The Overlap

The Overlap — A speculative progression fantasy Nathan's world is a harsh one, and Nathan himself is insignificant. The Empress's speech, mandated and distributed through every facility, makes that clear. Children of Zero, heed my words: life in Norlam never shows the full truth.Every layer exists at the same time, in the same place.The Overlap allows interaction only one layer above and one layer below.The only way to move through the layers is to advance into the next. Nathan is just another kid in Layer Zero, starting at the bottom like everyone else. A supposed city. A whole empire. Yet all he sees is scattered structures, distant farms, and cratered earth. How could he know any of this was real? Whether you serve on the farms, helping our animals to advance, or train in a care station to defend our Empire.Endure. Improve. Ascend. Once you reach Two, I, Empress Ritana, will grant you citizenship. Nathan doesn't care about citizenship. He wants to see the world. Others wait for their bodies to grow up. Nathan can't wait that long. His days are spent training. Every punishment is just an opportunity. He doesn't resist. He embraces it. He knows that once he advances, everything will finally make sense. But he's been trying to verify the laws of nature, when he should be watching the people who train him.