A few centuries into the second millennium, at a time when the entire races of humanity were supposed to be basking in the lush future that the pioneers of science and technology had worked so hard to provide, the world plunged itself into the hot steamy cauldron that was the chaos of war.

All the races ravaged each other in wanton violence. A few decades into the war, none could remember with certainty what had sparked the war in the first place, they simply fought and fought because that was simply what everyone was used to. Continents rose against each other as they went at it with great vigor.

To crown it all, a new race of inhuman species emerged and joined in the scrimmage. The new genetically superior alien race and the entirety of the human race fought hard against each other. The fall out was indescribable.

As the planet degenerated into a hot bubbling mass of toxicity, the fight for survival increased exponentially. The chaos that ensued triggered the next phase of human evolution. It was unexpected, but it happened anyway.

During the period of time that the war dragged on, a new phenomenon emerged that tipped the scales; symbiotic relationships. This was one of a kind. It was a phenomenal discovery.

For the first time in history, man was able to form soul binding contracts with different spiritual beasts. This union proved to come in handy for the handful of people who looked to survive.

Their fighting prowess was increased by the very nature of these contracts as man and spiritual beast rose above the limitations bestowed upon them by nature, and attained their full combat potential.

This discovery spread like a wave across the globe and soon enough, just about every potent warrior with the skill and wit to combat entered into mutually beneficial soul binding contracts with these spiritual beasts. For humans, it wasn't a one-way route, it was a mutually beneficial deal that tripled the combat skills of both parties.

After much needed training of the mind and body, a proficient person could enter into a contract with his spiritual beast if they were a good fit. This unique union turned the very concept of traditional combat around. Innovations sprung up as man and spiritual beasts played to their strengths and excelled in combat.

These binding contracts were agreements that transcended the physical realm. They were contracts that bound both the person and the spiritual beast to a lifelong contract. It wasn't to be taken lightly.

It wasn't something that could be mastered in a few minutes. It required an ample amount of time and effort. But ultimately, this evolution ushered in a new wave- a new wave that undoubtedly turned the tide.

Training was a vital part of this endeavor. These symbiotic relationships never happened by chance. Neophytes had to spend much time in solitude and in silent meditation in order to gain much needed perspective and also be on the spiritual wavelength to accomplish the perfect symbiosis.

The academy was the place where all occurred. Special compartments were made available for trainees who wanted to make these soul contracts with these spiritual beasts.

Cut off from any form of human contact, these trainees spent much time in meditation and solitude. It was almost always and out of body experience for them as they fought to rein in their consciousness and develop the mental and spiritual fortitudes to tame a spiritual beast.

Each trainee had his or her own space to themselves where they could focus one hundred percent on their own business.

Amongst every group of youths in training, there is almost always that one student who finds it difficult to grasp the basic concepts. In this particular case, Xerxes Vale was the character of the moment. He was a cheeky eccentric young man who was in training at the academy.

Xerxes was the typical young man of his day. His goal was to be able to enter a binding contract with the ideal spiritual beast that would enable him achieve his dream of becoming a recognized fighter. Like most youths of his time, he craved respect, fame and glory. But unlike most youths, Xerxes Vale failed at virtually everything.

Finding and establishing contact with the perfect symbiont was one thing. It was another to enter into the binding contract that would seal the union. The poor guy wasn't even close to even getting to the first stage.

Xerxes had spirit, no one could fault him for that. His intentions and goals were noble, but for some odd reason, he flopped at just about every step of the way. His abysmal failure manifested in every shameful attempt. After countless tries, it seemed like he would never fully get the hang of it.

On one particular occasion, Xerxes summed up his courage and dared to summon a spiritual beast that was at the top of the pecking order. Before a trainee could embark on such an arduous task, they first had to master the art of one hundred percent self-control.

The edgy Xerxes found this very basic stage to be particularly daunting. For it was in direct contrast to his personality. And yet, he still persevered. He managed to still his nerves and his raging hormones and regulated his breathing. The next step was to picture the spiritual beast he had in mind with as much detail as he could possibly muster.

The calm that pervaded was almost extraordinary. The air grew thick as the ghostly presence prepared to emerge. Xerxes grew in tune with his environment and fought to retain his mental stability. But at the last moment, he snapped and broke his own concentration. His eyes twitched sporadically and he lost the moment. The poor Xerxes had to begin all over again after meditating for almost six hours.

This seemed to be the prevailing pattern with him. His edginess, his inability to focus along with a maelstrom of deep seated issues all contributed to his continuous failures. Xerxes not only tried his luck with high end advanced spiritual beasts, he also tried his hardest to gain contact with low level plants and still managed to fail miserably.

The one time he tried his luck with one of the lowest plants, he was embarrassed to helplessness when he failed even at that.

He infused all the tricks and knowledge he had absorbed over the years but it was all to no avail. His ineptitude mocked him louder than the voice of his peers. The poor guy just couldn't seem to catch a break.

"Damn it!" he muttered to himself.

"Why can't I get this right?!"

As he prepared to protest aloud some more, he heard an inaudible voice in his mind.

"The Infinite Symbiotic Evolution System (I.S.E.S) is activated!"