No. No, that was the last thing Valkyrie wanted. Yes, her father could probably do magic, but that didn't mean he should. And if he thought it was the only way he could properly keep an eye on Valkyrie, or the only way he thought he could get involved, help to keep her safe, then... well, he had a long history of jumping recklessly into things without thinking.

Then again, he constantly surprised Valkyrie whenever the subject of Gordon's cult came up. Maybe he'd just be angry.

Maybe he'd be something worse.

Valkyrie flinched at her mother's tone. "I was just... I didn't want to worry you, that's all." Her voice had grown very small. "I thought you'd want to stop me."

"When have you had time?" her dad jumped in before Valkyrie could feel too sorry for herself. "You come home every day right after school, you spend most of your time locked away in your room doing homework..."

Valkyrie didn't realise it until right at that moment, but it wasn't the revelation of magic that had been worrying her. It was this. It was the reflection. It was explaining to her parents that not only did she hide the truth for three years, but she actively lied. And it wasn't even her doing the active lying. It was a soulless shell created by magic.

But if she didn't do it now, she never would.

Valkyrie swallowed down some water before speaking. "It's called a reflection," she started slowly. "It's a... copy. Of me. It... is me, basically, a reflection of me from the wardrobe mirror in my room brought to life. When I need it to, it can pretend to be me."

She slowly sped up as she talked until she was practically tripping over her own tongue to try and get the words out.