father always snores.

Something was definitely off but I pushed the feeling aside and started to descend the wooden steps as quietly as I could.

When I got to the first floor I did a look over through all the rooms; nothing was out of place and it was all just like before I left, minus my parents and Phantom.

I was about to walk out of the house when I heard the wood creak further behind me, then two pairs of footsteps approaching leisurely. My heart stilled. There wasn't anyone in the house just half minute ago.

I didn't even wait to see who it was, I just bolted out through the front door and towards the Great Hall. I had to find someone who could help me or at least explain me what was happening; I wasn't even supposed to be here.

Shouts, battle cries and roars echoed through the air as I was coming closer and closer to the town's square. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight.

This couldn't be real.

Vikings trying to catch dragons, trapping them, fighting them, killing them. I blinked hard in disbelief, not believing my eyes. We made peace with dragons four years ago, how did all turn upside down so fast? I shook off the thought and decided to get faster to the Great Hall or Stoick's house.

As I was about to start running I almost got knocked down by a Deadly Nadder fell right in front of me, tangled in a net.

It looked up at me scared, eyes in slits "Please… help me… I have a—" it didn't even finish what it was saying that it got beheaded. I watched horrified as the man grabbed the horn of the dragon and raised its head with a cheer, followed by others around him.

I stumbled back and ran away through the houses and to the Hall.

When I got there, I rushed in fast and pushed the door shut then I turned around and wished I didn't even come here.

The whole chamber was decorated with dragon skulls and skins of all sizes, forms and colors. The base of all the columns were wrapped in red hides and the craniums hung on chains on the walls.

When did all of this happen…? How did all of this happen? It was unlikely that all of this happened out of the sudden and it was even more unlikely that it even happened. Something was definitely wrong with me and my mind.

I looked around and when I noticed the row of skulls attached to the big wall behind the throne I almost gagged. I had to get out of there, it was like the air itself got thicker and I could feel the stench of death.

I hurried out of the Hall, stumbling here and there, then ran towards the forest. I needed to clear my head. This had to be the worst nightmare I've ever had. And if it wasn't a nightmare then… then I am officially going insane.

When I got to the line of the forest I kept on running deeper and deeper into the forest. I didn't know where I was going but one thing was certain, away from the village.

The slightly cold breeze was combing through my hair as I darted between trees, jumped over fallen branches, stumps and rocks.

After a bit I ended up on a cliff, breathing heavily from the mad dash I've made.

I shook my head a bit as I took in deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Okay… Get your shit together…" I mumbled under my breath and rubbed my face "First the nightmare, then the interrogation… and now Berk… I couldn't just pop out of nowhere in my house, even though it was like I had just woken up… But we made peace with the dragons and— UGH!" I tugged at my now cropped hair as I began pacing "Nice job Anne, now you're talking to yourself"

I kept on pacing back and forth while I was thinking and overthinking what had happened till that very moment until I heard a snap.

My head shot into the direction the sound came from as I started to hear the crunch of twigs and footsteps approaching.

The first thing I saw in the darkness of the forest were red glowing eyes. They tilted to the side as if the person or animal cocked its head and I mirrored its movement. It was like I was absorbed by their color alone, it was so unusual and entrancing.

But as they started to get closer and closer I snapped out of it and took some steps back, nearing the edge even more.

"Stay away from me!" I shouted and took another small step back.

A chuckled came in response before the eyes moved even closer "Oh, child, I've been trapped here for almost two decades, I want to have some fun"

"What…?" I asked bewildered and shook it off fast "Who are you?"

"Who you are?" came the reply and before I could say anything I found myself screaming my head off as I was falling off the cliff. Soon I was engulfed in the dark of the water and I couldn't breathe, my lungs were burning as water seeped into them. I tried swimming to the surface but my limbs felt heavy and I could barely move.

Then the next thing I knew I was gasping for air while I shot up straight from the laid back position I was in, instantly regretting it as pain shot through my whole body.

Someone pushed me back down by my shoulders and I went to get back in a seated position but the person wasn't having any of that.

"Let me! I don't want more!" I cried out and snapped my eyes up just to see green eyes.

Fear took hold of me only for a moment before I heard Hiccup's voice "Hey, hey, you're okay, you're safe"

I let out a shaky breath and tried to sit up once more but he pushed me back down gently, making me wince a bit when my back touched the surface underneath me.

"Anne, you have to rest" he said more sternly.

"You don't understand, I need to go check on something. I… I really need to go" I stammered out, eyes wild.

"No, not until you're better"

I blinked hard and looked at him straight in the eye "Is this real?"

Hiccup furrowed his brows confused "What do you mean?"

"Like, is this real?"

He was still bewildered by the question but answered nonetheless "Uh yes. It's real"

Letting out a breath I spoke again "When did I tell you about the nightmare?"

"What…? Anne, are you alright?"

"When?" I demanded.

"When we got back from Glacier Island, why?" he sounded pretty concerned and looked towards something to his left then back to me.

I went to rub my face a bit but winced when my arm and shoulder began aching.

"Ow…"

"Better don't move, Gothi said that you should try to move as less as you can so the wounds can heal properly" Hiccup said while grabbing my arm and lying it back down by my side.

I huffed in frustration, not actually knowing if this was another part of the nightmare or reality; it felt like it was all real though so I went on with the hunch.

"For how long I've been out…?" I questioned quietly.

"Well… it's been four days since we—"

"Four days?!"

I couldn't believe my ears. Four days… I had been unconscious for four days since they got me out. Four. Damn it.

"Yes, four. You were pretty weak when we got to Berk, after Gothi nursed your wounds and patched you up she said that it would take some time for you to wake up since you were over exhausted and all those wounds… I just…" he shook his head a bit.

"Odin's beard…" I breathed out as images from the week I've stayed on that damn ship came flooding back before my eyes, making me whimper.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after a bit.

I blinked hard and looked at him "Like a herd of Rumblehorns stomped over me"

He smiled at me a bit "It's going to be alright. In around two or three months those wounds should be pretty much healed" he thought for a second then continued reluctantly "What happened there? When you were kidnapped…"

I shook my head slightly and looked away, ashamed "I don't want to talk about it… Ever"

"Okay" he said softly and we stayed in silence for a bit "I'll go fetch Gothi, she had been checking on you every morning and evening but she said that it's important that she sees you the first thing when you wake up" with that he got up and headed to the side of the room where I guess was the door or the stairs.

"Alright" I replied quietly.

He turned around right before he went out of the room "And don't go anywhere"

"Not like I can" I scoffed out and rolled my eyes playfully. He chuckled a bit then I heard the sound of footsteps and metal clinking as he descended on wooden steps.

I stared up at the ceiling and let out a long breath.

"This time it better be real…"