Evil Spirit is pushing Van slowly, savoring every second as Van's mind slips further and further over the edge. He has also begun to work on Cherry Blossom, using the memory traits from Van to slightly change the way Cherry moves and talks. He creates the illusion of Hitomi to Van's eyes.
Van is again sitting in the room, his love in a cage, in the dark, where only he can see her. This is how it must be, others would take her from him to use her power, and again she would die. He can't bear to feel her death again.
"Don't you understand, Hitomi, this is to keep you safe. Allen tried to keep you for his own, and Dornkirk use your power to destroy. You will never have to worry again, for I love you as no one else can."
"Please just see me as I am, yes I can read the cards, a ghost came to my grandmother to teach her. She did so that someday her love could be saved. I believe you are that love. It must have been a great love for her to travel thru time for you. But I am not her."
"Enough, don't you see it. You look at me as she does, the way you move is the same, do you think I could ever forget those things."
Van walks over to the cage.
"Come here."
"Why?"
"I won't ask again, I can leave if you would like to be alone."
Cherry Blossom sighs, she is becoming increasingly afraid to be left alone. Better to have Van here with her then to be alone and hear the voice that has started to visit her when he is gone. She walks over to the bars, holding on to them and leaning her head forward. Van reaches up and imprisons her hands with his; he is staring intently at her. Cherry can't move, not just because he is holding her hands in place, it's his eyes; looking into them as she is, makes movement beyond her. He moves to her and thru the bar he kisses her.
Cherry sighs and leans into the bars closer to Van. Her mind is reeling, she feels love for this man that has her prisoner. Not the love created by her captivity, that love would be false. The love is the kind felt by a woman when she finds the man she was met to spend her life with. This knowledge disturbs her. Disturbs her more than all else that has happened to her this past week. How could this be, Van is clearly insane with love for a dead woman. She manages to break away and run to the other side of the cage. She buries her head in her hands and cries.
Van stands looking at her. Is this truly the woman he loves reborn, if so why does she cry when he has finally kissed her?
"I'm sorry, it was too soon."
Van turns and leaves the room.