Kaelen's fists moved like lightning.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
He finished the combo with a heavy palm strike to Jaxon's chest.
Jaxon flew backward and hit the ground hard. He didn't get up.
Suddenly, Kaelen saw something terrifying.
A blurry White Face floated out of Jaxon's head. It looked like a ghost made of smoke. It flew quickly into the crowd and dived into a woman's body. Then, it disappeared.
Kaelen shivered. What was that?
"Kaelen! Are you okay?" Dorian ran over, looking scared. "We need to leave! Walking is too dangerous. Let's take the carriage!"
Kaelen didn't answer immediately. He touched the jade pendant on his belt.
That guard wasn't a traitor, Kaelen realized. He was possessed. That White Face spirit controlled him.
On the ground, Jaxon groaned and opened his eyes. He looked confused.
"What... what happened?" Jaxon rubbed his head. "Why am I on the ground?"
The other loyal guards pointed their swords at him. "Jaxon! Are you crazy? You just tried to kill the Young Lord!"
"What?!" Jaxon's face went pale. "No! I would never! That's impossible!"
"We all saw it!" a guard shouted.
"Enough," Kaelen commanded.
Everyone went quiet.
"Jaxon was sick," Kaelen lied. "He didn't know what he was doing. Listen to me: When we get back to the Vane estate, no one talks about this. Understand?"
"Yes, Young Lord!" the guards bowed.
Kaelen knew the White Face spirit was dangerous. If people knew he saw it, the spirit might come back for him. It was better to keep it a secret.
Kaelen and Dorian climbed into Dorian's luxury carriage.
It was safe inside. Kaelen relaxed. Even if the maid inside was possessed, he could handle a girl.
As the carriage rolled toward the Southsmoke Treasure House, Dorian stared at Kaelen.
"Kaelen... since when do you know Kung Fu?" Dorian asked. "You just beat up a trained guard!"
"Don't ask," Kaelen said, looking out the window. "I've been practicing."
He changed the subject. "Hey, Dorian. Did you hear about the Blackwood Family?"
Dorian's eyes lit up. He loved gossip.
"Oh, you mean Lucas Blackwood?" Dorian whispered. "The guy who loves dogs more than girls?"
"Yeah, him."
"It's true," Dorian nodded. "He went into Shadow Lane at night. Poof. Gone. Vanished."
"Is Shadow Lane really that scary?" Kaelen asked.
"Scary?" Dorian widened his eyes. "It's a death trap! During the day, nobody goes there. At night, if you go in, you don't come out. The City Mayor sent monks and wizards to fix it, but they all disappeared too."
Kaelen sighed. "This world is not safe."
The carriage stopped. They had arrived at the Southsmoke Treasure House.
It was a beautiful three-story building. It was painted black and white, looking very fancy and artistic.
Inside, it was crowded with rich guests.
A young man in a white robe with gold trim walked over. He was smiling. This was Darius Drake, Dorian's older brother.
"Kaelen! You finally showed up!" Darius laughed. "If the Young Lord of the Vane Family didn't come, my opening day would be a failure."
"Congrats, Darius," Kaelen smiled. "I promised I would come. But if your treasures are boring, I'm leaving."
"Hah! Impossible," Darius patted his chest. "If you don't see something you like, I will close the shop forever."
Darius led them past the first floor. "The first floor is for normal people. Let's go to the second floor. That's where the good stuff is."
They walked up the stairs.
"Darius, where did you get all this stuff?" Kaelen asked.
"I traveled far," Darius said proudly. "To the Western Canyons, the Borderlands, and the ancient Ruins of Luran."
Kaelen was impressed. Those places were thousands of miles away and full of bandits. Darius was brave.
Darius walked to a red wooden cabinet. "Check this out. I bought it from the Iron-Gear Clan in the Western Canyons."
He opened the cabinet doors.
Kaelen and Dorian gasped. They stepped back in fear.
Inside the cabinet stood a woman.
She was wearing a red wedding dress and a golden crown. Her skin was pale white, and her lips were blood red. Her eyes were closed, and her hands rested on her stomach.
She looked dead. Or like a zombie.
"Brother..." Dorian stuttered. "Is... is she alive?"
"Don't be stupid," Darius laughed. "Why would I sell a dead body?"
"Then what is it?" Kaelen asked.
"Watch."
Darius reached out, grabbed the woman's head, and twist.
Crack!
He pulled the head right off her shoulders.
"Whoa!" Kaelen and Dorian jumped back.
"Relax," Darius tapped the woman's forehead. Clack, clack.
It sounded like wood.
"It's a puppet," Darius explained. "The Iron-Gear Clan is famous for three things: Poison, Hidden Weapons, and Mechanisms. This is a Mechanism Puppet. It looks real, but it's made of wood and metal."
He put the head back on.
"Normally, these puppets can fight and move," Darius said. "But this one is broken. The gears inside were removed. Now, it's just a statue for decoration."
"Boring," Kaelen said. "If it can't move, it's just a big doll."
But Dorian looked worried. He stared at the creepy puppet.
"Brother," Dorian whispered. "Are you sure it's not real? It looks... too realistic."