Chapter 23

Shallan convenes her spy network, the Unseen Court, to strategize against the Ghostbloods and secure information about Mishram's prison as leverage. Meanwhile, Dalinar encounters Cultivation, who reveals that Honor's power still exists in the Spiritual Realm and suggests he seek deeper visions to find answers for defeating Odium, though the Stormfather warns this path is dangerous.

Shallan emerges from a shower content after accepting herself fully with Adolin. She then meets with her Lightweaver agents—Gaz, Red, Stargyle, and Darcira—on her balcony to review intelligence on the Ghostbloods. Wit has provided sketches of twelve Ghostblood operatives, including two mysterious offworlders sent as reinforcements by Iyatil. Shallan notes that Mraize, her former mentor, is now openly their enemy. The team discusses their advantage: they possess knowledge of Mishram's prison location that the Ghostbloods seek. Radiant emerges as one of Shallan's personas and announces plans to form a strike team to find the Ghostbloods' base and steal their secrets. They attempt to test whether Shallan can share her new Shardplate armor with Red, mimicking Kaladin's ability, but discover the armor cannot move without Shallan's direct control and requires power to function. Red becomes immobilized when the armor forms around him. Shallan reintegrates her personas—Veil and Radiant—as healthy parts of herself rather than rejecting them. In a separate scene, Dalinar encounters Cultivation on a balcony in Urithiru. She cryptically reveals that Honor's power still exists in the Spiritual Realm as the substance of the visions Dalinar has received, and suggests he seek the Spiritual Realm to gain deeper historical understanding necessary to defeat Odium. The Stormfather, who monitors this conversation, expresses concern that such a journey is dangerous. Dalinar later meets with Jasnah and Wit, who is troubled by a recovered memory of an encounter with Odium that suggests the god may be exploiting contract loopholes.