In Middle-earth, three serf villages grow vegetables and raise animals to feed everyone on the planet—a cliff separates the two inhabited levels from each other, as well as from the vast expanse of empty, desolate land that lies below. No one ventures onto the Plain; the few who have tried are never seen again... In pastoral Middle-earth, Edgar, a 12-year-old boy, finds himself in a dilemma. He remembers his father telling him to look for something hidden in the cliff that separates Middle-earth from the Highlands. Even though he knows that any attempt to scale the cliffs will be severely punished, he cannot help but search for his father's treasure. After much effort, Edgar finds a diary in a recess in the rock. But since only the inhabitants of the Highlands are allowed to learn to read, the boy will have to venture further into his mysterious planet, searching for someone to help him unravel the riddles contained within the book's pages. And when he finally understands what's hidden in the diary, it may already be too late: irreversible changes are taking place in Atherton, and everyone is in danger. But more than the imminent threat looming over the planet, dark secrets will change Edgar's life forever. And perhaps only he holds the power to save his world and everyone in it.
