Elliot knows this—on some deep, ancient level.

He may rule the terrarium now, but he wasn’t the first to hold the crown.

 That honor belonged to Izzy.

 Izzy came before the bioactive kingdom, before the careful plants and tiny ecosystems. Izzy was the first dragon to teach us the rhythm of basking lights, feeding schedules, and the quiet joy of watching a small, scaly life observe the world with calm intelligence.