As Szeth leads Kaladin through Shinovar’s hilly borderlands toward the next Skybreaker monastery, Kaladin worries about the silence from Dalinar’s side of the war, and Syl says the world feels as if it is holding its breath. Szeth admits he thinks he must keep fighting and killing if he is to become a Herald, but Kaladin refuses to command him. Instead, Kaladin explains that he survived his own conflict over killing by choosing his own moral lines and accepting responsibility for his choices, which helps Szeth realize that peace and healing might still be possible for him.

That conversation changes Szeth’s outlook. He stops seeing the road as a march toward doom and begins to think of it as a path forward, though he recognizes recovery will be slow. When they spot the monastery, Kaladin immediately senses something is wrong, and from the air they see that the town has already been raided, with ruined roofs, broken gates, and darkness still hanging over the survivors.

Inside the damaged monastery, Nale waits for them. Szeth gives his swords to Kaladin, refuses to draw Nightblood, and approaches with only his Shardblade. Nale says this test is not a duel but a demand for absolute obedience at the final monastery, yet Szeth, strengthened by Kaladin’s earlier words, says no, asks what he is being made to do, and finally declares that he is not a thing to be used by others. When Nale responds by attacking, Szeth briefly chooses not to fight at all, but he immediately realizes that Nale will kill him without hesitation.

Kaladin intercepts Nale’s strike and asks Szeth directly whether he wants help. Szeth answers yes and names Kaladin his champion, saying Kaladin defeated him and can defeat Nale as well. Kaladin then pushes for the fairest possible terms, persuading Nale to duel without Stormlight, sword against spear, so that skill rather than divine power will decide the outcome. After both men surrender their gemstones, Kaladin accepts the challenge to protect Szeth, and the duel begins.

Elsewhere, after addressing a matter tied to the battle at the Shattered Plains, Jasnah meets Fen in Dalinar’s repaired temple for the debate Odium arranged. Guided by Wit’s spanreed message, Jasnah has accepted that Taravangian now holds Odium’s power and has spent the night preparing arguments to keep Thaylenah independent. Taravangian appears in person, confirms his identity, dismisses Fen’s guards with a promise that he will use no tricks and launch no attacks during the conversation, and then shocks both queens by announcing that Jasnah herself will be the reason Fen joins his empire.