[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-becoming-a-god-through-horror":3,"chapter-becoming-a-god-through-horror-becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-110":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Becoming a God Through Horror",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273653,4441,"Chapter 110: Maria's Awakening: The Mirror Person","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-110",110,"\u003Cp>Amid their laughter, the voices seemed to grow louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go on, don’t be afraid—break their legs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a clear voice sounded in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dam holding back her reason collapsed outright; Maria suddenly reached out and slapped the girl across the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud slap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the four could react, Maria twisted the girl’s finger backward with her other hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scream echoed through the entire alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria stared at the others, the finger in her hand bent, her lips slightly curled upward, her gaze utterly transformed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant, Maria’s eyes reverted to their former timidity. “Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria screamed and let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fearful expression seemed to tell everyone she was the one being bullied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who was truly injured?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the other three girls fell silent, save for the one clutching her finger and wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bitch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, an oath shattered the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dared hit Caleigh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden kick sent Maria sprawling; seeing her lose that fierce edge, the three regained their courage and launched a barrage of punches and kicks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, American alleyway literature is just this? Drag someone in and beat them up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“American bullying shouldn’t be: Guess who wasn’t invited to the party today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really lowering yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden voice froze all four in place; they looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis and Emma stood with arms crossed, heads tilted slightly, looking down with disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their movements were eerily synchronized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radiating an inexplicable air of contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emma! This isn’t school, you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish, a black barrel pressed firmly against her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emma stared coldly at the girl, crouched slightly, and pinched her face, shaking it. “I warned you. But you didn’t listen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what use is this head?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Emma spoke, she pulled a silencer from her pocket and began attaching it to the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis watched beside her, grinning, with no intention of helping Maria. Coming to intervene was already a favor based on a childhood acquaintance; comforting her? Louis had no interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to watch the show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me say it again: I, Louis, love watching women fight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Emma start to attach the silencer, all four were terrified. America didn’t ban guns, but schools forbade them! How did she get it in?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, in the four’s terrified gazes, Emma aimed at the leader’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her legs trembled violently; her whole body shook. She choked out a whisper: “Help…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Maria, now standing from the ground, stared in shock—but for some reason, a restless urge stirred within her, urging her forward: take the gun, kill all four yourself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone closed their eyes in that instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing scream filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drip… drip…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No heavy body fell. Instead, a soft patter of dripping water sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they opened their eyes, the leader girl was unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emma blew on the barrel, smiling as she mimicked several gunshots: “Bang! Bang! Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader girl’s legs trembled again, then collapsed, soaked in her own urine, sobbing uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. Coward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emma holstered the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis walked over and nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, I remember when you were little, you used to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emma’s eyebrow twitched violently; the humiliating memory of being scared into peeing her pants by Louis flooded her mind. Furious, she raised her foot to kick him—then hesitated, cowed again. She couldn’t touch him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Maria, still standing there dazed. “What? You planning to get beaten again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words jolted Maria from her strange euphoria; she hurried past the four girls and approached Louis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… long time no see. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. So you finally dare to recognize me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria blushed. “Sorry. Madison’s a little scared of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? You’re not scared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Louis, Maria could no longer suppress her impulse. “Can I follow you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whatever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis looked at this “friend of Madison,” gave that reply, and walked off immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria pondered what “whatever” meant—approval or rejection?—but her legs moved on their own, following him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the alley, the three stunned girls helped the crying one up, stumbling away in disgrace. Next, they’d likely transfer schools—or even report to police or parents?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of background did a student have, to bring a gun into Lakeview High, a prestigious private school?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t stupid. They knew what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria bounced home, unusually lively; she held her head slightly high, her beautiful hair no longer hiding her face, radiating a rare burst of youthful energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother, preparing dinner, stared in surprise. “Oh, Maria, you seem in good spirits today. Care to tell me why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria smiled. “Today I met two new… friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When saying “friends,” Maria paused instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her mother didn’t notice; she only stared at her daughter, stunned, then beamed with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, my dear Maria, you’re doing well at school at last. Finally, some change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Change? There’s been some—but not enough.” A man’s voice spoke from beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A serious middle-aged man sat on a chair, reading a newspaper. His gaze toward Maria was flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maria, I told you to mind your appearance. Look at your hair—how messy! Go upstairs and fix it now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was calm yet forceful, brooking no refusal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s mood plummeted from the clouds. She glanced pleadingly at her mother—but her mother remained silent, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria bit her lip. “Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She climbed the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family sat at the dinner table. The mother brought up something. “Maria, I remember your school has a skating competition next month—with figure skating, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Figure skating? I recall your father once did cosmetic surgery for a professional figure skater. Maybe we could…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria cut in indifferently. “No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maria, you don’t even know what I was going to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say it. Better not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother smiled awkwardly. “Alright, since you don’t want to hear—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, she’ll listen.” Her father wiped his mouth slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know your mother’s trying to help you, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The father’s tone grew firmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s spirit crushed. She opened her mouth. “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her father’s signal, Mother resumed planning Maria’s next ice skating competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Maria went upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Downstairs, the topic of her barely had time to fade before it began again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think she needs time to peek out from her shell,” Mother said, sorrowful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that’s just her nature—solitary, gloomy, insecure, timid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She doesn’t even have friends,” Father said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, she does—she has Madison, and a new friend, Lily. When she came home tonight, she said she made two new friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, as far as I know, she’s never even spoken to a boy. New friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we do?” Mother seemed to agree with Father’s view—well, she didn’t truly believe her daughter could make so many new friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It doesn’t matter. Her insecurity stems only from her imperfection. When she grows older and her facial bones settle, I’ll intervene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll give her plastic surgery—carve her a face like an angel’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father’s fingers twitched slightly, as if lost in the thrill of wielding a scalpel, crafting art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Mother… actually accepted it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upstairs, Maria had heard it all—from start to finish. No, rather, her parents hadn’t even tried to hide it. Her eyes welled with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Madison, she was truly more pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria stumbled back into the room, stared into the mirror, touched her face. Could I really be that ugly? Is everything because I’m ugly? Would plastic surgery make me popular?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a daze, she caught sight of a photo tucked in the mirror’s seam. She pulled it out—it was a twin ultrasound image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twins? The patient’s name is Mom’s…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I have a sister? Or a brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria was stunned. She never knew she had a sibling. If—if she really did have a sister, and they’d grown up together… would everything be different now? Would she not be like this? At the very least, when she was heartbroken, she could have a warm embrace to cry in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only she truly existed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a sharp pain stabbed her mind—the faint, distant voices from schoolyard bullying returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shook her head, forcing herself awake, and stepped into the bathroom. Perhaps she needed to vent a little to recover her composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soaking in the bathtub, Maria stared blankly, recalling everything that had happened today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All her bad luck seemed to have ended today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When her memory paused at Emma raising the gun and Louis’s indifference, it froze like a masterpiece—mesmerizing, mad, exhilarating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emma’s reckless freedom. Louis’s lofty detachment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s breathing quickened; her cheeks flushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it ended,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria felt drained, her gaze vacant, a sweet, light relief making her lips curl slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life always finds a way out. When pressure mounts, certain instincts awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, not just that one awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the mirror beside the bathroom, a figure watched her coldly, a beautiful smile—restrained, unreadable—lingering on its lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Maria rose and wrapped herself in a robe, her peripheral vision caught the mirror—and she froze. Had she just seen a shadow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trembling, she wiped the steam from the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure stood inside it—strikingly like her, but with lips curled in wild, arrogant triumph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maria, what are you afraid of?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was familiar—it was the one inside her mind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria instinctively turned to find her parents, but the figure in the mirror spoke: “Don’t you want to become someone like Emma and Louis?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really want plastic surgery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still want to be a leaf—ignored, mocked?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you want to turn your fantasy just now into reality?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each word struck her soul, each one voicing her hidden desires, her suppressed longings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s breath came fast. Finally, her steps halted. She stared at the figure so like herself: “Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me? I’m your sister~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can call me Ailan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister? Soul? Ailan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A string of terms flashed through Maria’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why help me? Can you really help me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. I’m your sister—I naturally will. As for whether I can help you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ailan burst into laughter. The bathroom light flickered violently, dimming and brightening erratically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember the slap this afternoon? Wasn’t it satisfying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on—I’ll fulfill every one of your desires~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Family~ School~ Boyfriend~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll become the people in your dreams.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria stepped forward slowly. For some reason, every word Ailan spoke felt true. Ailan was right—she wanted change. She wanted to feel that… satisfaction from this afternoon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her forehead pressed against the cold mirror. The two merged. Maria’s eyes, once filled with self-loathing, shifted slightly—a shadow deepened within them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mirror shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria collapsed into the bathtub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From start to finish, she had never left the tub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all seemed like a fantasy—but the broken mirror was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Mother rushed in upon hearing the noise and woke her, Maria was calm. She said she’d simply fallen asleep, and had no idea why the mirror had broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She returned to her room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lay on her bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Began talking with Ailan—though mostly Ailan spoke, and Maria only interjected occasionally. Even so, she felt as if she’d gained a new friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for some reason, facing Ailan felt like facing another version of herself—she trusted her completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps she truly was her sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know that, at this very moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her long-suppressed brain tissue and thought patterns were beginning to subtly shift—like dissociative identity disorder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, she felt tomorrow would be a good day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1936,"2026-06-19T23:34:28.869Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f4a6b4d1035ef43641e9e58215f88940d57f40b8a184e9b2a2cb89e096febb30","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-111","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-109",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecoming-a-god-through-horror-cover.jpg"]