As Szeth drives the wagon through the borderlands of Shinovar, Nale finally explains why Ishar set his long plan in motion. Ishar foresaw future danger, feared that some Heralds were weakening, and wanted more time to prepare, so Nale was sent to prevent the Return and suppress the rise of Radiants. Nale then reveals that Ishar experimented with making spren physical warriors and with creating human versions of the Fused; the Honorbearers were altered so their souls can be called back into replacement bodies after death.

Kaladin presses for the cost of this power and learns that every rebirth requires another human body, making the process morally unacceptable to him. Szeth argues that survival may demand terrible choices, but Kaladin insists that winning by surrendering integrity and identity is a worse fate than death. Nale, shaken, agrees with Kaladin. After Nale also mentions dissident Skybreakers who rejected his rule, Szeth reflects and decides for himself that Kaladin is right and that Ishar must be stopped.

In Urithiru, Wit continues guiding Dalinar toward his meeting with Odium by telling him about a lumberman’s son given an apparently fair chance to prove himself among nobles. Wit explains that the contest was hollow from the start, because a person’s worth should never depend on sword skill, memorized history, or poetic performance. He also reveals that the boy technically lost only because he ran away before the final test, though the contest itself soon became irrelevant when a coup overthrew the king.

From the story, Dalinar realizes that the contest of champions and its legal framing are distractions from the deeper truth that people possess meaning inherently, not because they win someone else’s trial. Wit admits he cannot foresee what happens next, likely because of Renarin’s influence, but he is reassured by what Dalinar has become. Dalinar understands that Roshar does not need a mere soldier walking up to Odium; it needs a king who knows where human worth truly comes from.

In occupied Azimir, Adolin prepares for the final attempt to reclaim the palace despite the worsening pain from his peg-leg wound. A surgeon gives him a dangerous firemoss tincture to keep him moving until after the deadline, and Adolin joins a small infiltration team led by Yanagawn and accompanied by Notum. As they move through the ruined city, Adolin sees looting, frightened civilians, and signs of Abidi’s cruelty, while two other teams split off to create distractions and seek surviving human resistance.

During the approach, Adolin reflects on Dalinar and finally lets go of the need to measure himself against an idealized father. He accepts that Dalinar is flawed, chooses to love him anyway, and feels relief at no longer needing either of them to be perfect. Maya challenges Adolin’s habit of supporting everyone else while denying his own needs. When the group reaches the palace wall, Yanagawn leads them to a hidden smuggler’s port, where loyal but corrupt soldiers shelter refugees. One guard recognizes Yanagawn only after Noura reveals herself, then eagerly agrees to help. Learning that a tunnel leads near the palace itself, Yanagawn commits the group to a rapid strike on the throne room before time runs out.