In this world, monsters are not legends.
They walk, crawl, fly, and burn across the land—feared by some, relied on by others, misunderstood by most.
And long ago, humanity learned a single truth:
Monsters cannot be controlled.
They can only be bonded.
A Bond is not ownership. It is a connection formed through trust, linking human and monster together. When a bond is formed, neither side leaves unchanged. Thoughts bleed through. Feelings echo.
Some bonds are gentle.
Others are forged in fear, or force.
And while people argue whether monsters are tools or partners, one fact remains undisputed:
When a bond breaks, something is always lost.
The hall was silent when the voice stopped.
Hundreds of students stood at attention beneath the academy banners, their uniforms clean, their expressions tense.
One student, however, was asleep.
Saliva trailed down his cheek, blond neck-length hair sticking out from beneath the line of white hats.
His name was Hikari. Sixteen years old. An airhead. Careless. Selfless to a fault.
He scored low on every test and won nothing in any contest. To this day, his classmates still wondered how someone like him had managed to graduate.
Applause erupted without warning.
Hikari jolted upright, nearly losing his hat as he snapped to attention a second too late.
"Whoa! Am I finally getting my first monster?"
"Keep it down," Someone muttered beside him.
Hikari glanced sideways. The student didn't look annoyed, just nervous. Like everyone else.
Before another student could speak, heavy footsteps echoed across the hall.
The conversations died instantly as the Monster Director stepped forward.
Unlike the instructors who trained them, the Director wore a crisp white uniform, marked with "MD" on the left sleeve. A small scar ran from the edge of his lips to his cheek, and his expression left no room for joking.
"Students. I am Ron Archie, the Monster Director of Tri-Sky Lands, here to congratulate you for becoming graduates." He said, voice calm and measured. "From here, you may choose your profession: Monster Tamer, Monster Researcher, or, in rare cases, Monster Director like me."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"But first… the monsters." He gestured towards the far end of the hall. "We have gathered monsters from across the continents. Today, you will meet the one who will become your partner."
The massive doors at the end of the hall creaked open.
A cool breeze swept through, carrying the faint scent of stone, metal, fire, grass, and other scents that teased the nose.
"Follow me," Ron said.
The students filed behind him. Their footsteps echoed.
"It's finally time..." Hikari whispered under his breath. "My first monster... I'm super excited about this!"
The student beside him shot him a sharp look.
"Shut up."
Hikari swallowed, but his heart continued to race. Whatever waited beyond those doors wasn't just a lesson. He was finally going to form his first bond.
The students lined up in front of the massive chamber doors, their uniforms crisp, their expressions a mix of excitement and nerves. Hikari bounced slightly on his heels, his hands clasped behind his back.
One of the instructors stepped forward, holding a small, glowing object in his hand.
"Each of you will receive a Crystal Core." The instructor announced, handing the first one to a student at the front of the line. The Core pulsed softly, warm to the touch. "This will allow you to form a bond with your monster. Treat it carefully."
Hikari's eyes widened as the instructor reached him. The Core felt heavier than he expected, pulsing faintly in his palm.
Ron stepped beside the line, his gaze sweeping across the students.
"The Crystal Core is not merely a tool. It is a bridge between you and the monster. It will respond to your thoughts, your will, and your heart."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in.
"To prevent interference, only one student will step inside at a time. This way we can make sure that each of you will have your desired monster."
Hikari's grip tightened around the Core.
"We will begin," Ron said.
The first student stepped inside. The doors shut behind him with a deep, echoing thud.
The wait felt endless.
Then the doors opened.
The student emerged, cradling his glowing Crystal Core, a triumphant grin on his face. At his heel padded a sleek, silver-furred Vex, lightning-blue eyes sharp and alert, faint sparks dancing through its coat.
Murmurs rippled through the line.
One by one, students entered the chamber. Some returned beaming, accompanied by flutter-winged Flyxies or sturdy, moss-backed Roulders. Others emerged pale and shaken, alone, their Crystal Cores dim.
"Next." Ron said.
A name was called. The doors opened, and closed again.
The chamber fell silent.
Hikari swallowed.
In his palm, the Crystal Core pulsed once.
Then stopped.
"Hikari." Ron said.
The doors opened.
Hikari took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The door shut behind him.
Inside the chamber was a world in miniature. A wide, spherical dome stretched above him, a perfect, artificial sky glowing with soft, ambient light.
The air was rich and damp, smelling of loam and blooming flowers. A gentle breeze stirred his hair.
A shallow stream gurgled over smooth stones to his left, and a small copse of silver-barked trees stood to his right. Small, furry monsters with too many eyes scurried in the underbrush, and iridescent insects hummed through the air. It was beautiful, serene, and utterly overwhelming.
"Look around, Hikari. Let your heart guide you." Ron's voice echoed from somewhere in the dome.
Hikari looked down at the Crystal Core in his hand.
He scratched his head, an innocent smile forming on his lips.
"Uh... How do I use it?"
The voice from the dome sighed.
"Hikari. Find a monster first, then I'll guide you."
"Oh! Okay!" Hikari said, beaming at the empty air.
Hikari tucked the Crystal Core into his pocket for safekeeping, clapped his hands together, and surveyed the landscape. His gaze landed on a cluster of fluffy, spherical Puffkins rolling peacefully near the stream.
"Alright! Here goes!"
He dropped into a low crouch, waddled forward a few steps, and then lunged.
"Gotcha!"
The Puffkins, emitting startled little mews, simply deflated and rolled away in five different directions, leaving Hikari sprawled face-first in the soft grass.
"Hehe, that went nowhere." He said, pushing himself up and brushing off his uniform.
Next, he spotted a crystalline-furred cat sunning itself on a rock. He crept up behind it, arms wide.
"C'mere, kitty!"
He pounced. The cat didn't even open its eyes. It simply phase-shifted, becoming momentarily intangible.
Hikari passed right through it and tumbled over the rock, landing with an oof in a patch of glowing mushrooms.
Another disappointed sigh came from the hidden speaker.
Hikari was undeterred. For the next few minutes, the serene chamber became a scene of chaos.
He chased a family of Molesnouts, only for them to vanish down holes. He tried to sneak up on a grazing Drimmerslag, which merely sidestepped him with an elegant, disdainful flick of its antlers. He even tried to reason with a particularly shiny beetle, promising it "all the best leaves."
Finally, slightly out of breath and with his uniform messed up, Hikari stopped in the middle of a small clearing. He put his hands on his hips, looking around at the now-wary wildlife that gave him a wide berth.
"Man, this is harder than it looks." He admitted to no one. "Maybe I'm doing it wrong."
Just then, a soft, shimmering plip sound came from above.
Hikari looked up.
Descending from the artificial sky was a small, gelatinous orb. It was the color of liquid mercury, its surface constantly shifting with a gentle, hypnotic motion. It was floating harmlessly into the air, watching its surroundings.
"Ooh, shiny." Hikari whispered, his eyes wide. "Hey there! You're a cool-looking blob!"
He reached out a tentative, non-threatening finger to poke it.
The slime did not retreat.
Instead, it launched itself from the air and landed squarely on top of Hikari's head.
"Whoa!" Hikari yelped, staggering.
It oozed gently, molding itself to the contours of his skull, a few drippy pseudopods dangling over his forehead and ears.
And in his pocket, the Crystal Core began to glow.
A soft light seeped through the fabric of his trousers. Hikari fumbled for it, pulling it out. It pulsed with a gentle light, perfectly in time with the subtle shimmering of the slime on his head.
A thread, thin and new as a spider's silk, spun between them. It wrapped around the Crystal Core along with Hikari's hand, then connected itself to the silver slime.
Hikari's eyes widened in awe as the bond was formed easily.
"Whoa... did you actually engaged the bond?" He asked the silver slime monster, poking its surface.
The chamber doors began to grind open.
Hikari walked towards the door with the silver slime perched proudly atop his head. The Crystal Core in his hand dimmed and the color of it changed. It was now silver like the surface of the slime.
As he emerged, the hall fell into a different kind of silence. Students stared, their mouths slightly agape.
Ron stood, arms crossed. He watched as Hikari gave him a bright, thumbs-up, the slime wobbling with the motion.
The Director's eye twitched.
"Congratulations, Graduate Hikari." He said, his voice flat. "You have formed a bond."
Hikari beamed, adjusting his new partner.
"Thanks! Its name is… uh… Shiny! Yeah!"
"Its called Geminar. The lowest, possibly worst monster to ever have as your first." Ron turned around. "Go to the Director Office. You'll have more equipment there."
Hikari gave a cheerful salute to his new partner, Geminar.
"Roger that, Director!"
He then turned and began strolling down the grand corridor.
Ron watched him go, the set of his shoulders tight. He waited until Hikari had turned a corner, the cheerful humming fading, before he let out the breath he'd been holding. He ran a hand over his face, the rough texture of his scar familiar under his fingers.
"In twenty-three years of overseeing First Bonds… I have never seen a monster engage the bond for the graduate." He straightened his uniform jacket. "Keep the line moving. Next student."