Carried by Voidbringers to Revolar, Moash is deposited among awakened parshmen who now control the city and confine humans to the outskirts. Herded into a vast storm bunker, he hears overseers speak flawless Alethi, declare the humans slaves, and assign work in exchange for food. Moash reflects on a lifetime of exclusion, his brief acceptance in Bridge Four, and his belief he has squandered what was most precious.

Inside, parshmen run three work stations: skilled trades for war supplies, basic labor, and hard labor for hauling army wagons due to a shortage of chulls. Rumors warn that hiding craft skills means half rations for families. The parshmen seem as unsettled by their reversal as the humans are, yet they mobilize for war.

Recognizing caravaneers, Moash seeks out Guff, an old wheelwright who once knew him. After a strained exchange about Moash’s past and breakdown on the Shattered Plains, Guff leads him to a hidden enclave of lighteyes led by Highlord Paladar, Revolar’s regent. Paladar demands news from the Shattered Plains and plots to restore his status while hoarding food, attended by compliant guards and favored darkeyes.

Confronted by this hypocrisy, Moash realizes the problem is not just himself but a broken society where men like Kaladin are rare exceptions. Paladar has Moash thrown out and Guff seized for a beating. Numb but resolved, Moash heads to the hard-labor station and volunteers to pull supply wagons for the Voidbringer army, embracing the grimmest path as the parshmen prepare to march.