Chapter 81

Shallan confronts Mraize (disguised as Tanavast) in a vision of the Spiritual Realm, where they fight over access to Mishram's prison. Meanwhile, Dalinar and Navani witness the formation of the original Oathpact as the ten Heralds swear to Honor and receive Shardblades, with Taln joining as the tenth Herald despite his reluctance.

Shallan, in the form of Radiant, fights Mraize in a tent guarded by soldiers. When Mraize reveals his true form by dropping his disguise as a god, Radiant calls for Rlain's help. During their combat, Mraize proves skilled—he uses a blowgun to wound Rlain and nearly kills him before Renarin's spren extract both Heralds from the vision. Radiant manages to stab Mraize through the chest with an anti-Stormlight knife, but it fails to kill him. When Mraize tries to manipulate her into helping him reach Mishram's prison, Shallan deduces that Odium fears Mishram because gods, like Adonalsium before them, can be killed by their creations. Before Shallan can finish Mraize, the persona Formless manifests and urges her to kill both Mraize and Dalinar, causing Shallan to panic and request extraction from the vision. In the parallel sequence, Dalinar and the other Heralds locate Taln, a humble horse keeper whose soul was warped from attempting to kill Cultivation. Despite Jezrien's skepticism, Nale insists Taln is perfect for their group because he represents ordinary people rather than kings. When offered immortality, Taln initially refuses, fearing the isolation and pain it will bring, but after considering the question of the price, he accepts to protect the people of the land and hold back darkness—not for Honor, but by his own choice. The ten Heralds then form a circle, and Honor distributes Shardblades to each of them, anchoring the Oathpact that will bind them across Desolations. The vision begins to collapse as they complete the ritual and receive their blades. Shallan returns to find Pattern and Testament comforting her; they reveal that Glys and Tumi are resetting the tent's vision so Dalinar and Navani find no evidence of the chaos. Though shaken by Formless's influence and her failure to stop Mraize, Shallan manages to remain present rather than fragmenting entirely, a sign of emotional growth.