Valkyrie woke up from a deep sleep. She hadn't slept so well since she and Skulduggery defeated Vengeous and destroyed the Grotesquery. She had worries all over her mind and she knew it wouldn't be peace for much longer. She glanced at the side of her bed and jumped out immediately.

The alarm clock at the bedside read 11:32.

No wonder she had slept so well. She dragged herself out of bed and went to washed herself. Why hadn't her alarm go off? And why hadn't Skulduggery called her? She went back to her bedroom, questions buzzing her mind. She dropped to the floor to find her dark clothes under her bed. She wore them on her investigations with Skulduggery Pleasant, and Ghastly Bespoke, a close friend had made them especially for her. But now they were missing.

She frowned and cursed out loud.

"Where are they?" she started to panic, wandering if her parents had found them. But why would they? She had left them last night there, underneath her bed safe. Her parents couldn't have wandered in and found them without waking her?

She started to pace, thinking about the night before. It had been a long and tiring day. Fighting escaped Ogres and all sorts. But she was sure she had left them there.

She glanced up, and gasped in horror.

She faced her body long wardrobe mirror and inside it was blank. Well, it wasn't totally blank; it reflected the room as it should. But what it didn't do was reflect her.

A terrible squirm twisted in Valkyrie's stomach.

Her reflection had gone.

Valkyrie worked out the impossible facts. Her reflection had taken her place. Took her black clothes and gone off to Skulduggery in Valkyrie's role. Skulduggery would foolishly think she was the real Valkyrie and they would go off together.

Valkyrie remembered all the warnings Skulduggery had said. But Valkyrie had selfishly ignored them. Now Valkyrie knew the consequences of her actions. She thought about the reflection. She remembered when she had stared at the double of her. How it didn't seem to be a 2D version of her. That it had feelings.

Valkyrie sighed. It looks like she was going to have a long day.