"Temptation is the most vile of the demons's tricks. It is a whisper in your ear, a shadow in your mind. We have asked you to resist the temptations of this world. Umbasa is in your hearts, and he has slain avarice, hubris, lust, gluttony, sloth, and envy. He has tempered your wrath into a weapon of divinity. Yet now, we ask you to combat the whispers and shadows that are not of this world.

Before you embark on this pilgrimage, steel your hearts and your faith. Let not the touch of Demon's Souls be a stain upon your very own!"

'Where am I?'

"Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel, let strength be granted so that the world might be mended."

'Why…can I not feel anything?'

"Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel, let strength be granted so that the world might be mended."

'Why can I not see anything?'

"So that the world might be mended."

He felt himself rise uncontrollably, like floating to the surface in a lake. He could not tell for certain, but he felt as if he was moving away from the dark. Pale lue light began to creep in from all sides, illuminating the darkness as he was pulled upwards.

The light connected with itself and suddenly he was on ground. It looked to be made of glass, with glyphs inscribed all over. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he rose to his knees but heard no noise. The typical rustling of cloth and leather, the clinking of metal, it was all absent. It didn't feel right. He raised his head, only to be greeted by the most peculiar woman.

The woman was short and pale, with black hair. Her body, he noticed with a small amount of shame, was decidedly feminine in all the correct places. Her dress, however, was peculiar to him. She was barefoot, with a gown that seemed to be made entirely of black cloth bandages. She had a light cloak draped on her shoulders, and a small assortment of gold jewelry. In her hands was a long black pole, not atypical of the staffs at the temple.

'Her eyes….where are her eyes,' he thought with a start. And it was true, she had none. In their place were two large patches of wax. It unnerved him, to say the least.

"Who are you," he asked her. "Where am I? What's wrong with me?"

She looked down at him with an expressionless face. "This is the Nexus, it holds together the northern land of Boletaria."

The Nexus. He had only heard of it in the legends of the Old One. A temple, or more correctly a type of port, where the great Monumentals had gathered to combat the great evil.

"That…simply cannot be. The Nexus is a place of legend. A myth. What of my other inquiries. I beg you, what is wrong with me? Just who are you?"

"My name hast been cast off of me. Thine self may refer to me as thy wisheth."

"Surely you must have a name, or a title. Something," he pleaded. She merely stared at him, or would have, if she had eyes. "Please, why I cannot feel? It feels as if my senses-"

"Thou art dead."

That made him leap to his feet. He felt so light, lighter than even a child. He couldn't be dead, could he?

"I am…what?"

"Thou art dead," she said, as if explaining a fact of life to an infant. "Slain by the Dragon God, or does thine memory occlude?"

Memories flashed in his mind. His brothers fighting alongside him. A great fist coming towards him, and then….nothing.

"If you speak the truth, then how am I here? Death, from what I understand, is permanent."

"Then thine knowledge of mortality lacketh, severely. Thou can'st not exit the Nexus, but each of the five Archstones will connect thee to another node."

'Oh Umbasa…' He felt dizzy. Could he even feel dizzy? He stumbled past the woman, ignoring the eyes of two men near a stockpile. His feet carried him as the walls of the Nexus began to sway around him. He turned right, ran into something solid, and fell.

As his world spun, he felt himself being helped up. He could hear a voice, feminine, but couldn't make out the words. His eyes slowly began to focus, and as they did, his other senses began to clear themselves as well. He steadied himself against a wall.

"…alright…you unwell….."

'What…'

"…knight…ails you?"

'I cannot understand you…'

"…Umbasa…"

'Umbasa.' His world snapped to focus. In the distance he could see the black woman.

"Sir knight," came a soft voice. He jumped and turned his head to its source. The source was a blonde woman clad in missionary's robes. She was staring at him with concern in her eyes.

"I…am fine. I am fine. My sense, they left me…"

She patted his shoulder, though he could barely feel it. "The Nexus, it has that effect on us all the first time. It is quite something, is it not?"

"Are you dead as well," he asked. 'How can she be so calm?'

"Dead," she asked, "heavens no! Are you saying that you are?"

He nodded and gestured towards the direction of the black woman. "That woman said I was, the black woman. She told me I was dead, and I think she is right. I feel…different…wrong, I cannot explain it."

A fleeting look went through the woman's face. It looked like distrust, or perhaps even anger. "I," she said carefully, "would not trust in the words of that….woman. She is of the most peculiar sort. I have been here since I was transported here through a miracle shard. Many have come, but those who have left rarely return. Or return less than they were."

"You are a woman of God, are you not? Your robes are like those of missionaries from the temple," he said, gesturing to her attire.

Her face lit up. "Oh! Yes! I was a Worshipper, not even a Disciple, before the fog came in. Do you too serve our lord Umbasa?"

He nodded. "Yes, my lady, I serve him. The temple sent an advance party of soldiers into the fog, never to be heard from again. I was sent after them, with several brothers. They died fighting a demon of Hell."

"Is that what killed you," she asked. As soon as she did, she covered her mouth in horror. "Oh! Apologies! I did not mean to offend! I only meant to-"

Somehow a chuckle left his throat. He waved his hand. "It is alright, sister. No offense was meant and none was taken. That demon did not kill me, I was slain by another. We were able to vanquish it at great cost."

It had indeed been a great cost. Three of his brothers had died to take it down. One had been crushed by its weapon almost immediately, another had been broken beneath the demon's hand, and the third had been run through by his very own halberd.

"Jarl sacrificed himself to blind two of the demon's eyes, and Herst pulled its head down by its horns, allowing me the killing blow while giving his life in return. They died in a manner befitting the truest men of God."

"Umbasa," they muttered.

"There is great courage in you," she said, "I can see it. I know not what he may be able to do for you, but there is a knight who wanders the Nexus. Seek him out; he has been here even longer than I."

"Thank you, my lady."

She bowed with a smile. "You are quite welcome, sir knight."

"Might I have the name of my lady?"

She smiled wider. "You may call me Mariel, if it pleases you."

He gave a curt nod. "My sincerest thanks, Sister Mariel."

The knight in question was not difficult to find. As he had learned, the Nexus currently only housed a man named Thomas, and blacksmith named Bodwin, the black woman, the blonde woman, a Disciple of God, and the warrior.

"Sir knight," he beckoned, "I would have words."

The knight stared at him for a moment, before laughing hysterically. "Hahaha, well you slipped through the fissure too! Did you come for Demon's Souls, or to save the land and be remembered as a hero?"

He looked at the man in confusion. "Please, sir, I have questions. I need to know what this is and why I am here!"

The man only laughed harder. "As do we all, but I've no answers for you! No, no, if you seek the truth, you need to seek it. Six Archstones, six demons! Haha, I've just done you a favor, I didn't get a tasty morsel like that. I, daresay, didn't even get scraps."

"You would not help a fellow knight-"

"Hahaha, I am no knight! Not anymore. Who knows, I might be the day! You poor wretch, a new arrival, but there's no salvation to be found in the Nexus! Don't be shy with the first Archstone, give it a little touch! After all, demon's aren't only attracted to human souls It is why you came, isn't it? To this accursed land of Boletaria?"

"Demon's have souls that are accursed, they are abominations of Hell!"

The knight looked at him, and all signs of mirth were gone from his face. "Well then, Godly Man, you had best start with the divine judgment. That is the only way you are going to speak to that damnable woman again."

The man had been of little help, but he decided to take his advice nonetheless. He searched for the black woman, but could find her nowhere. Thomas had been kind, but had not seen her. Bodwin was far more gruff, but similarly unhelpful. Seeing no other choice, he put his hand against the Archstone.

"Take me away from this place," he murmured. "Take me to where I am supposed to be."

Nothing happened.

"Take me away, I say. You connect the world, do you not?"

Again, nothing happened.

"Fool of a knight" he mumbled to himself. "To think that a stone would take me to a demon-"

A flash of light blinded him. He could feel the gust of wind, even though death had dulled his senses.

When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the pandemonium that had become the Boletarian Palace.

'Umbasa…'