Chapter 210

This chapter interleaves five characters experiencing visions or battles in their final hours before a crucial confrontation at Urithiru. Adolin fights in a desperate pike formation defending Azimir's dome breach, struggling with his missing leg and newfound humility. Shallan is trapped in Odium's torturous visions of killing everyone she loves. Rlain witnesses a vision of the ancient listener rebellion against Ba-Ado-Mishram and learns the truth of that history. Renarin uses his Light to pierce through Odium's influence and see multiple possible futures, ultimately deciding to pursue a relationship with Rlain and work toward bridging human and singer worlds. The chapter culminates with Renarin kissing Rlain in vision and resolving to understand Mishram's message.

Adolin rotates through a pike formation defending a forty-foot breach in Azimir's dome wall against singer forces. He struggles with his prosthetic leg and lack of upper-body strength, finding the work humiliating after a lifetime in Shardplate. Despite his difficulty, he volunteers for the more dangerous shield wall position, determined to pull his weight alongside untrained soldiers. His section is commanded by a tall Azish officer who respects his resolve.

Shallan endures a psychological assault from Odium, forced to watch visions of herself murdering everyone she loves—her parents, Tyn, Mraize, Wit, Jasnah, Sebarial, Palona, Dalinar, and Navani. The visions repeat relentlessly, convincing her she is inherently dangerous to those close to her. She knows these are false but cannot escape the onslaught.

Rlain experiences a vision of the ancient past when Ba-Ado-Mishram ruled as a god during the False Desolation. He witnesses himself as his ancestor Toathan convincing listeners to abandon their forms and leave Mishram's army, rejecting war itself. Mishram, initially angered, allows them to depart. After the vision, Rlain realizes Mishram let them go voluntarily and that she later learned from the listeners' choice, coming to question her own ambitions.

Renarin confronts his first visions—chaotic Spiritual Realm images that initially terrified him. Using his Light, he creates stained glass windows showing multiple possible futures and learns to distinguish between Odium's corrupting influence and genuine possibility. He discovers windows depicting various lives: as an ardent, scholar, or general. Most significantly, he finds a window showing himself with Rlain, both wearing each other's peoples' clothing as a statement of bridging worlds. Recognizing this as the future he wants, Renarin pushes through his vision into another where Rlain walks with hundreds of singers. Renarin appears, kisses Rlain, and commits to this path despite knowing it will bring pain and rejection from both societies. Rlain reciprocates, expressing concern but confirming his feelings. Renarin then resolves that he and Rlain are close to understanding Mishram's message.