Dear readers, What can I tell you about Belvedere? He's an old soul and an honest man. He knows the hardships of the world better than most, and he's watched it deteriorate for years. Now he stands to defend it, and in this dark time he calls upon you for help. He asks that you read these pages with an open mind and heart. He's sacrifi ced everything to bring you this information, and there will be many more sacrifi ces to come. This book may have been labeled as fi ction, but only to protect its true nature. What you are about to read is very real. There are many forces that will stop at nothing to keep him silent. A war is upon us now, and Belvedere's time is limited. Belvedere has begun a quest to expose a very dangerous and problematic truth; one that can potentially determine our fate. For his own safety, his identity remains a mystery, but in order to secure the preservation of our world, Belvedere must put himself in grave danger to uncover this truth. In a race against time, he'll protect the one thing that he wants to see destroyed more than anything else: a mystical medallion that has devastated his own life, and also the lives of everyone he's ever cherished. This medallion is the only thing that stands between our salvation and extinction. If it falls into the hands of our enemies, they will wield the power to eradicate our species. He's offering these pages to you as a means to prepare you for the battle ahead. As you read, you'll learn the secrets of the medallion, but also why those secrets must be kept safe. The time for retribution is at hand, and the time to lead is now. - A friend