Tension simmered in the camp. Wan could feel the suspicion in the air, the hesitant glances from some of the outcasts who weren't sure if his presence was a blessing or a curse. Whispers traveled like fire in the night—fears that he would draw Astra's wrath down upon them. Wan knew he needed to earn their trust, to show he wasn't just a lone wanderer dragging trouble in his wake.

Late one evening, a group of outcasts approached him. Talia, with whom he'd built some understanding, stood at the front, her expression hard.

"If you want us to follow you, then prove you're worthy of it," she said, voice steady but laced with challenge.

Wan looked around at the others, their faces flickering in the firelight, eyes narrowed with suspicion or apprehension. He nodded, understanding this would be no easy task.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked, his voice even.

Talia exchanged glances with the others before she spoke again. "There's a Hunter patrol in the woods, one that's been closing in on our camp's position. We need you to make sure they're… dealt with, without drawing attention back to us."

Wan accepted the task without hesitation. He knew that if he was to gain their trust, he would have to face this trial head-on. Silently, he set off into the forest, blending into the darkness, every step calculated.

As he moved through the trees, he sensed them before he saw them. Three Hunters, armed and alert, their eyes scanning the shadows. Wan watched them from a distance, his hand instinctively reaching to the power within him. He'd been trying to control it, to summon that dark energy he'd felt during his escape. If he could master it, even partially, it might be enough.

He took a deep breath, focusing on the Hunters and letting his mind sink into the depths of his own energy. A cold, dense force began to form in his chest—a sensation that felt as if it could consume everything around him. He had no name for it, no guidance, only instinct to drive him.

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Then, a single word surfaced in his mind, as if whispered from deep within his soul.

Singularity.

The power surged through him, black tendrils of energy spiraling out from his hand, twisting and condensing into a small, intense sphere. It was barely visible in the darkness, yet he could feel the weight of it, the raw force that seemed to pull everything toward it.

With a controlled breath, he released it toward the Hunters.

In an instant, the sphere expanded, swallowing everything in its path. The trees bent as if pulled toward it, their branches snapping, and the air warped in its grasp. The Hunters barely had time to react before the sphere consumed them, their forms dissolving into shadows, leaving nothing but silence in the night.

As the singularity dissipated, the forest settled back into stillness. Wan stood alone, surrounded by the remnants of his power, his heartbeat steady. The Hunters were gone—no mess, no evidence left behind.

When Wan returned to camp, the outcasts gathered around, their faces lit by the flickering fire. They looked at him in awe, their previous doubts and mistrust visibly shaken.

He met Talia's gaze, his expression calm but unyielding. She looked at him, truly seeing him for the first time, and slowly, she nodded. One by one, the others followed suit, their heads dipping in silent respect. Some knelt, bowing their heads, acknowledging him not just as a passing wanderer but as someone they could follow—a leader with power unlike anything they'd seen.

A strange calm filled Wan. He had taken his first step toward building something greater than himself, a small but dedicated force bound together by shared suffering and a shared goal. Yet, even with this victory, he felt the weight of his path forward. If he was to lead them to freedom and vengeance, he would need more than power; he would need control, wisdom, and above all, strength.

In the quiet that followed, Wan slipped away to a secluded part of the forest and sat down, reflecting on the power he had used. The memory of Kai's teachings drifted back to him, reminding him that mastery over himself was as crucial as mastery over any ability. And yet, the display tonight had been a brutal reminder of what he could do—a force that could both protect and destroy.

He vowed that he would continue on this path, no matter how many shadows he had to walk through. Astra and his Hunters would fall, but not yet. First, he would learn to control this power, to bend it entirely to his will. And when that day came, he would ensure the Hunters felt the true weight of his wrath.

With that resolve solidified in his heart, he returned to the camp, his silent determination shared only with the night.