13-33 is not just two numbers; they are chronological and emotional milestones that have defined my life up to now. At just 13 years old, I started playing the clarinet in venues and festivals. I was a young child entering the world of adults before my time. Twenty whole years have passed since then and now, at 33, I reflect on all that I have been through: the good and the bad, the beautiful, but also the bitter.

This book is the testimony of my soul and my truth. I do not write to blame or expose people, but to share what I have carried inside me for so many years. From my first steps with the clarinet to my painful amputation, events have occurred that have shaped me. I met people who believed in me and showed me their love sincerely, but I also saw the dark side of the Moon; where some people lived who did not wish me well and constantly put obstacles in my way.

In this book, you will get to know the real Aris and not the musician Mougkopetros that everyone knows. From the very first moment, from the first word to the last, I decided to be honest with myself and with the people who will read the story of my life. There is no other way: only the pure and unadulterated truth, and that is what I present in 13-33.

This book is the beginning of a new period in my life. This phase may have started violently; with an event that drastically changed everything inside and around me, but I am not going to give up, I never have.

Every word in this book is a note that comes from my very core. Every sentence is a musical phrase, every image a song I play for you on my clarinet. That is what has bound us together and that is what will continue to do so.