As twilight falls on the seventh day of the journey, Kaladin finally stops merely admitting that he will miss Dalinar’s contest and truly accepts it. That surrender brings him peace. Resting near the Dustbringer monastery, Kaladin plays the flute Wit taught him, remembers Bridge Four and other dead friends, and realizes he can mourn them without taking full blame for their deaths. Nale interrupts only to complain about the song, while Szeth silently lingers nearby, waiting for Kaladin’s cooking instead of eating ration bars like Nale.

While stew simmers, Szeth admits he is torn between obeying Nale and confronting how much killing is costing him, especially after Moss’s death. Kaladin listens, then tells Szeth about Goshel, a former slave who had killed his commanding officer rather than burn a village. By using Goshel’s story, Kaladin pushes Szeth to consider that some orders should be refused and that continuing on Nale’s path is clearly harming him. Szeth does not commit to disobedience, but he agrees to think about another way. Afterward, Kaladin notices his old urge to seize responsibility for saving others, then deliberately reins it in, deciding that Szeth must be allowed to choose for himself; Syl senses warmth and peace in their bond afterward.

A strange highspren, 12124, then appears and awkwardly asks Kaladin for the same kind of help. The spren confesses that he feels unsuited to the highspren’s rigid expectations and worries he is failing both Szeth and the rest of his kind, especially Nale’s spren, 121. Kaladin does not solve the problem for him, but advises him to ask what Szeth wants, try a different approach if the current one is failing, and forgive himself for mistakes. In the exchange, Kaladin learns there may be "dissenters" among the highspren, hinting at deeper divisions among the spren of Shinovar.

Kaladin next considers bringing stew to Nale, but hesitates because he does not want to help an enemy. The Wind speaks to him directly, explaining that Nale hates Kaladin’s song because it recalls the rhythm the Heralds once heard when they came to Roshar. She insists that the Heralds are still crucial because they remain Connected to Honor and may be needed to bind Honor and his creations in a coming danger. To persuade Kaladin, the Wind shares fragments of memory showing Nale as a savior and defender across the ages, worn down by time but still worth saving. Before Kaladin can do more with that revelation, Szeth points out a glowing river of spren moving northeast toward the monasteries. Nale calls them gods gathering to witness Szeth’s choice and Shinovar’s salvation, making the destination of the journey suddenly urgent.

Elsewhere in Shadesmar, Shallan steadies herself after seeing Renarin and Rlain’s happiness and creates a comforting memory-scene from her earlier travels with Adolin. With Pattern and Testament present, she, Renarin, and Rlain review what Mishram has shown them. Renarin reports that Mishram told him, "I showed you so you can find me. So I may destroy you," and the three conclude that they must find Mishram’s prison before the Ghostbloods do, since they have been unable to track Mraize effectively through the visions. Shallan admits that she avoided revisiting the memory of killing her mother, possibly missing a clue Mishram planted there. Then Glys informs Renarin that Dalinar and Navani have reached the vision of Mishram’s original capture, near Honor’s death. Realizing that Mishram, Honor’s fall, and Odium’s fear are all connected, Shallan’s group prepares to enter that crucial vision themselves, expecting Mraize and Iyatil to be there.