Kaladin dreams he is the highstorm, racing across oceans and lands. He glimpses the Shattered Plains’ symmetry and a central plateau with lights, then a distant triangular city where a white-clad, shaved-headed Shin-eyed assassin stands over two corpses. Torn from the gale, Kaladin confronts a sky-filling face that calls him child of Tanavast and declares the Oathpact shattered and Odium coming; the voice ends with Odium reigns.

Kaladin wakes restrained by Bridge Four, who stopped him from walking into the storm. During the riddens, the men wash; Rock deftly shaves Kaladin clean. Moash voices ambitions to win a Shardblade and overturn the order, while Sigzil argues that abuses persist under any system, illustrating with Babatharnam’s Most Ancient. Rock inadvertently outs Sigzil as a Worldsinger, and Sigzil storms off.

New slaves arrive under Gaz, now following Brightness Hashal’s assignments. Bridge Four receives a single recruit: a parshman. Despite Teft’s fears, Kaladin names him Shen and declares him one of them, rejecting plans to use him as an arrow shield. Teft agrees to watch Shen while Kaladin presses forward with training and escape plans.

Walking the camp, Kaladin wrestles with the enormity of freeing bridgemen and his history of failed rescues. He debates faith with Syl, wondering about the Almighty and whether he is cursed. At the mention of Odium as a being, Syl hisses and flees, leaving Kaladin unsettled.

On a nearly emptied street, a Sadeas officer beats a courtesan until three men in blue—led by Adolin Kholin—intervene. Adolin summons a sinuous Shardblade, scattering the red-coated soldiers and shaming the offender, then helps the woman. He flips Kaladin an emerald chip to carry a message to Brightlord Reral Makoram but departs. Bitter toward lighteyes, Kaladin refuses to deliver it despite Syl’s concern over his growing darkness.