Holy shit my heart is racing. Like I was reading this so fast as if I’m watching an action movie. I’M SO GLAD SHE RAN AWAY WITH RAOUL and that they weren’t caught. That was a sigh of relief back there. Honestly I was so scared that you wouldn’t give Christine agency and I’m so happy she got out of that manipulative hell hole. I can’t wait to read the next part!

economic crash in the 2020s. I think you accurately predicted the future 8

'recession that gripped the world in 2020'
Laughs in coronavirus

I love this story. I'm now off to. purchase it from amazon

Hi,

I just wanted to write this message to say thank you for this amazing history! seriouly, I think this is one of the best well written story that I read in this plataform. It had a little bit of everything and I loved it!
Erik was dark but the end was the redemption, and I loved it, thank you so much!
I usually I always leave a message to all the authors of all stories that I read here, because you guys gave us this story for free and I can't be more gratiful. So thank you very much!
I'm not sure if you will read this but again, thank you!

So, I absolutely adored this story.
For a long while, I did not think that Erik was going to have a happy ending. It seemed impossible, but wow. You definitely turned it around.
Loved it.

Well, although I hated your Erik for quite a lot of this Phic, I've ended up loving the story! Erik really came through in the end. And I love the tiny hints of activism in Christine as a teacher! I'm kind of sorry we don't get to see more of E/C's future, though. Because, it'd have been interesting to see how this Erik would handle fatherhood, especially if the child didn't come out "normal"! And of course, I'd love to see that latent activism in Christine develop as, like Erik, she realizes that there's no way to truly give the kids in her classes that are struggling the help and support they need without fundamental changes in society, and then has to find peaceful, non-destructive ways of fighting for those changes.

Anyway, great story! Loved the romantic vignettes afterward, too. It was nice to see Erik and Christine finally truly and honestly happy together! :-) You've done it again. And I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

:-) Ah, now I can finally favourite this Phic. Good for Christine, and good for Erik! He's finally getting it! Though, what a mess. I still find Erik's change a bit fast, but ultimately, I think, believable. So very well done, indeed!

And of course, I'm super glad Cameron's been brought down. That creep definitely needed to be taken out of power! He was completely deranged! I'm only sorry it couldn't have been done peacefully, though, without the community descending into riots. Because, even though it's not, perhaps, as bad as what was going to happen, I still daresay a whole lot of innocent people were hurt or killed. And it would have been better if that could have been avoided altogether! Still, though, yeah, definitely Glad Cameron's been stopped. At least, I hope he has!

Anyway, LOL must actually sleep now. But great story! One of your best!

Well! I'm really glad Erik decided not to go through with the final event! Although, I hate to say it but, his transformation feels a bit rushed. He went from wanting to destroy America and rule with Christine by his side to being willing to give all that up for her awfully fast! I didn't think he'd give up the final event till she finally kissed him unmasked. Although, I wondered if he might once he realized she'd hate him if he went through with it. But I wasn't sure that was enough. I'm glad it was! And good for Christine for having the strength to fight through all his crap to get there! LOL I fear she's made of far stronger stuff than I'd be. And good for Erik, too, for finally, uh, to borrow one from Star Wars LOL, turning back from the dark side! I hope he does manage to come back to her alive.

Well that's interesting. I would have expected Erik to still say a firm yes. Still reserving judgement, though. Although, I'm hating Erik a lot less since Christine's started to get through to him.

Hmmm. This chapter concerns me. Because, while I absolutely agree with Christine that the things that have been done to Erik in no way justify what he's doing to innocent people, I hope Erik's madness is not a move to discredit legitimate analysis of systemic failures of society! Because, frankly, I agree with Erik about those, as do many social movements and activists! I just think his solutions are abhorrent, as would they. Because, there are much more humane and truly democratic answers to those injustices! They just require compassion instead of vengeance, along with being willing to work with other people collectively instead of acting in splendid isolation.

Well, I'm glad to see that Christine's been able to at least stop him from doing some of the destruction. Am finally starting to see those tiny glimpses of repentance. Good! Still waiting to see if it's too little too late, though. I suppose that'll depend on if she can ultimately stop him from carrying out the "red day".

And I hope we'll find out a bit more of Erik's back-story now? Because, although what we've heard so far explains how he acquired the skills and talents that have made him what he is, nothing I've heard so far justifies his actions. True, he never knew any love or affection, and that, combined with such extreme intelligence, might well lead to an abysmal opinion of humanity and a fascistic world-view. But honestly, has he no appreciation for the fact that he was relatively privileged? He may have been unloved, but as far as I can tell, he wasn't abused accept by bullies at school. And he clearly grew up affluent, not in a war-zone, and with access to a good education, which is more than most people in the world can say! So his level of anger and self-pity are going to take a lot to justify, if that's even possible!

Well. I'm glad his fucking highness condescended to accept Christine's bargain. But he still has a hell of a nerve punishing her like a child. The SOB doesn't even see her as his equal! He wants the perfect, docile, obedient wife just like that ass-hole Cameron. He just wants one more polished. Fuck the patriarchy!

I hate this Erik right now. Right now, I'd gladly throw his own Punjab lasso around his evil neck, choke him unconscious with it, and then lock him up in one of his own high-tech prisons. And honestly, only my own commitment to non-violence and radical compassion makes me not want him dead! It's bad enough that he's still completely unrepentant. But then he had the fucking gaul to gaslight Christine! He's just like Cameron, even as he thinks he's so superior! He doesn't want a wife - a real companion in life, he wants a fucking automaton like his hologram Christine!

She annoys me, too, right now, though. I really wish she'd just stop sniveling and begging, and just let fly at Erik! Tell him straight out that it's not Raoul that's poisoned her mind against him, it's his own actions. And tell him that, until he stops his destruction plans, she can only despise him. Because, compassion doesn't mean condoning evil actions. And justified anger at those evil deeds is just as important! Because, in order to change, one has to face up to the truth of one's actions in their full awfulness. And that comes from hearing the truth spoken in a way you can no longer ignore or deflect, which usually means being confronted by some one furious with you - as Christine has every right to be with this abusive bastard of an Erik!

You know? Raoul annoys me in this chapter. All these guys are, without knowing it, as bad as Cameron! I mean, it's wonderful that Raoul was so willing to help Christine escape. But could he please just stop trying to be the bloody knight in shining armour, listen to her, and respect her wishes?! And Erik's just as bad! He wants Christine educated, but then not to make choices for herself with regard to her own life. And he assumes she's so simple-minded that escape must have been Raoul's idea! It's a transaction between him and Raoul? WTF?! Erik says he loves her, but does he even see her as a person or just a living doll?

And personally, I think Christine needs to stop crying and begging Erik, and give him the "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!" treatment. I think the realization that his own actions have made her despise him is the only thing that has a chance of getting through to Erik now. And honestly, I'm not even sure about that. Because, with other Eriks, you can see their baby-steps of repentance - modifying their behaviour and becoming less violent, because they know it would hurt Christine even if they don't really understand why yet. But honestly, I don't see that with this Erik. Oh sure, he can be nice, and even tender with Christine. But so far at least, he doesn't seem willing to change at all for her. And we're more than half way through the story! I'm beginning to loose patience with this guy!