D-Animal
Elara remained still for a few seconds, watching Han Seung Woo's back as he walked away down the corridor.
The flow of students had already returned to normal. Conversations resumed, hurried footsteps, nervous laughter. To everyone else, the earlier moment seemed like just another isolated incident within Exalia-Elite's routine. To Elara, however, something lingered in the air — an uncomfortable sense that she had only glimpsed the surface of someone far more complex.
Han wasn't just the student council president.
He knew.
He knew too much.
Elara frowned slightly, her eyes tracking his every movement until he nearly disappeared around the curve of the hallway. She felt her wrist warm beneath her uniform sleeve, the seeds reacting to her curiosity like restless little hearts.
She took a deep breath.
And then she decided.
"Han!"
Her voice rang clearly down the corridor.
Some students turned. Others slowed their steps. Han stopped.
Elara moved quickly, almost trotting to catch up, the sound of her firm footsteps contrasting with the smooth floor. When she was close enough, he turned slowly, adjusting his glasses with his usual restrained gesture.
"Pack," he said neutrally. "Is there a problem?"
"No," she replied immediately. "I mean… maybe."
He tilted his head slightly, waiting.
Elara felt her heart quicken a little. Not from fear — but anticipation.
"I know your Digital Seed has already hatched," she said bluntly. "And that you already have an active D-Animal."
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"And?"
She held his gaze.
"I want to see it."
There was silence.
Not an awkward silence — but one filled with calculation. Han watched her as if weighing possibilities, risks, consequences. Elara remained upright, hands relaxed at her sides, waiting.
Finally, he let out a low sigh.
"Do you realize what you're asking?" he asked.
"I do."
He stood still for a few more seconds. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, grasped Elara's left wrist firmly — not aggressive, but decisive — and pulled her along.
"Hey—"
She didn't resist.
Han opened a nearly invisible side door along the corridor, pushing her inside before anyone could notice. As soon as they were both in, he shut the door and activated the manual lock. The metallic click echoed through the quiet space.
The room was empty.
An old support room, perhaps once used for forgotten meetings or storage. There was only a metal table, a few stacked chairs, and cold white light spilling from the ceiling. No active cameras. No visible sensors.
Han released Elara's wrist and turned to face her.
"Last chance," he said seriously. "If you see my D-Animal, you can't tell anyone. Not teachers. Not friends. Not the rankings."
Elara nodded without hesitation.
"I understand."
He studied her for another moment, as if searching for any hint of deceit. He found none.
"Then answer me," he continued. "Do you really want to see it?"
She swallowed.
"I do."
Han inhaled deeply.
The air in the room seemed to change.
He raised his arm, bringing his D-Armilla up to chest height. The capsule displayed no seeds — only a constant, mature, stable internal glow.
His eyes closed for a brief second.
Then he spoke, his voice firm, laden with command:
"Come into reality, Lion… Iron."
The D-Armilla flared intensely.
It wasn't a gentle glow like that of seeds. It was heavy, dense, almost oppressive. Grid-like projection lines spread across the floor, forming a trembling lattice of light, as if the space itself were being prepared to receive something far too large.
The sound came first.
A deep rumble of awakening machinery.
Metal sliding against metal.
Then the shape began to emerge.
Digital particles condensed, layer by layer, until enormous paws struck the floor with a dull impact that made it vibrate. A colossal body took form, clad in black and dark-gray plates, interlocked by glowing fissures of deep crimson.
A robotic lion.
Tall. Broad. Imposing. Its head was massive, with articulated jaws filled with sharp metallic fangs, red eyes blazing with fierce intelligence. Every movement set internal gears spinning, pistons compressing, systems responding with terrifying precision.
When the creature finished materializing, it raised its head and roared.
It wasn't just sound.
It was vibration.
The roar echoed through the room, crashing through Elara's chest like a pressure wave, sending her heart racing. The air trembled, and for an instant she had the clear sense that, if that lion wished it, the entire institute could be reduced to rubble.
She instinctively took a step back.
Then… she smiled.
"He's…" she drew a deep breath, eyes shining. "…incredible."
Han watched her reaction closely.
"Warrior Class," he said. "Specialized in frontal impact, territorial dominance, and suppression of multiple targets."
The lion slowly turned its head, red eyes settling on Elara. The grinding of its gears softened, stabilizing into a deep, constant purr.
She didn't feel fear.
She felt respect.
"The mechanics are absurd," she commented, stepping a little closer, fascinated. "Those plates… they're adaptive, aren't they? They rearrange based on the type of impact."
Han raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You noticed quickly."
She tilted her head, analyzing.
"And those energy fissures… that's not just aesthetic. They're channels for releasing accumulated energy."
He nodded.
"Exactly."
The lion took a step forward, claws biting lightly into the floor, leaving deep marks in the metal. Elara felt the seeds at her wrist pulse more strongly, reacting to the presence of a fully formed D-Animal.
"He's beautiful," she said, unable to hide her admiration. "Terrifying, but… beautiful."
Han allowed himself a discreet smile.
"Iron," he called.
The lion immediately turned back to him, obedient but not blindly submissive. There was partnership there. Mutual respect.
"Deactivate."
The projection began to dissolve, the lion's body breaking into luminous particles that flowed back into the D-Armilla. The residual echo of the roar lingered once more, until the room returned to absolute silence.
Han lowered his arm.
Elara realized she had been holding her breath and slowly let it out.
"Now I understand," she said. "Why you're first in the rankings."
He met her gaze.
"That's not the only reason."
She smiled faintly.
"I know."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, the weight of what had been shared hanging between them.
"You're not ordinary, Elara Pack," Han said at last. "Not since the day of the Ritual."
She held his gaze.
"Neither are you, Han Seung Woo."
He unlocked the door and opened it slightly, peering into the corridor before stepping out.
"Come on," he said. "Before someone notices the student council president is missing."
Elara followed him, her heart still racing.
As they walked back into the ordinary world of the institute, she was certain of one thing:
Han's lion had roared.
And at some deep level, her own seeds had answered.