Cleo Wate: a spunky and fashionable teenager who's main goals are to make life miserable for her many boyfriends and get her mom off her back. Her most recent breakup has been what she would consider successful, the relationship ending with her stealing his car and slamming a door in his face. To Cleo, it was all a massive and wildly funny prank, -- to see the worry and fear in his eyes practically sent her howling -- but her mom is tired of her rebellious behavior. What she doesn't realize, however, is that Cleo is done, as well. A heated argument between the two sends Cleo storming out of the house, determined to show that she can manage herself without her mom hounding her. Surprisingly, living on the streets goes fairly well until she finds herself alone in a dark alley, surrounded by sentient shadows. The next thing she knows, Cleo is thrown into a world of secrets and warfare: the world of Shadows.