Chapter 20: A Vegetable and the Mafia

The silence that followed the Bakunawa's demise was profound. The roar of the serpent, the clash of celestial powers, the screams of the villagers – all were replaced by an eerie stillness, broken only by the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. The blue moon, its celestial task fulfilled, began to fade, its light dimming as the first rays of dawn, now a few hours stronger, touched the horizon.

Apo Malyari's form, the divine essence that had possessed Antoinette, began to recede. The celestial light that had enveloped her body dissipated, leaving Antoinette's form still and unconscious. 

(Flashback - Before the Battle)

The moment the goddess's essence fully claimed Antoinette's form, Ethan's soul was gently, yet irrevocably, ejected. He witnessed, in slow, ethereal motion, the celestial being, the goddess, settling within Antoinette's body.

"Descendant," the goddess spoke, her voice resonating with ancient power, "warrior of blood and destined vessel, I perceived this form as your own. Why do you exist without a corporeal shell?"

"I... I do not know," Ethan replied, his voice a faint echo in the vastness. "I believe I was slain in my own world."

"A misapprehension," the goddess corrected, her luminous eyes unwavering. "You merely borrowed this form. The true owner, however, is adrift, lost to the abyss, unaware of their displacement."

"I... I am alive?" Ethan exclaimed, a flicker of incredulity in his tone. He instinctively recoiled, then offered a gesture of apology for his outburst.

"I shall now command this vessel," the goddess declared, a serene smile gracing her lips.

"I perceive," she continued, her gaze softening. "You did not arrive by chance. You inhabit the body of the first vessel, awakened after centuries of slumber. This being is your ancestor. You are of this world, child. The realm you inhabited was not meant as a permanent abode, but a safeguard, a bulwark against the Bakunawa's consuming darkness. Yet, the serpent came here, seeking to extinguish my light and that of my brethren."

"Descendant," she intoned, her voice imbued with a gentle authority, "the questions that plague your mind shall find their answers upon your return. Seek the one who harmed you in your prior existence. They hold the key to your journey."

With a surge of celestial energy, the goddess propelled Ethan's soul through a shimmering rift, sending him hurtling back to his own reality.

Simultaneously, miles away, in a sterile hospital room, Ethan Perez's body convulsed. His eyes snapped open, wide with shock and confusion. He tried to move, but his limbs remained unresponsive, heavy and numb.

What the hell? Ethan thought, his mind racing. Why can't I move?

He tried to speak, but his vocal cords wouldn't obey. Damn it! What happened? I feel like I just woke up, but... how long was I out?

He let out a string of curses in his mind, the sterile white walls of the hospital room seeming to mock his helplessness. The nurses, startled by the sudden change in his vital signs, rushed into the room, their faces filled with concern.

"Doctor Reyes! He's awake!" one of the nurses yelled, her voice urgent.

Another nurse tried to calm Ethan. "Mr. Perez, we've called the doctor. I am glad you are now awake, you have been shot in the chest and thankfully the bullet didn't reached your heart and the bullet wound from your head miraculously, we thought you would die but you didn't."

A moment later, a man in a white coat, Dr. Reyes, entered the room, his expression serious. He examined Ethan's vitals, his eyes scanning the monitors.

"Mr. Perez," he said, his voice calm and professional. "You've been unconscious for two weeks. Two weeks of critical care. You were shot in the chest, and the bullet narrowly missed your heart. We also had to treat a severe head wound. It's… remarkable that you've recovered."

Two weeks? Ethan thought, his mind reeling. Two weeks… that's exactly how long I was… Antoinette.

Shot? Right… the shooting. But then… wasn't I... in another world, as a girl? And was it just me, or was that a time slip? He thought, his brow furrowed. It's strange… the time I was Antoinette seems to align perfectly with the time I was unconscious here. It's like… two realities overlapping.

He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his mind. He had been so focused on solving everyone else's problems, playing the reluctant hero, that he had forgotten his own. Who shot me? And why?

Then, the goddess's words echoed in his mind. Seek the one who harmed you in your prior existence. They hold the key to your journey.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. My journey? What does that even mean? He thought. But… if I was sent back for a reason, then I need to find whoever shot me. I need answers.

(Present - After the Battle)

Back in Seabarrow, after the Bakunawa's defeat, Antoinette remained unconscious, her body still bearing the residual effects of the goddess's power. The Keeper of the Moon watched over her, her silver eyes filled with concern. She knew that the goddess's presence had left Antoinette's mind vulnerable, her memories fragmented.

However, the reality was far grimmer. Antoinette's body was in a vegetative state. Her breathing was shallow and erratic, her heart barely beating. The moment the goddess took full control, Antoinette's soul had been displaced, leaving her body a mere shell.

The Keeper of the Moon, who had been anxiously monitoring Antoinette's condition, let out a sharp cry. "Antoinette!"

She rushed to Antoinette's side, her silver eyes wide with terror. She pressed her fingers to Antoinette's neck, searching for a pulse, but found only a faint, erratic rhythm. Her hands trembled as she placed them over Antoinette's unmoving chest.

"No… no, this cannot be," she whispered, her voice thick with panic. "What has happened?"

The villagers, who had been preparing for the impending battle against the Bakunawa, turned in alarm at the Keeper's cry. A wave of dread washed over them as they saw Antoinette's lifeless form.

King Theodore, who had just arrived with his knights, pushed his way through the gathering crowd, his face etched with worry. He had sensed the growing unease among his people, and his concern for Antoinette had driven him to this perilous journey.

"What is wrong?" he demanded, his voice hoarse with fear. He knelt beside Antoinette, his gaze fixed on her pale face. "What has happened to my daughter?"

The Keeper looked up at the king, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She is… she is not breathing," she said, her voice trembling. "Her soul… it is gone. The goddess… she has taken her completely."

A collective gasp swept through the villagers. The air crackled with fear and uncertainty. The hope they had clung to, the belief that Antoinette, the Moon Goddess's vessel, could save them, seemed to flicker and die.

The King, his face a mask of grief and despair, reached out and gently cradled Antoinette's lifeless hand. "No," he whispered, his voice broken. "Not my Antoinette."

The cat, the celestial tiger now reduced to its smaller form, nudged Antoinette's hand, a soft meow escaping its throat. It was as if even the animal sensed the absence of the soul that had once inhabited the body.

The Keeper of the Moon, fighting back tears, stood, her gaze hardening. "We must focus," she said, her voice firm, despite the tremor. "The Bakunawa still comes. We must honor her sacrifice, and fight."

Despite the fear and grief, a grim determination settled over the villagers. They knew they were facing a monstrous foe, and they knew they had lost their protector. But they also knew they had to fight, for Antoinette, for Seabarrow, for themselves.

After the battle, Antoinette's body remained in the same state, a vessel without a soul. The Keeper of the Moon, though victorious against the Bakunawa, now faced a new, heartbreaking challenge: to find a way to restore Antoinette's soul and bring her back from the abyss.