A couple hours prior to the incident in Canada, Alpha was dealing with his own personal issues that only got worse with losing the game they partook in. Though Emma was miffed by their loss, she still was quite content as she had a lot of fun. However, Alpha blamed himself for their failure deeming himself unfit for a leader and ultimately jealous of Elena. Emma could tell that something was off and decided to have a bit of fun before they clock in for the day.

"How about some time spent in the mall?", she asked. "Let's just hang out since we never get to just do that alone and I'm looking for something new to wear too! Maybe you too can get yourself a new fit!"

Alpha tagged along.

Emma and Alpha headed for the mall and shuddered with the sudden drop in temperature. Fall had come to haunt the two of them and that's why they're going for a fall shopping session. Their first stop was the café Emma used to work at. Therein the two of them sat down for a coffeee and ice cream.

Emma's phone vibrated as she set it down with all the things she somehow was carrying on one hand.

"A message from Dominik!", she exclaimed. "Messages from him are so rare considering he's constantly busy with work. Maybe we could all meet here someday! Don't you think so too?"

Compared to the first week they had spent as Dream Catchers, Emma is a lot more open and easier to approach. However, she became even more of an enigma for Alpha. He didn't know whether or not she's shy or just reserved. He couldn't tell whether or not she truly was interested in what he's talking about as she'd quickly shut down conversations on otaku-culture on some days and indulge in them on others. Her behavior on one day often conflicted with her behavior on other days.

"Why are you so quiet? Your level of confidence significantly drops whenever you're not a Dream Catcher! How come?", she asked.

"I guess it's just… different? I'm just Hyperion whenever I transform, a confident leader that knows how to get things done…"

"Then let that confidence and honesty carry over!", she suggested. Awfully cheerful today despite the loss they had suffered earlier, it felt strange being around her.

They spent their time in silence as they waited for their orders. Alpha gorged on the usual sugary stuff he devours whenever it's within reach while Emma silently observed that whole ordeal. He excused himself as he went up to the counter to demand another portion.

Emma, slightly concerned, asked, "Is everything alright today? You seem a little tense…"

Before he could answer her question, she answered, "It's because of the loss, isn't it? Our first game was a phenomenal one but that doesn't mean we'll always win! Come on! Cheer up!"

She was a mile off from the truth, but he nodded since he feared that explaining what really is bothering him is just going to draw a wedge between the two of them.

Finishing what they had ordered, she decided that it was time to visit a library for some odd reason. Apparently she hadn't been to one in a while and simply wanted a new manga she could cosplay on. All of the money she wins at games is spent on her cosplay career. The people that know her have started questioning how she's making money with a part-time job at a café. Her mother didn't question how her daughter made the money she's spending on cosplay gear while her friends wonder whether or not she's selling drugs. Her father remains indifferent as long as she's living with them and responsible.

"So… Is there anything new you've picked up recently?", she asked.

"Not really… I guess I've been watching that series about a group of friends going on an adventure-"

"Isn't that like half of the anime out there?"

"Well… This one's different! Its cast is a lot less cliché and even more interesting than all the others out there. And the female character that's a part of the main gang actually is strong for once and not a random damsel that's gonna end up with the protagonist! Oh and I've also been reading a manga about a dude in love with his best friend. 10/10"

"Oh… So you're into BL (Boys Love), huh?"

Was she judging him or just indifferent.

She grinned as she grew even more relaxed around him. Emma wasn't making fun but said, "Oh? You actually like those?"

Alpha tensed back up and shutdown.

"No…"

Silence. Emma wanted to talk about her hobbies yet feared that she may just scare him away. Alpha can't open up because he fears being rejected and treated like a weirdo. Going through betrayal and abandonment has turned him away from such things.

"Wanna see the last thing I cosplayed as?", she asked.

Alpha nodded rather guarded as he never knows what's up with her.

The first outfit was one of a guy he didn't recognize. His hair was in a bun and black and he looked rather ordinary. Trying to figure out who exactly that person was and what the joke is supposed to be, he kept staring at the black-haird guy. His face was rather feminine and his shoulders were way too…

"That's really you?!", he asked.

"Of course it is! Did you think that I was showing you pictures of random people?"

"But you really looked like a guy there. And even your chest isn't visible. You also look a little taller!", he said.

"The wonders of cosplay are quite extraordinary. I could make you look like a woman with D-cups! Or maybe I could make you look like an old man. Maybe I could turn you into a teenage girl?", she claimed. "You definitely should try it out someday! Maybe we can do something like that? Make our own cosplays and all that?"

He was overjoyed and already decided on what he would cosplay as. Going off on that BL he had read, the two were kicked out for the noise they were making. Alpha being passionate about something and not just standing by like a listener was a rather rare sight.

Finally, they made it to the mall. Emma's confidence was fake. Alpha is hiding something.

"What's with him? Since Elena is back he's been kind of… different?", she thought.

"Why is she suddenly so outgoing and confident? Did something happen?", he thought.

Since they're also there to shop and pick out a few new outfits, they went at it and split apart. Constantly exchanging glances every few seconds as they try to figure out what exactly is wrong with the other person, the two pick out their new fits. Before the two could have a conversation, Prometheia contacted the two of them.

Another Demon was on the loose and therefore had to be taken care of. Hooria had returned but this time it appeared within its own domain. Its very own domain was that of the skies. The only platforms one could walk on were random metal rods a meter in diameter and ten meters long with small ten meter wide islands. Thick cables interconnected these islands and kept them afloat.

"It gained legs?", said Hyperion.

Emma fired her first shot. Her spray of arrows didn't impact Hooria as much as she hoped it would. A few scars and minor burns that it would recover from within seconds. Since they have no idea what its minions could be capable of and what exactly it has in store, the two of them decided to watch from afar. It finally got a hold of multiple cables and started slinging them around in a manner chaotic enough for the two of them to struggle evading them.

"Maybe we should bring in Liam?", asked Hyperion.

"One of your shots should be enough to take it out, right?"

Surprisingly, he wasn't leading the two of them at all. He struggled to figure out what exactly he should do as he also was occupied with something else. Hyperion decided that the two should retreat. This Demon was somewhat hard to figure out. Two rookies aren't enough to deal with a Demon that has evolved like it has.

"We should retreat. The best thing I can do is fire a shot that should damage it enough that it may need some time to recover from," stated Hyperion. "It's best not to be reckless at times like these!"

A single shot with all of his light magic penetrated and pierced throught the Demon. A massive explosion followed completely obliterating it. Though it dropped no Devil Seed, it was defeated.

"A minion?", asked Alpha.

"Yeah. Occasionally a minion can break free and become a Demon of its own. Hooria seems to have been something like that."

Emma had to know now as his behaviour is rather strange. She asked him, "What's wrong? You've been really quiet since Elena has come back. You even stopped leading like you usually would and remained as timid as you are as a civillian. Did something happen?"

Alpha was hesitant and tried to avoid her question.

"It's nothing… really."

"Is it because of Elena? Did something happen between the two of you?", asked Emma.

Alpha wanted to flee. He couldn't tell what is troubling him as he fears that he'll sound rather abrasive and ignorant of everything Elena had gone through.

However, Alpha opened up and exclaimed, "I'm jealous."

"Of what?"

"I just don't want to give up that little bit of leadership I had before that. I've grown so much stronger because of that! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that-"

"How can you say something like that?", asked Emma.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that I really want to-"

"She nearly died out there!", yelled Emma rather emotional. "How can you be so selfish and abrasive?!"

He was hoping that she'd hear him out and listen to whatever was bothering him. Instead he was met with disgust and dismissal as the vision they have of him were way too different. He lacked in confidence and therefore needed his leader role as a Dream Catcher to feel better about himself. She had some sort of image of perfection that never struggled seen in him and she didn't want to let that image crumble apart.

"I shouldn't have invited you out!"

The two parted ways before he could correct himself or properly express how he felt.

Hyperion recalled the days he expressed full honesty… A lot of times his honesty got him in trouble rather than solve issues. Back when he confessed to his mother that his grades had dropped, she beat him and berated him for hours. Back when he admitted that he believed his father should stop drinking, he was beaten and left to cry in the dark. Back when he told people that he was being bullied, they told him to resolve those issues himself. These occurences either withered away his self esteem or made him more of a dreamer.

Right now, Hyperion is weeping within his domain rather angry. Since he essentially has a completely different life since those days, a life far better than this one, he wondered whether or not he was the problem.

"Maybe I'm the problem? Maybe they simply don't want me!"

Standing atop that massive skyscraper of his, he gazed at the remains of two of the lesser skyscrapers. Demolished by a prior outburst, he wondered what he should do with himself. The first skyscraper sitting at the corner of this domain was destroyed after Alpha had failed to save a man from a Demon. Ban didn't react well to his outburst and was rather afraid of what Alpha was capable of. Leaving immediately after witnessing that outburst caused Alpha to lose it again destroying another skyscraper in the process. With the northern and eastern skyscraper demolished by him, he took a look at the southern skyscraper. Nothing was left of them as they were vaporized by him. Whenever he has an outburst, he also demolishes everything leading towards his targets. A straight line of scorched earth pointed north while another pointed east.

His divine key adjusted to his will and its rings started growing in size. The rod dissipated into thin air as his divine key absorbed most of the light magic within his body. Finally the rings grew large enough to stand as tall as the southern skyscraper as they crushed everything underneath them. Finally, in a straight line, Alpha fired a golden beam of destruction at the southern skyscraper. Within a minute he vaporized 10km² of land. Everything on top of it quickly burst and burned out proving just how devastating it would be were he to unleash something like that on society.

Forcing an apology out of himself even though Emma had no right to demand one, he played the calm, collected, and apologetic rookie who understood what exactly he did wrong. Emma blindly accepted the apology as it aligns with the image she had of him.

"When can I stop lying?"