Dalinar flies with Windrunners to Ishar’s coastal camp. Ishar emerges, proclaims himself the Almighty, brands Dalinar Odium’s champion, and draws the Bondsmith Honorblade. When the Windrunners engage, Ishar duels effortlessly and uses Bondsmith powers to tether each to the stone, draining their Stormlight. Dalinar opens a perpendicularity to infuse them, which shocks Ishar.

Ishar presses a hand to Dalinar, trying to take the Stormfather bond and Dalinar’s Odium-linked Connection. Szeth draws Nightblood, severs the glowing Connection, and collapses the perpendicularity. After a clash that chips Ishar’s Honorblade, Ishar opens his own perpendicularity, momentarily lucidly inviting Dalinar to Shinovar to reset the Oathpact after an Ideal is spoken near him—then lapses into madness and flees to Shadesmar with his soldiers.

Dalinar lingers, confers with the Stormfather, and learns Szeth intends a pilgrimage to Shinovar for his next Ideal. Investigating Ishar’s pavilion, they discover bodies: physical remains of spren—including an honorspren the Stormfather knew—alongside ledgers describing failed attempts to create mortal bodies for spren, with honorspren lasting the longest. Horrified, Dalinar orders a withdrawal to warn the spren.

At Urithiru, Rlain leads evacuees as Leshwi resigns herself to Odium’s punishment. A new spren—sent by Sja‑anat at Renarin’s request—speaks to Rlain, urging him to speak the Words. Navani, newly bonded to the Sibling, generates Towerlight, plans an anti‑Voidlight purge, and redirects Kaladin toward the Breakaway.

In the market, Adin and Dabbid brace to defend the wounded. Windspren coalesce into shifting Plate that briefly protects defenders before settling on Kaladin, who arrives in full windspren Plate. At his declaration, the tower awakens—light, heat, and pressure surge; stormforms lose lightning, Deepest Ones are trapped, Heavenly Ones collapse, and Radiants stir awake. Kaladin orders the invaders to surrender and depart.

Moash flees amid the tower’s rebirth, the Light forcing back Odium’s numbness and flooding him with guilt for killing Teft. He crashes outside and is rescued by awakened Heavenly Ones, but his sight does not return despite Stormlight. He escapes blind as the city celebrates.