Kaladin, Szeth, Syl, and Nale ride the wagon toward Ishar as Nale explains more of Ishar’s history. According to Nale, Ishar Connected himself to Shinovar, effectively becoming its spren, and this growing bond helped convince Ishar that he was the Almighty. Kaladin and Szeth realize that simply killing Ishar may not free Shinovar; they may need to restore his mind first. They consider using the spiritual burst released when a Radiant swears an Ideal, but Szeth cannot speak his Fourth Ideal until his quest is complete, and Kaladin is not ready for his own final Words. As they approach the place of Aharietiam, Kaladin comforts Nale about abandoning Taln, reframing the Heralds’ failure as trauma rather than simple evil. They finally arrive and see Ishar waiting with an Honorblade, while Szeth deliberately leaves Nightblood behind because he does not want to kill if there is another way.

In Azimir, Adolin’s team emerges from the smuggler’s tunnel into the Bronze Palace. The palace is eerily empty, and Adolin quickly recognizes that the silence is too deliberate to be luck. After questioning Yanagawn and scouting with Notum, he correctly deduces that enemy forces are positioned behind them and in both directions ahead, leaving the group surrounded. The enemy delays because Abidi wants a personal challenge, and Adolin confirms this by opening the throne-room door and seeing Abidi seated on the throne in Adolin’s own Plate. Adolin orders the others to hold the position while he enters alone, expecting to summon Maya inside. Once the doors bolt shut, Abidi reveals that aluminum lining in the room prevents the summoning, leaving Adolin trapped and disarmed as Abidi attacks for revenge.

Elsewhere in the Spiritual Realm, Shallan endures a barrage of terrifying visions meant to convince her that she will destroy the people she loves. Because Pattern has helped her recognize that these visions distort her past, Shallan rejects the lie instead of surrendering to it. The visions lose their force, and she reunites with Pattern, Radiant, Renarin, and Rlain. Comparing what each of them saw, the group concludes that Ba-Ado-Mishram’s prison is hidden through her emotional state rather than a physical location: abandonment, betrayal, self-protection, and the belief that she deserves punishment. When Shallan identifies that final truth, a corridor opens.

The corridor leads the group to a small chamber that resembles a childhood room. Inside lies the ancient corpse of Melishi, the Bondsmith who imprisoned Mishram, and at the center rests a cracked heliodor leaking spiritual corruption: Mishram’s prison. This discovery confirms that they have finally reached their goal, but the moment is interrupted when Shallan senses another presence. Mraize appears in the corridor, fulfilling his threat that their next meeting would be final. Shallan leaves Mishram to Renarin and Rlain and steps out to confront the unfinished conflict with Mraize herself.

At Urithiru, Dalinar returns alive to Navani shortly before the appointed contest. Their reunion is intimate and emotional, and Navani immediately senses that his time in the Spiritual Realm changed him profoundly. Dalinar explains that experiencing Tanavast’s life taught him both how little he understands and how much larger the struggle is than saving Alethkar alone. He does not know exactly how to defeat Odium, but he is more certain of himself than before. Navani tells him to ignore abstract philosophies and simply act as Dalinar Kholin would act in the moment, because she trusts the man he has become. Strengthened by that trust, Dalinar thanks those gathered, declares that he must defeat Odium fully, takes up his copy of The Way of Kings, and climbs the stairs to the roof to face what comes next.