A Broken Spell

In Triss's hideout, Mikael was sitting on a chair, herbs and magical circles surrounding him, hitting his nostrils with a bunch of weird smells. Meanwhile, Triss was drawing the magic circles with chalk, trying to figure out what to do.

"Is this really necessary?" Mikael sighed.

"It is." she said casually as she kept drawing. "It's part of the spell, so don't disturb me Mikael."

Mikael then looked at the corner of the room, where Miquella was sitting casually in the corner, he gave the boy a look, which the boy spoke.

"Half truth," he said. "She's trying to do something else beneath the remembrance spell."

Mikael frowned, he then stared at Triss, and spoke sternly. "Tell me the whole truth Triss, I know you're hiding something."

Triss stopped drawing, and she looked at Mikael. "What are you talking about?"

"You're doing something behind those drawings." Mikael insisted. "Tell me Triss, or I swear to whatever god there is…"

Mikael stood up and quickly pulled his sword, pointing it at Triss.

Triss raised her hands, dropping the chalk to the ground. "Okay, okay, calm down. I was just curious about you."

"Curious?"

"You see… What are you Mikael?" she questioned. "A source? A new creature that hasn't been recorded? The ability to control decay and rot isn't exactly the most friendly power…"

"So what are you doing right now?"

"I'm checking." she continued. "Whether or not you're possessed o-or you're a vampire–"

"I'm clearly not a vampire." Mikael rolled his eyes.

"Well. I'm just trying to make sure." she said. "Could you put down the sword now?"

Mikael raised his eyebrow, and sheathed his sword back, sitting on the chair again. "If you tried something else, I–"

"I know, I know… sorry for not saying anything…" Triss murmured in guilt. "Just… a habit…"

Mikael hummed, and Triss continued to draw. As she draws, Mikael starts another conversation that doesn't involve the spell at all.

"I never asked… but… how is your 'money collecting' so far… I'm your bodyguard but… never really know about your situation…"

"It's not going well to be honest…" she sighed sadly. "The witch hunters just kept pressuring us… burning mages left and right… especially after the incident at the dock…"

"Sorry…"

"Not your fault." she reassured. "It's just the way things are, every little 'freak incident' as they called it, will push down the burning faster, to put pressure on the perpetrator…"

"Yeah… I kind of feel bad about it… I mean, they don't even see my face… yet other mages suffer because of me…"

"They call you 'The Horseman of Death' now, you know that?" Triss chuckled. "After the Horseman of War north, now comes the Horseman of Death, what's next? Pestilence?"

"I still don't get why they call me a 'horseman'..." Mikael also chuckled. "I mean… I don't even have a horse…"

"True…" Triss hummed as she finished drawing the circles. She then stood up in front of Mikael.

"It's done." she said. "You ready?"

"Okay… what do I need to do?"

"Nothing." Triss confirmed. "Just relax… it won't hurt, I promise."

"I'm not a child Triss." Mikael rolled his eyes.

Triss ignored his words, and her hands started to glow white. She spoke Elder Speech, which Mikael didn't understand at first, but, as she kept repeating it, Mikael weirdly sort of understood it.

"Remember." Triss spoke in the Elder Speech. "Remember, for it is his right to know!"

She repeated it again and again. The circle started to glow, and Mikael started to dizzy. But then, something happened. The spell just… stopped.

"Wait what?" Triss questioned herself. "No… that can't be…"

"What do you mean? What happened?" Mikael questioned in confusion.

"Mikael…" Triss sighed. "You… have no memories at all…"

—

"What's the meaning of this Miquella!?" Mikael shouted angrily to the corner of the room, not caring about the existence of the boy anymore. "You said I have a past!"

"I assure you Mikael," said Miquella with no expression whatsoever. "You have."

"You heard her!" Mikael roared. "You're lying Miquella! You never told me anything!"

"It is true that the spell failed–"

"You think?!"

"Calm down boy." Miquella warned. "I am not finished talking."

"Oh please, then continue." Mikael spat.

Miquella sighed. "She chose the wrong spell."

"What?"

"What she used on you was a spell meant for the body, not for the soul." Miquella spoke. "Now what did I tell you?"

"That this is not my original body…" he murmured.

Miquella nodded. "You need a spell that can make the soul remember, not the body."

"Fine." Mikael grumbled. He turned to Triss, who was looking at him weirdly the whole time, shouting at nothing. "Triss, do you know a spell that can make a soul remember?"

"W-What?" Triss stammered. "N-No.. I'm not Yennefer.. I don't delve into black magic…"

Mikael frowned, and turned to Miquella again. "Know one?" he questioned impatiently.

Miquella nodded. "Tell her," he spoke. "Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitah wrebme mer."

"What?"

"Just tell her." Miquella repeated. "Do it in the same way as before."

Mikael nodded. He walked towards the chair in the middle of the circle, and spoke to Triss, who was confused as hell.

"Triss, repeat after me."

"What?"

"Just do it." he said, making Triss stand in front of him again.

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitahw rebme mer."

"What's that language?" questioned Triss in confusion.

"Don't ask questions, just do it." Mikael insisted.

Triss just relented, and she used the incantation. She kept repeating it again and again, and soon enough, her hands started to glow golden, she was surprised by it, but she just continued.

Her voice echoed throughout the room, like multiple people spoke.

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitahw rebme mer."

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitahw rebme mer."

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitahw rebme mer."

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof…..

She kept repeating it again and again, but then, something happened, the voice changed, Triss didn't speak it herself, but the echo spoke another word, slowly but surely.

"Efily mot terces ehtsi tahtrof, nettogrof evahitahw rebme mer…"

"rebmemeR tahw I evah nettogrof, rof taht si eht terces ot ym efil…"

"Remember what I have forgotten, for that is the secret to my life…"

Mikael's eyes then suddenly rolled back, which made Triss more determined, as it was working. She kept repeating again and again.

And eventually, Mikael passed out, dropped to the ground like a doll with no bones.