Do what you like, I've decided to trash this story since like bje said, you can't keep to your original premise. This 'suddenly changing' was not planned, it was just thrown on us readers which something as an author you should never do.
Exactly this. Hence why after thinking about it for a for hours, this 'story' has know become unreadable for me.
Escaping reality? sure, its why I read, however as I said, since you just sprung this onto us readers (a big NO-NO in my books), I wipe my hands of a story I once enjoyed :(