Voidrak

Chapter One — The Dragon Who Was Hungry

The Wounded City was one of the most remote cities in the Radagon Empire.

A border city that had spent years dealing with war, crime, and demon attacks. The old city walls still carried the scars of the past, while soldiers constantly guarded the gates and main streets.

But that day, the city felt different.

The shops were closed.

The marketplace was empty.

And most of the people had stayed inside their homes.

On one of the quiet streets, a strange man walked slowly through the city.

No one knew him.

He wore simple clothes and carried no weapon or anything unusual.

His face was calm—so calm that it seemed as though nothing around him mattered.

Although there was one thing that was bothering him.

Hunger.

The man placed a hand on his stomach and muttered,

“I think I'm starving to death.”

He had been walking around the city for hours.

Every restaurant he had found was closed.

Every shop he had passed had its shutters down.

He hadn't even managed to find a bakery where he could buy something to eat.

The man sighed and stared down the empty street.

“What a strange city...”

Just then, a faint light caught his attention.

He narrowed his eyes.

Among the dark buildings, he spotted a sign hanging above a door.

Mitra's Bar

The man's eyes lit up.

“A bar?”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Finally.”

Without thinking twice, he headed toward the building.

He opened the door.

Ding.

A small bell hanging above the entrance rang.

Warm air mixed with the smell of freshly cooked food.

A few customers were sitting around the bar.

Behind the counter, a young woman was preparing food.

Her blue hair was tied behind her head, and her blue eyes were focused on the food cooking over the stove.

When she heard the bell, she looked up.

Her eyes met the stranger's.

The man said nothing.

He simply stared at the food on the tables.

The look in his eyes was so obvious that there was no need to ask.

Mitra understood immediately.

This man...

was extremely hungry.

Without asking a question, Mitra picked up a plate full of food and placed it in front of him.

“Eat.”

The man stared at the plate for a few seconds.

Then he looked at Mitra.

“This... is for me?”

Mitra answered simply,

“Obviously.”

The man smiled.

“Thank you.”

He started eating slowly at first.

But it didn't take more than a few seconds for him to speed up.

Mitra watched him in surprise.

“Slow down. Nobody's going to steal your food.”

The man stopped for a moment.

“Sorry... I was really hungry.”

Mitra smiled.

“I noticed.”

The man went back to eating.

A few minutes later, the plate was completely empty.

Not even a single piece of food remained.

The man took a deep breath.

For the first time since entering the bar, he looked completely relaxed.

“That was really good.”

Mitra smiled.

“I'm glad you liked it.”

The man remained silent for a moment.

Then he asked,

“Can I know your name?”

Mitra looked slightly surprised.

“Mitra.”

The man quietly repeated the name.

“Mitra...”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“That's a beautiful name.”

Mitra replied,

“Thank you.”

The man paused.

“Its meaning is beautiful too.”

Mitra raised an eyebrow.

“You know what it means?”

The man answered,

“Sunlight.”

He continued,

“Or something bright, like the sun.”

Mitra was silent for a moment.

Then she smiled.

“I like that meaning.”

She returned behind the counter and continued preparing food for the other customers.

The man stayed there for a little while.

Then he stood up and walked toward the counter.

“Mitra?”

“Yes?”

“Where's the nearest inn?”

Mitra pointed toward the door.

“Two streets from here. When you leave, go straight and turn right at the second street.”

The man nodded.

“Thanks.”

He placed a few coins on the counter.

Mitra looked at the money.

“You didn't have to.”

The man smiled.

“Food isn't free.”

Before Mitra could say anything, the man had already reached the door.

The bell above it rang again.

Ding.

The man left the bar.

Mitra stared at the closed door for a few seconds.

Then she shrugged and returned to work.

She knew nothing about that man.

She didn't know where he had come from.

She didn't know why he had come to the Wounded City.

And most importantly...

she had no idea what kind of secret the stranger had brought with him.

---

One Week Later

A week had passed since the stranger arrived in the city.

During that time, he had explored almost every part of it.

The streets.

The marketplace.

The city walls.

The gates.

And even some places ordinary people rarely visited.

But one thing hadn't changed.

He still got hungry.

And whenever he did, he always remembered one particular place.

Mitra's Bar.

The man stood in front of the entrance.

He looked up at the sign.

Mitra's Bar.

A small smile appeared on his face.

He opened the door.

Ding.

This time, the bar was busier.

Several people were drinking, and the room was filled with conversation and laughter.

Mitra was standing behind the counter.

When she saw him, she smiled.

“You again.”

The man sat down.

“Hi.”

Mitra looked at him.

“Hungry?”

The man nodded seriously.

“Very.”

Mitra laughed.

“Alright. Give me a second.”

A few minutes later, another full plate was placed in front of him.

Without hesitation, the man started eating.

Mitra returned to her work.

A few minutes later, after finishing her tasks, she sat down on the chair across from him.

She looked at him for a moment.

Then she said,

“By the way...”

The man looked up.

“Hm?”

“You still haven't told me your name.”

The man was silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

“That's true.”

He placed his spoon on the plate.

“Voidrak.”

Mitra repeated the name.

“Voidrak...”

Voidrak nodded.

“That's it.”

Mitra smiled.

“That's a strange name.”

Voidrak said,

“I've heard your name is beautiful too.”

Mitra laughed.

“There you go again.”

Voidrak smiled.

But before their conversation could continue, a voice came from one of the tables.

“Hey, girl.”

Mitra looked up.

A young man was sitting at the table.

His clothes were different from those of the other customers.

The symbol of the Dragon Hunters was displayed on his clothes.

The man had been watching Mitra for some time, and apparently, today he had decided to bother her more than usual.

“Why don't you come sit with me?”

Mitra answered without approaching him.

“I'm working.”

The man laughed.

“There'll always be work.”

Mitra said nothing.

The man continued,

“Did you hear me?”

“I said I'm working.”

Mitra placed his drink on the table.

Instead of taking the glass, the man grabbed her hand.

“I said bring it yourself.”

Mitra pulled her hand away.

“Please don't bother me.”

The man laughed.

“Why? Are you scared?”

Several customers looked in their direction, but no one intervened.

The man moved closer.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn't be working behind a bar.”

Mitra frowned.

“I said leave me alone.”

The man continued bothering her.

Voidrak had remained silent until then.

He hadn't even looked up.

He had tried to ignore the situation.

But the man had gone too far.

Voidrak slowly placed his spoon on the plate.

Clink.

Then he stood up.

The hunter turned toward him.

“What? You got a problem?”

Voidrak said nothing.

He slowly walked toward him.

Not quickly.

Not angrily.

Just calmly.

When he reached him, Voidrak leaned slightly closer and whispered,

“Get out of here...”

The hunter froze.

Voidrak continued,

“And don't come back.”

For a moment, everything changed.

Voidrak's eyes...

became more purple.

Not an ordinary purple.

It was a deep, unnatural color that seemed to hide something cold and terrifying.

The hunter suddenly felt as though his entire body had stopped moving.

His breath caught in his throat.

His heart began pounding.

He didn't know why.

He didn't know where the fear was coming from.

There was only one thought screaming inside his mind:

Run.

Voidrak straightened.

His eyes returned to normal.

As if nothing had happened.

The hunter stood up without saying another word.

He walked toward the door.

He opened it and hurried outside.

Ding.

The door closed.

For a few seconds, the bar was silent.

Voidrak sat back down.

Mitra looked at him in surprise.

“Are you... okay?”

Voidrak looked at her.

“Yeah.”

Mitra stared at his face for a few moments.

Then she said,

“Then don't let your food get cold.”

Voidrak smiled.

“Got it.”

And he went back to eating.

As if nothing had happened.

But outside the bar...

the hunter was running through the streets as fast as he could.

His breathing was heavy.

His hands were shaking.

When he finally stopped in a quiet corner, he noticed something.

His pants were wet.

His face had gone pale with fear.

He didn't even understand why he had been so terrified.

Only one sentence kept repeating in his mind:

“Don't come back.”

And somehow...

those four words had been enough.

But for the reader, questions remained.

What had the hunter seen in Voidrak's eyes?

Why had their color changed for those few moments?

And how could a simple look have terrified a Dragon Hunter so completely?

The answers to those questions...

would come much later.