Chapter 8

Shallan reunites with Adolin, Maya, and Herald Kelek at Lasting Integrity and learns that a contest of champions between Dalinar and Odium's chosen warrior is set for nine days hence at Urithiru. Shallan processes her integration of her alternate persona Veil and confronts traumatic memories of killing her mother in self-defense as a child. She extracts information from Kelek about Ba-Ado-Mishram, the most powerful Unmade, who was imprisoned in the Spiritual Realm in a gemstone by the ancient Radiants—knowledge the Ghostbloods seek—and resolves to find the prison before Mraize can.

Shallan and Pattern depart Lasting Integrity's inner sanctuary and approach Adolin, Maya, and Kelek on the wall, where they meet with Wit via a seon—a spren manifesting as a ball of light. Shallan explains to Pattern that she has healed by integrating Veil into herself rather than eliminating her; Veil now moves to the background of her consciousness while Radiant remains more prominent. She recalls traumatic childhood memories of bonding Testament, a spren her mother resisted, and killing her mother with Testament manifested as a Shardblade in self-defense. She had buried these memories and later convinced herself the Shardblade belonged to her father. Wit informs them that Windrunners will arrive within the day to transport them back to Urithiru for the champion contest scheduled nine days away. Shallan confesses her fears to Wit: that she declared war on the Ghostbloods by refusing them, that everyone she loves is now in danger, and that she is developing a capacity for terrible things. Wit reassures her that heroism requires the choice to resist such capacity. Shallan asks Wit about her pattern of killing mentors, and he tells her that instead of killing every Ghostblood member, she might use leverage against them—hinting that someone present (Maya) holds a key to what they truly want. After Wit departs, Shallan interrogates Kelek about Ba-Ado-Mishram, the most powerful Unmade. Kelek reluctantly reveals that ancient Radiants captured Mishram in a flawless heliodor gemstone and hid her in the Spiritual Realm through Melishi's power—he does not know how. Kelek flees in fear. Shallan, Adolin, and Pattern theorize that the Ghostbloods seek Mishram's prison to command the singer army, and that Mishram's imprisonment caused the creation of deadeyes and broke the bonds between humans and spren. Maya confirms she had heard of Radiants destroying the world and decided to stop bonding. Shallan declares they must travel to the Spiritual Realm to find Mishram's prison before Mraize does. Pattern, alarmed by the difficulty of navigating the Spiritual Realm, retracts his earlier assurance that he would not get Shallan killed.