Paleon

<p><strong>Paleon: Echoes of an Empire</strong></p><p><em>Memoirs of Brother Alfanus - Book One</em></p><p>Architectural designer Nikolai Nick Paleon lives a quiet carefully ordered life in Connecticut-until anonymous packages begin to arrive. Inside each lies a cryptic clue: a gravestone photograph a cemetery map and letters written in Greek from the 1930s. Every discovery pulls him closer to a forgotten grave in Bridgeport and to a family secret buried beneath generations of silence.</p><p>Nick's Americanized surname <em>Paleon</em> conceals his true heritage family name <em>Palevych</em> a bloodline reaching back to the Byzantine Empire. Drawn into a mystery that spans continents he finds his search awakening questions of identity purpose and faith he can no longer ignore.</p><p>His path soon crosses that of a determined historian from Istanbul's Rum (Greek Orthodox) community who is convinced that Nick's bloodline is bound to a sacred oath sworn during Byzantium's final hours. Her conviction draws him into a quest that will test both their faith and their understanding of what endures.</p><p>From a Connecticut graveyard to an Alaskan Orthodox church from the ruins of Mystras to the catacombs of Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra Nick and his companion chase a legacy guarded for centuries. Together they uncover the story of Vasyl Palevych a priest who defied the Soviet regime and carried the last thread of an empire's promise a thread others seek to exploit for power.</p><p>As ancient vows and modern ambitions collide Nick must decide whether to protect the past or let geopolitical necessity consume it.</p><p>A sweeping blend of historical fiction mystery and spiritual discovery <em>Paleon: Echoes of an Empire</em> explores identity heritage and the enduring power of memory. Blending modern suspense with deep historical resonance it invites readers into a world where architecture archaeology and belief intersect and where the quiet call of conscience can still reshape destiny.</p><p><strong>Key themes and settings:</strong></p><ul><li>The Byzantine Empire and its survivors after 1453</li><li>Bridgeport and Alaska as contemporary crossroads of faith and memory</li><li>Orthodox Christian heritage providence and the search for purpose</li><li>Greece (Mystras & Athens) and Ukraine (Kyiv Lavra) as living links to Byzantium</li></ul><p>For readers of <em>The Historian</em> <em>The Rule of Four</em> and <em>The Name of the Rose</em> this debut novel combines historical depth with a reflective spiritual core. Its heart is not conquest but stewardship-the understanding that some legacies endure only when they are guarded rather than grasped.</p>