The dragon flock led us through a thick veil of mist and ash, soaring towards a massive volcanic caldera that seemed to pulse with life, even though the volcano itself was neither active nor dormant. It loomed ominously, an ancient, forgotten place where time had seemingly stood still. The dark, jagged edges of the mountain contrasted against the blood-red sky, and my heart raced with a mixture of awe and dread. This place was significant—whatever or whoever lived here was powerful, and dangerous.

Toothless, ever alert and cautious, flew alongside the others, keeping a safe distance. But I knew he wasn't fooling around. He hadn't brought any food, and that meant he had to be extra careful in this unknown territory. "Be careful, Shadowstrike, please," I whispered under my breath, my voice filled with worry.

Toothless's amber eyes flicked over to me, and his deep voice rumbled in my mind, "I will, worry not."

As we neared the edge of the caldera, the sight before us only deepened my unease. Hundreds of dragons, of every size, shape, and species, lined the ledges around the massive volcano. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and the faint sound of growls and chatter, as the creatures gathered in silence.

"Oh, what my father would give to see this place," Hiccup muttered under his breath, his eyes wide in disbelief.

I clutched his waist a little tighter, feeling the weight of the moment. "Your father must never find this," I said urgently. The words came out sharper than I meant, but I couldn't ignore the gravity of the situation.

Hiccup stiffened at my words, glancing at me with a look that was both cautious and understanding. He nodded, his expression growing serious. "You're right," he said quietly.

Toothless had already crept to the edge of the caldera, his wings folding in as he ducked behind a large stalactite to remain hidden. His keen eyes surveyed the gathering below, and he stayed perfectly still, not wanting to alert the other dragons to our presence. The others flew by, dropping their food offerings into the bubbling lava pit that lay below.

"How nice," Hiccup muttered sarcastically, glancing down at the discarded food that had all but vanished into the volcanic pit. "It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole."

I swallowed back a retort, my eyes scanning the dragons. They weren't like the ones back home. They were different—darker, more feral. But then, a Gronckle arrived, hovering awkwardly above the pit. Its thick, rounded body seemed out of place among the sleek, powerful forms of the other dragons, and it struggled to keep control as it regurgitated its meager offering—a tiny fish. The Gronckle dropped the fish into the pit, and the moment it did, a terrible roar echoed from below.

The entire flock of dragons seemed to freeze. My blood ran cold.

Before any of us could react, a massive head shot up from the lava pit with terrifying speed, a shadow of scales and teeth that seemed to swallow the light. The Gronckle barely had time to register the danger before the massive beast snatched it out of the air with a swipe of its massive jaws, and it was gone in an instant.

"What... what is that?" Hiccup exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief, and my own heart thudded painfully in my chest.

The enormous beast, its massive eyes glowing a deep, fiery red, turned its gaze toward us. It sniffed the air, as though recognizing our presence. A low, rumbling growl emanated from the beast's throat, and then, with a deafening roar, it let loose a sound that shook the very ground beneath us.

The other dragons scattered in terror, taking flight in a chaotic frenzy, their wings beating frantically as they rushed to escape. I could feel Toothless stiffen beneath me, ready to dart away, but before we could move, the colossal dragon lunged forward, snapping its jaws shut around a Hideous Zippleback that had been unfortunate enough to linger too long. The dragon's scream echoed in the caldera as it was devoured.

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Alright, buddy, we gotta get out of here. Now!" Hiccup shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

Without waiting for another second, Toothless shot into the air, narrowly dodging the snapping jaws of the monster. I held on tight, adrenaline rushing through my veins as we raced to escape. The massive dragon howled in frustration, its wings spreading wide as it leapt after us. It was fast, terrifyingly fast.

In the chaos, the other dragons fled in every direction, some flying off into the distance, others scattering across the sky in fear of their lives. Toothless, agile and nimble, cut through the storm of wings and smoke, weaving through the fleeing dragons with ease.

We had to get out of there. No matter what.

The caldera had just revealed its most dangerous secret, and we were in the middle of it.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Toothless landed smoothly on the cove's rocky shore, and Hiccup and I jumped off quickly, our feet hitting the ground with a soft thud. The chaos of the caldera still echoed in my mind, the roar of the massive dragon and the frenzy of the fleeing creatures. I tried to shake it off, but the unease lingered in my bones.

"No, no, it totally makes sense," Hiccup muttered to himself, as though trying to make sense of the scene we'd just witnessed. "It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them."

His voice sounded distant, his mind still reeling from everything. He took my arm gently, guiding me away from the edge of the cove. He was lost in thought, and I couldn't blame him. It was a lot to take in.

I stared at the ground as we walked, my heart still pounding. Hiccup looked over at me, his expression softening when he saw my distant gaze. He shared a concerned glance with Toothless, who was approaching me now, his golden eyes flicking between us.

"Nyx, are you alright?" Toothless asked, his deep voice resonating in my mind, the concern clear even in his thoughts.

I blinked, startled by the question. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. "I... I am, but that dragon reminded me of someone I've seen before."

Hiccup stopped in his tracks and looked at me with furrowed brows. "Who?"

I swallowed hard, the name chilling me to my core. "Another queen... one who controls her workers through fear." I paused, biting my lip, trying to put the unsettling memories into words. "She was a very strong queen—one I haven't encountered since... since I was born."

Hiccup's face shifted from confusion to concern. "What queen?"

"Morgoth," I said, the name hanging heavy between us. It felt like the words were acid on my tongue. "Back then, he was known as a king. But he ruled the same way—through fear and dominance. His followers were bound to him or face annihilation."

A shiver ran down my spine. I rubbed my temple, trying to push away the memories of the dark ruler, the terrifying power he wielded over his followers.

"I... I just need to sleep," I muttered, my exhaustion finally catching up with me. I gave Toothless a small smile, reaching up to pat his head. "We'll be back tomorrow."

Hiccup caught my arm before I could walk off, his expression serious. "We can't tell Dad about this."

I nodded without hesitation. "We can't tell anyone."

The weight of the moment pressed down on me. The last thing we needed was to bring more attention to the dark force that had awoken deep within the caldera. Morgoth's influence, even from the past, still loomed over the world, and I feared that what we'd seen today was just the beginning of something far more dangerous.

We needed to keep it quiet. For now, at least.