Apocalypse Transmigration - The Card Captor System

The infirmary remained in deep silence. Hilda looked between Leo, Lia, and the teenage girl standing beside her, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

”You...”

”...know each other?”

The girl gave a frantic nod.

”Yes, Teacher.”

”We grew up together.”

”We’re from the same orphanage.”

Hilda’s gaze softened.

”So that’s how it is...”

She left her questions unasked. Instead, she walked over to Lia, resting a hand against the girl’s forehead before checking her pulse. Lia sat tense on the bed while Hilda examined her. A few moments later, Hilda offered a warm smile.

”There’s nothing seriously wrong.”

”She simply pushed her body beyond its limits.”

”With enough food and proper rest, she’ll recover within a few days.”

The three children let out soft sighs of relief. Hilda turned her attention to Leo.

”Now it’s your turn.”

Leo took a seat on the examination bed without a word. Hilda unwrapped the bandages covering his upper body one layer at a time. The moment the cloth fell away, a heavy silence filled the room.

Layer upon layer of scars covered his body. Some were old, some had barely healed, and others had reopened just days ago. Even Selena, who had mentally prepared herself, covered her mouth in shock. Lia lowered her head, unable to bear the sight.

Hilda inspected every wound. Her brows knit together in concern.

”You’ve reopened nearly every injury I stitched together last week.”

She let out a defeated sigh.

”Leo...”

”You need to start taking care of your body.”

”If you continue abusing it like this...”

”There will come a day when even I won’t be able to repair the damage.”

Leo kept quiet. Seeing his familiar reaction, Hilda offered a bitter smile.

”I suppose talking to you is pointless.”

She applied fresh medicine over the reopened wounds before wrapping clean bandages around his chest and arms. After finishing, she changed the subject.

”Oh, right.”

”I almost forgot.”

”I heard about what happened with Dennis.”

Leo raised his eyes to meet hers. Hilda gave a faint smile.

”You don’t have to worry.”

”The Grand Elder has already made a decision.”

”Dennis has been removed from his position.”

”He’ll be sent away from the mountain for the time being.”

”He won’t be coming back anytime soon.”

Neither Leo nor the girls spoke. Hilda could tell Leo wasn’t the type to celebrate another person’s downfall. She continued,

”As for you two...”

She looked toward Leo and Lia.

”I’ll report to the instructor that both of you need complete rest.”

”Your injuries are severe enough to justify it.”

”So...”

”For the next week...”

”You’ll both remain here in the infirmary.”

A look of genuine surprise crossed Leo’s face. Selena’s eyes went wide.

”Teacher...”

”You mean...”

Hilda nodded with a soft smile.

”You three haven’t seen each other for months.”

”I think...”

”You deserve a little time together.”

For a moment, Selena just stared. Then, tears brimmed in her eyes.

”Teacher...”

”Thank you...”

”Thank you so much...”

She bowed over and over.

”Thank you...”

Hilda let out a soft laugh.

”Alright.”

”Alright.”

”There’s no need to thank me so many times.”

”I’m only doing what little I can.”

She looked at the three children with obvious affection.

”You’ve all suffered enough already.”

”I’ll leave you alone.”

”If you need anything...”

”Just call for me.”

With that, Hilda slipped out of the infirmary. The room fell silent. For a few moments, none of the three knew where to begin. Breaking the silence, Lia spoke.

”Big Sister...”

”I missed you...”

She threw herself into Selena’s arms. Selena held her close.

”I missed you too.”

The two sisters eased into conversation about everything that had happened over the past three months. Or rather, everything they were willing to discuss. Neither of them mentioned the nightmares they had witnessed. They ignored the punishments, the fear, and the intense loneliness. Instead, they talked about ordinary things, like the food, the dormitories, and the people they had met. They clung to the little moments that brought no pain. Even then, their voices would sometimes shake.

A while passed before Selena turned toward Leo.

”What about you?”

”How have you been?”

Leo gave his usual calm smile.

”My training has been a little tougher than yours.”

”But...”

”It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Selena looked at him in silence. She reached out. Her fingertips brushed across the bandages wrapped around his shoulder before tracing a path lower. Scar after scar, wound after wound, each mark told a story. She didn’t need Leo to explain a thing. His body had already said enough.

Her fingers shook against his skin. Tears gathered in her eyes. The truth washed over her. Among the three of them, Leo had suffered the most. Yet, he was also the one wearing the brightest smile.

Selena lowered her head, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall. She refused to expose his lie and chose not to ask any more questions. Instead, she held his hand. She treasured the warmth that proved they were together again.

The following week passed in greater peace than any of the three had imagined. For the first time since arriving at the Hall of Mercenaries, Leo avoided earning fresh wounds. Under Hilda’s orders, he remained in the infirmary to receive proper treatment each day. Whenever Hilda was busy tending to other patients, Selena took over the task. She changed his bandages each morning, applied medicine to his wounds, and made sure he drank every bowl of bitter herbal medicine without complaint.

Lia stayed by his side almost the entire time. The three of them chatted, played simple card games that Selena had made from scraps of paper, and shared stories from the orphanage. None of them spoke about the pain they had experienced over the past few months. It felt as though they had made an unspoken agreement to treasure the precious week, refusing to let dark memories taint the present.

For Leo, it was the happiest week he had experienced since arriving in this hell.

However, every moment of peace had to come to an end. Seven days later, Leo and Lia stood on the training grounds before dawn.

The familiar command echoed across the mountain.

”Run.”

The brutal routine resumed with the mountain paths, the endless climbing, the freezing wind, and the crushing exhaustion. Everything returned to normal.

When they reached the checkpoint where the stone-filled backpacks awaited them, Leo stepped toward Lia out of habit. Much to his surprise, one of the guards stopped him.

”You don’t need to.”

Leo frowned. The guard pointed toward Lia’s backpack. It was much smaller than the ones assigned to the other trainees. Even after lifting it onto her back, Lia staggered a bit before steadying herself. It was still heavy enough to make her struggle, but not so heavy that it would crush her.

Leo narrowed his eyes and looked toward the instructor standing in the distance. The man wore no expression, offering no explanation or acknowledgment. Leo picked up his own backpack without a word and continued climbing.

This time, neither of them failed. Although they reached the summit exhausted beyond words, both siblings completed the day’s training.

As the days passed, Leo noticed the same pattern repeating itself. Lia’s burden was always a bit lighter than everyone else’s. It was just enough for her to complete the task through sheer determination, but not enough to attract unwanted attention. Still, it was enough for Leo to notice.

His suspicion grew stronger. The higher-ups were making small, calculated adjustments. They did this not out of kindness, but because they did not want Lia to become an obstacle preventing his growth. Rather than making him resent them, the realization fueled Leo’s resolve.

If they valued him enough to bend the rules, then he would prove their judgment right. He would become stronger. He would be strong enough that no one could threaten the people precious to him. He needed to earn enough value so that Lia and Selena could one day live in peace. Perhaps, if he became too vital to lose, the two girls might even be allowed to leave this mountain behind and live the ordinary life they had once dreamed of.