Chapter 39

Shallan and her team arrive in Shadesmar through the Oathgate to intercept the Ghostbloods before they can reach Dalinar and Navani, who are preparing to open a perpendicularity to the Spiritual Realm. As Dalinar and Navani prepare their experimental vision with Wit's guidance using a rock from Ashyn as an anchor, Shallan realizes the Ghostbloods may have infiltrated her own group in disguise.

Shallan brings Windrunners, Renarin, and Rlain through the Oathgate to Shadesmar, seeking to stop Mraize and Iyatil before they reach Dalinar and Navani. Upon arrival, she is overwhelmed by the sight of the awakened tower in Shadesmar—now a glowing structure of coalesced light—before Radiant takes control. The Windrunners report no sign of the fugitives near the Oathgate. Renarin and Rlain use their Bondsmith spren to sense that Dalinar and Navani have descended into a water cistern room. Renarin pulls Shallan aside and expresses grave concerns about Ba-Ado-Mishram being visible in the Spiritual Realm and warns that involving themselves might risk freeing the imprisoned Unmade, but Shallan insists they must stop the Ghostbloods. Meanwhile, Navani accompanies Dalinar through Urithiru, comforting their grandson Gav about his fear of the tower before reaching the cistern chamber with Wit. Wit reveals he has brought a stone from Ashyn—fragments carried by human ancestors during their migration to Roshar—which will serve as an anchor to guide their vision specifically to humanity's arrival on Roshar. He explains that they must tether themselves with lines of power and open a perpendicularity, though he admits he can only share the feeling of how to do it rather than precise instructions, having learned it instinctively at wells of power around gods. Shallan's group descends through Shadesmar's glass corridors toward the chamber where Dalinar and Navani prepare their experiment. As they approach, Renarin notices two souls hiding in an air duct—Lift with a Cultivationspren. Shallan then realizes with horror that three of the soldiers they brought with them match the exact physical description of Mraize, Iyatil, and the third Ghostblood operative.