Chapter 12

KAIDA'S POV...

I immediately became tensed and anxious as I heard the loud thud of something or someone falling in front of my room.

I froze on my bed, contemplating whether I should go and check for who or what it was that had fallen in front of my door or if I should just mind my business.

In the end, curiosity got the best of me as I quietly brought my leg down to the floor and slowly tiptoed toward the door, careful not to make any sounds.

I reached the door and gently pressed my ear against it and was surprised to hear someone gasping in pain. Listening closer, I immediately recognized the voice as Axton's voice, he sounded as if he was trying to suppress whatever was causing him pain but the pain seemed to have been very unbearable.

I wondered what must have happened to Axton to cause him such pain, I thought of opening the door to see what was wrong with him, but I quickly decided against it and walked away from the door, but I suddenly paused at the center of the room, feeling guilty.

Axton had helped me more than twice, and now he seemed to be in need of my help but I was rather turning my back on him.

But, what if this was a set up?

I shook my head and threw out such thoughts. After some hesitation, I walked back to the door and gently opened the door a crack to peek outside.

I narrowed my eyes to focus on his figure and found him slumped against the wall; his hands that were clutching his head were slowly transforming into a beast's paw.

Fear gripped me, consuming me as my whole body immediately started to shake, my hair standing in utter shock. But, as I was about to bang the door and hide inside the room, I suddenly remembered that when had he saved me earlier, he seemed to have been fighting his transformation.

As I debate whether to go out or not. I watched him as he injected a serum into his arm. Immediately, his condition stabilized, and the beast's features receded.

I was still lost in the whole unbelievable process when I suddenly heard his voice speaking to me.

"What's keeping you awake?" Axton asked.

I was startled, and realized he had been aware of my presence beside him all along.

I thought he must have been uncomfortable for me seeing him like that, but he doesn't say any other thing, he weakly lowered his body, sitting on the floor.

I sigh quietly, feeling a pang in my heart, I felt a pang of sympathy for him and slowly opened the door.

I slowly opened the door wider and stepped out just in front of my door, narrowing my eyes as the wind carried the dusts around.

"Why are you outside?" I asked.

Axton sighed and placed the back of his head against the wall. "The men who evacuated the room you're sleeping in, I gave up my room for them," he replied

"Oh..." I finally realized why I could not find any of the squad members outside.

They were supposed to be the ones sleeping on the floor, but Axton had sacrificed by giving them his room and sleeping on the floor instead. Was he really that good of a leader?

With the sandstorms intensifying and cold wind seeping in, I couldn't leave him to sleep on the cold hard floor, also considering that he had also sacrificed his room for the squad members who had given up their room for me. So, in way, he was in this situation because of me, leaving him out here wasn't an option.

I stepped aside from the reluctantly invite him in. "You can come inside, the sandstorm seems to be getting stronger," I spoke softly.

Axton looked at me for a second before nodding.

I watched him wince as he stood, walking toward the door and I instinctively step back into the room, holding the door for him as he walked into the room.

I quickly closed the door, bolting it and hurried over to the bed.

"I've let you in, just...don't cross the boundaries..." I warned him, hoping I sounded threatening enough.

Axton didn't say anything to my warning, he simply moved to the side and lowered himself beside the door.

His silence was a bit unsettling making me on edge as warily studied his every movement, I was ready to watch him till dawn for the sake of my safety.

I saw a look of amusement cross his eyes, it looked like he found my cautiousness amusing, but I didn't mind him. He could find me amusing as much as he liked, all I knew was that my safety came first.

Axton propped one of his legs up and placed his hand on his knee and suddenly spoke to me.

"Do you think there is hope for us?" He asked me, his voice laid back for the first time.

I frowned slightly, not knowing how to respond as I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Hope?" I questioned slowly.

"For us, humans. I think there's not." He shook his head gently.

"Oh," I finally understood what he was talking about.

The virus that had polluted the earth...was there really no hope for us?

"It's an irreversible genetic pollution in humans, every single person walking the surface of the earth is a carrier," he chuckked quietly, his face unreadable.

I was quiet, staring and observing him, "I carry the jaguar genes. A feline, I know you're curious about my paws earlier, do that's it. That was my genes trying to beastify me," he explained calmy, as if he was talking about the weather.

Now that he mentioned it, I remembered I had seen him injecting something into his arm, I got curious and wanted to know what it was.

"The liquid you had injected into your arm, is it related to your beastification?" I questioned cautiously, not sure if he would appreciate my question.

Axton nodded proudly at me, "Yes, I use the substance to suppress transformation, but, unfortunately, long-term use leads to resistance. So, I'm just biding my time, until my gene beastifies me," he looked indifferent as if he was casually as talking about the whether and not about something that was about to destroy.

But, I knew, I knew he must hurting inside, after all, which human would like to turn into a beast? I believed that years of experience and practice had thought him to mask his emotions, pain especially.

Axton saw me looking at him and regarded me like an unknown specimen. "Women are different though, their genes are more stable, and they have the privilege to fight the virus quite longer than us men. But as you already, women are extremely rare worldwide, dying from the harsh living standard the environment provided," he informed, not taking his eyes off me.

"Yes... that's true," I replied.

I knew very well about how women's number on earth dwindled to nothing.

Axton nodded, raising his other leg and shifting to a more comfortable position.

"I hear words about some kind of hope," he said.

I frowned at him, didn't he just say there was no hope for humanity before?

"What hope?" I questioned.

"A small number of men have evolved some kind of purification abilities, known as 'Lights of Hope.'" He informed me.

This was the first time I heard about that term.

"How does this purification work?" I asked, changing my position by lying on my side, ready to listen to his explanation.

What was the 'LIGHT OF HOPE' all about?