Chapter 44: Repeating Memories

"It's just like the other vaults," Claire observed, looking at the glowing column and the knight statues. "But, I guess I expected something more."

"Yeah, there's no treasure here," Ben said.

"Just a lot of baubles and trinkets, I guess," Merula responded.

"But if you recall, nothing really happens until I touch the column," Claire recalled. "Maybe something will happen with this one."

As Claire reached for the column, though, she heard groaning noises behind her. Looking back, she saw Merula, Ben, and Jacob kneeling down on the floor as they were clutching their chests and having trouble breathing.

"Claire…," Jacob muttered.

Just then, Claire knelt down as her breath shortened. Feeling pain in her chest, she placed a hand over it and felt her breath grow shorter until she passed out. A moment later, she woke up and was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"Hello?" Claire called as she got up.

When she didn't hear anything, Claire took a step forward. Strangely, the ground was solid beneath her. So she walked around the darkness until she came upon Merula.

"Thank goodness you're here," Claire said as she approached Merula. "Where are the others?"

"You're a disgrace, Krystal, just like your brother!" Merula abruptly said.

"What?" Claire couldn't believe her ears.

"Your brother's missing, probably dead," Merula continued.

Immediately, Claire shook her head. "He was right with us, so I know that's not true!"

Then Merula disappeared, leaving Claire confused. Looking around, she saw another person appear. Only this time, it was Rakepick.

"You're obsessed with the Cursed Vaults too, just like me," Rakepick said.

"No, I'm not!" Claire snapped.

"Keep telling yourself that," replied Rakepick.

"Wait, you've said this before…."

"I was transported out of here against my will, so I had no choice but to leave Jacob behind," Rakepick continued. "But if I did have a choice, I would've left him to rot anyway. Now that you've outlived your usefulness, I'll kill you all now!"

Rakepick then cast Avada Kedavra towards Claire, which made her flinch. But when nothing happened, Claire looked around and saw Rowan lying dead at her feet.

"Oh, Rowan," Claire muttered, feeling tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…."

In an instant, Rowan vanished.

"No, Rowan!" Claire cried. "Come back!"

From there, Claire was subjected to seeing Merula and Rakepick repeating the same words over and over again. Though Claire rejected what they said each time, she still cried upon seeing Rowan falling dead. But each time Rowan vanished, Merula appeared and the cycle repeated itself again.

"This can't be real," Claire murmured. "I feel like I can't move."

Just then, Merula appeared out of the darkness and dragged Claire away. She was suddenly brought back in the cave, with Ben and Jacob standing together.

"Something happened when I touched the column, right?" Claire said, still feeling uneasy as Merula held her hand. "Did you experience the same thing I did?"

"If you mean relive the most painful memories of our lives, then yes," Merula said, letting go of Claire's hand.

"I kept seeing Rowan die," Ben said.

"So did I, though I barely knew her," Merula admitted.

"Yeah, I saw her die too," Claire responded.

"Did you see anything else?" Ben asked.

"Rakepick when she revealed her true motives in the Buried Vault, and Merula claiming that Jacob might be dead," Claire said.

"But you found me and brought me back," Jacob replied.

"Then it sounds like we kept experiencing the same painful memories on a repeating loop," Ben said. "And if we hadn't got out, we probably would've gone mad. Maybe…whoever built the vaults wasn't trying to keep people out, but keep something in."

"Yes," Claire agreed. "It was the effect that vault had on us."

"Meaning it wasn't a treasure we found in there, but a terrible curse," Merula realized.

"Exactly," Jacob nodded. "And it's a curse that shouldn't leave that room."

"It does make me wonder if 'R' knows what's inside the vault already," Claire wondered. "And if they know, what will they to do with the curse?"

"Probably something bad," Merula guessed.

"Regardless of what 'R' is planning, we need to reseal the vault," Ben insisted.

"How are we going to do that?" Claire asked.

A pair of footsteps echoed behind Ben, Jacob, and Merula. Claire immediately saw who it was.

"Rakepick!" Claire snapped, causing the others to see the familiar red-haired Witch behind them. "How did you get past Barnaby?"

"That big oaf?" Rakepick made a sharp laugh. "I didn't bother to engage him. But I must congratulate you four on finding the final Cursed Vault. Even you, Merula, though I doubted you would get this far."

Gritting her teeth, Merula said, "You used Crucio on me. Now let me return the favor! Cru—

"Mobilicorpus!" Rakepick recited.

In a split second, Merula was suspended in the air for a few seconds before falling down.

"Pathetic," Rakepick criticized.

"Get Merula to her feet, Claire," Jacob insisted as Ben took out his wand. "I can handle Rakepick, and I'm sure Ben can too."

While Claire used Episkey to heal any minor wounds Merula might've gotten during her fall, Ben and Jacob threw several spells at Rakepick. But Rakepick managed to block them all, using powerful spells to send Jacob and Ben flying across the cave floor.

"Looks like there's only two left," Rakepick remarked sarcastically.

"That's right, and we're going to end your life!" Merula snapped and began another spell. "Avada—

"Stupefy!" Rakepick said, causing Merula to be stunned from the blinding light. "And now you're the only one left, Krystal."

"How could you be so cruel?" Claire frowned. "You killed my first and best friend Rowan!"

"Is that her name?" Rakepick shrugged. "To be honest, I was trying to kill Mr. Copper. But it seems he grew more a spine this time around, unlike before when he was nothing but a sniveling coward."

"That's because Rowan sacrificed her life to save him," Claire said. "He was changed by that event, but not entirely for the better."

"Are you saying your friend should've let Copper die, then?" Rakepick questioned.

"You've caused nothing but pain, and you'll pay for that!"

"So it's a duel, then."

To be continued…