D-Animal
Seung-Woo was the first to move.
While the subterranean field still vibrated with residual energy, he stepped toward Elara with firm but careful strides. She remained standing only through sheer will; her body was clearly demanding rest. Her legs trembled almost imperceptibly, her shoulders were tense, and her breathing had not yet returned to a normal rhythm.
When she tried to take a step forward, the world seemed to tilt slightly.
Seung-Woo caught her before she lost her balance.
One steady hand on her forearm, the other supporting her waist with controlled precision—not invasive, just necessary. Elara let out a low, frustrated grunt, directed more at herself than at him.
"Slowly," he murmured. "You lost a lot of blood."
"I'm fine," she replied automatically, though her voice came out a little weaker than she intended.
He didn't argue. He simply helped her stand fully, keeping her supported against him for a few seconds longer than strictly necessary.
Then he leaned in.
The gesture was discreet. Almost imperceptible to any camera—if any were active. His lips drew close to her ear, and his voice dropped to a low whisper meant only for her.
"Elara," he said, using her name without formality for the first time. "From now on… you're going to call me by my first name."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Seung-Woo," he repeated. "Or… give me a nickname. Something affectionate."
Her body tensed slightly, surprised.
"Are you serious?" she whispered back.
"I am," he replied in the same low tone. "In front of them… you're my fiancée."
Elara's mind stalled for a full second.
"Fiancée?" she echoed, almost voiceless.
"I couldn't bring someone from outside into this field," he explained quickly, still whispering, his gaze fixed forward as if he were merely helping her stay upright. "It's an area restricted to family. If I'd said anything else, they wouldn't have allowed it. I had no choice."
Elara let out a low growl, her jaw tightening.
"You could have made up another excuse," she murmured.
"Not one that would justify what just happened," he replied. "Nor one that would explain three D-Animals hatching at the same time."
She fell silent.
Her heart was pounding far too fast—not from embarrassment, but from the sheer absurdity of the situation. Yet when she lifted her gaze slightly, she saw Han Jae Guk and Yoo Mi Kyung watching them from the upper level, attentive, curious… and clearly pleased.
Seung-Woo wasn't bluffing.
She took a deep breath.
"Fine," she murmured, resigned. "But only while we're here."
"Only while necessary," he agreed.
She hesitated for a second… then said, softly, almost experimentally:
"Seung."
He felt it.
He didn't show it on his face, but something in his eyes changed—a faint glimmer of approval, almost imperceptible.
"That works," he replied. "If you prefer, you can use 'Woo.'"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Let's go with Seung," she decided.
He nodded.
Then he stepped half a pace away, still keeping one hand supporting her, and turned to his parents.
"Omma. Appa."
His voice returned to its formal, controlled tone—the same one he used in council meetings.
"This is Elara Pack."
Yoo Mi Kyung immediately brought her hands together in front of her, an elegant smile appearing with practiced ease.
"Ah… so you're Elara," she said, descending a few steps to observe her more closely. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Han Jae Guk remained where he was, arms crossed, his serious, evaluating gaze fixed on Elara—not hostile, but heavy, as if analyzing a rare specimen.
"Elara," Seung-Woo continued, "these are my parents. My father, Han Jae Guk. And my mother, Yoo Mi Kyung."
Elara straightened her posture as much as her body allowed. Even weakened, there was a natural dignity about her that didn't fade.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, giving a slight, respectful bow. "Please excuse… the unexpected situation."
"Oh, don't worry about that at all," Mi Kyung replied immediately, stepping closer, her eyes shining with genuine interest. "Extraordinary situations call for extraordinary circumstances."
She looked Elara over from head to toe—not critically, but attentively. Posture, expression, presence.
"You're very beautiful," she commented. "And you have a… strong aura."
Elara felt her face warm slightly.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"You can call me Mi Kyung," she corrected gently. "After all… if you're my son's fiancée, you're already part of the family."
Elara swallowed.
Han Jae Guk finally spoke.
"You're young," he said bluntly. "But what we witnessed here is not common. Three D-Animals. Distinct classes. Perfect synchronization."
He paused briefly.
"Do you understand the weight of this?"
Elara didn't look away.
"I do," she answered. "That's exactly why I didn't tell anyone."
Seung-Woo's father narrowed his eyes, surprised by the response.
"You hid it?"
"Yes," she said. "Because I didn't want them to be treated like weapons."
Silence fell again.
Mi Kyung pressed a hand to her chest, visibly moved.
"She has heart," she murmured.
Han Jae Guk remained serious… but something in his expression softened, just slightly.
"Who raised you?" he asked.
"My parents," Elara replied. "Cida Pack and Tyrant Pack. They taught me responsibility before ambition."
Seung-Woo cast her a brief sideways glance.
She answered with a near-smile.
"Well," Mi Kyung said decisively, "then we need to do this properly."
"Do what?" Elara asked, confused.
"Get to know you better," the woman replied, animated. "If you're going to marry our son— even in the distant future—we need to know who you are."
Seung-Woo cleared his throat lightly.
"Omma—"
"Seung-Woo," she interrupted gently, using his full name with controlled sweetness. "You just presented a fiancée who hatched three D-Animals before our eyes. Don't expect me to act as if this were something small."
Han Jae Guk nodded slowly.
"She will remain under our protection," he said. "At least until we fully understand what's happening."
Elara felt the weight of those words.
Protection… or surveillance.
Seung-Woo noticed.
He squeezed her arm lightly—an almost imperceptible gesture, but firm.
"She stays under my direct responsibility," he corrected, his voice low but absolute.
His father met his gaze for several long seconds.
Then he nodded.
"Very well," he said. "But this doesn't end here."
Elara took a deep breath.
"I didn't expect it to," she replied honestly.
Mi Kyung smiled again, satisfied.
"I like her," she declared. "She doesn't lower her eyes."
Seung-Woo finally allowed himself a small smile.
In the subterranean field, the three D-Animals watched in silence.
The owl kept its vigilant gaze.
The white wolf remained serene.
The black wolf… stood guard.
And at the center of it all, Elara Pack—now officially the "fiancée" of Han Seung-Woo—understood that her world had just expanded dangerously.
Not only because of the power she carried.
But because of the alliances beginning to form.
The moment stretched into a heavy silence, as if the subterranean field itself awaited something more.
Elara felt again that gentle pressure in her chest—not pain, not shock—just the living presence of the three consciousnesses bound to hers. Not voices, but intent. A silent, patient, almost respectful call.
She looked at them.
First at the owl, still perched above, motionless like an eternal sentinel. Violet eyes shone with absolute attention, reflecting every detail of the environment, every microexpression, every subtle shift in energy. There was a sharp, analytical mind there, one that did not judge—only saw.
Then the white wolf.
It remained close, its body slightly angled toward her, as if always ready to support her should she fall. Its presence was warm in a strange way for something made of metal and circuits. There was no aggression. Only quiet, deep strength—almost spiritual.
Finally, the black wolf.
An opposite and complementary force. It stood one step ahead, its body positioned strategically between Elara and any potential threat. Green eyes glowed coldly, calculating everything. It did not seek approval. It did not need to. It existed to protect—even if that meant destroying.
Elara took a deep breath.
"They're… waiting," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
Seung-Woo tilted his head slightly.
"Waiting for what?"
"A name," she answered.
Yoo Mi Kyung's eyes lit up.
"Ah," she said softly. "Then this is the moment."
Han Jae Guk remained silent, but did not look away for even a second.
Elara stepped forward, still feeling the lingering weakness in her legs, but now supported by something firmer than muscle: the bond.
She approached the white wolf first.
She extended her hand slowly, allowing it to analyze her. The wolf lowered its head, touching the metallic tip of its snout to her palm. A gentle pulse traveled up Elara's arm—not a shock, but recognition.
"You," she said softly but firmly. "You are strength without violence. Presence without oppression."
The wolf's blue eyes pulsed more intensely.
"Your name will be Lupus."
The field reacted.
The energy fissures beneath the white carapace glowed in harmony, adjusting as if the name had fit perfectly into its structure. Lupus lifted its head and released a low sound—not a howl, but something closer to a deep echo, almost reverent.
Mi Kyung covered her mouth, moved.
"It's perfect," she murmured.
Elara then turned to the black wolf.
It did not move as she approached.
It did not retreat. It did not advance.
It simply watched.
She stopped just centimeters from it, meeting those green eyes that seemed to see far beyond the present.
"You," she said, her voice a little deeper now. "You are the shadow that guards. The beast that chooses when to strike. The silence that precedes the end."
The black wolf inclined its head slightly—a minimal gesture, almost imperceptible, but heavy with respect.
"Your name will be Fenrir."
The instant the name was spoken, the air around it seemed to grow denser. The neon blue-green lines along its body intensified, pulsing with contained energy. Fenrir parted its metallic jaws slightly, revealing its fangs, then closed them again, accepting the name as a pact.
Han Jae Guk exhaled slowly.
"That… that wolf," he said quietly. "It is dangerous."
"Yes," Elara replied without hesitation. "But he is mine."
Seung-Woo said nothing, but his eyes lingered on Fenrir longer than on the others.
Finally, Elara lifted her gaze to the owl.
She didn't need to approach.
The owl was already attentive, violet eyes locked onto hers as if they had always belonged there.
"Elara," Seung-Woo murmured instinctively. "She misses nothing."
"I know," Elara replied.
She closed her eyes briefly… and when she opened them, she felt something align perfectly within her mind, like the final pieces of an invisible puzzle clicking into place.
"You see what others ignore," she said. "You observe before chaos happens. You guard knowledge… and truth."
The owl beat its wings once, the sound soft and precise.
"Your name will be Visio."
The violet glow expanded, forming fine patterns along the owl's body, like living circuits reorganizing themselves. Visio tilted its head elegantly, then emitted a low sound—not a hoot, but something closer to a signal, a pulse of confirmation.
Three names.
Three bonds sealed.
The subterranean field felt different now—quieter, more attentive, as if it officially recognized those existences.
Mi Kyung discreetly wiped away a tear.
"They responded to the names," she said. "As if they'd been waiting for them."
Han Jae Guk nodded slowly.
"True names create true bonds."
Elara felt the D-Armilla warm slightly once more, but now without pain. Only stability. Connection.
She brought a hand to her wrist and took a deep breath.
"Lupus," she called.
The white wolf approached immediately.
"Fenrir."
The black wolf stepped forward, positioning itself beside her.
"Visio."
The owl adjusted its wings and kept its eyes fixed on Elara.
Seung-Woo watched everything in absolute silence.
At last, he spoke:
"You just did something many D-Masters take years to achieve."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"You didn't dominate," he replied. "You chose."
Elara held his gaze.
"They aren't weapons."
"No," Seung-Woo agreed. "They're family."
Mi Kyung smiled openly now.
"So," she said brightly, "my son's fiancée has three D-Animals named and synchronized on the first day."
Elara blushed faintly.
"That's still strange to hear," she murmured.
Seung-Woo leaned in again, his voice low, meant only for her.
"Only until it isn't."
She shot him a quick look, a mix of disbelief and something she couldn't yet name.
At the center of the field, Lupus remained serene.
Fenrir stood guard.
Visio observed everything.
And Elara Pack understood, with absolute clarity:
This was not merely the birth of three D-Animals.
It was the beginning of a bond that would change not only her fate— but the entire balance of a world that believed it controlled the seeds.