Venli sits alone in a cave she shaped from stone and asks the stones for guidance. She fears that by bringing the Reachers to the listeners, helping many bond spren, and sheltering renegade Fused like Leshwi, she has once again led her people into danger. The stones welcome her as a stonesinger and Radiant, show her images of the listeners’ ancient past, and remind her of heritage and belonging, but they offer no practical answer about how to stop Odium from coming for them.

When Venli leaves the cave, she looks over the listener refuge: about seventeen hundred people living among remarkably docile chasmfiends that provide protection and food. Venli reflects that these survivors, especially the soldiers who rejected forms of power, represent the true soul of the listeners. Jaxlim then approaches, worried that her old songs may have helped set Venli on the path toward dangerous power, but Venli rejects that excuse and accepts responsibility for her own choices.

Jaxlim says that although she cannot fully solve the threat from Odium, she has been reconsidering the old songs and believes she has found something that may help. She asks Venli to come speak with Venli’s Fused allies. This gives Venli a possible next step after her earlier anxiety and uncertainty.

The chapter then shifts to Dalinar and Navani moving through unstable spiritual visions. Dalinar briefly sees a horrifying possible future in which, if he loses the contest of champions, he will lead Odium’s armies in conquering other worlds. Refusing to turn back, Dalinar uses his bond to find Navani, and Navani reveals that she prepared a red ribbon from Shalash as an anchor so they can deliberately move through visions. Together they decide to search for the day Honor died and the era of the Recreance, hoping to discover how Honor’s power can be taken up and used.

The ribbon stabilizes a new vision set far earlier in history, when humans first live on Roshar in poor lands assigned by the singers. Dalinar and Navani find themselves among Jezrien, Ishar, Chana, Vedel, and a younger Shalash, and Dalinar realizes he is effectively standing in Kalak’s place within the vision. By carefully steering the conversation, Dalinar learns that tensions are rising because singers have killed thirty humans after theft and murder on disputed land, humans are chafing under confinement to barren territory, and some pre-Radiant Surgebinding already exists. Outside, Dalinar sees that in this era the singers are the more established and prosperous people, while humans are struggling to survive.

As Dalinar and Navani look for a new anchor to carry them farther forward in time, Dalinar unexpectedly pulls Gavinor into the vision through a bond of Connection. Gavinor had secretly followed them before the experiment began, and now he is frightened, but Navani calms him by explaining the vision as a story like a Lightweaving. Dalinar cannot get help from the Stormfather, so he presses on and speaks with the singer elder Elodi, who warns that new gods are influencing the singers and that both peoples are sliding toward war. When Dalinar suggests that Honor might bless the Surgebinders so they can regain authority, Ishar and Jezrien react sharply, hinting that this idea touches a dangerous secret. With Gavinor still trapped alongside them and the ancient crisis deepening, Dalinar resolves to keep searching for the crucial truth.