Kaladin reaches the Thaylen Oathgate in Shadesmar, commits to protecting Dalinar, and draws four Fused into the air to keep them occupied. He reclaims a lance midflight and uses daring Lashings to stay ahead, intending only to buy time for Shallan to activate the portal.

Inside Thaylen City, Dalinar evacuates civilians as the Thrill slams into him. He forces it back, then survives a thunderclast breaching the wall and ravaging the Gemstone Reserve. Fused guided by a yellow spren overturn a palanquin and seize a ruby identified as the King’s Drop. From the new gap, Dalinar sees red‑eyed soldiers in Sadeas uniforms massing outside.

Jasnah confronts Renarin in the temple and, with Ivory’s insight, recognizes his spren as corrupted by Odium. Meanwhile, Shallan deploys mass illusions so Adolin can draw off the remaining Fused, then reaches the Oathgate spren. The gatekeepers refuse passage by Honor’s final command; living travelers must instead use a perpendicularity, while the dead were drawn by the enemy along ancient paths.

On the field, Venli stands beside Odium as a second thunderclast advances. Odium calls the day’s true objective the conduit of his freedom and sends Venli to the breach, accompanied by an uninhabited, swirling dark spirit.

Kaladin escalates his aerial duel, disarming foes and recovering his harpoon while weaving through obsidian forests and over the sea of beads. As Shallan signals she needs more time, a leading Fused challenges him; Kaladin accepts just as his Stormlight runs out.

Farther off, the Azish fleet is persuaded the Alethi have betrayed the Thaylens, and they pull away while Lift goes missing. On the wall, Navani and Fen witness the Unmade’s red mists and Amaram—now with Odium—riding with red‑eyed troops. Dalinar, unarmored and carrying a book, steps alone into the shattered gap to face the oncoming enemy.