Chapter 94

In the chaotic aftermath of a lost battle at Narak Four, Sigzil grieves his fallen squire Deti while managing the retreat and confronting his own sense of powerlessness. Meanwhile, Shallan observes Dalinar and Navani moving through ancient Desolations via a spiritual window, and despite her team's caution, she chooses to enter a vision to investigate Ba-Ado-Mishram's historical presence.

The chapter opens on a battlefield at Narak Four where Sigzil holds his dying squire Deti, whose Stormlight is depleted. Deti speaks a Death Rattle before dying, revealing that Moelach is present. Sigzil, struggling with rage and guilt, fights his way through enemy forces alongside his spren Vienta, killing direform Regals with a stolen lance. He leads a strategic retreat across Narak Two, the Oathgate plateau, with the Stonewards destroying the bridge behind them to prevent pursuit. After consolidating forces and learning from Skar and Leyten that Deti's body was seen during reconnaissance, Sigzil manages his grief by focusing on the next phase of strategy and maintaining troop morale, drawing inspiration from Kaladin's example of leadership.

Shallan, observing from scaffolding constructed in the Spiritual Realm by Renarin and Glys, watches through a cloudy glass window as Dalinar and Navani move through historical Desolations toward the Recreance. She witnesses a ancient battle in Shinovar featuring early Windrunners, Stonewards, and human forces in shield wall formations fighting against Fused and singers. During discussions with Rlain about the cyclical nature of the ancient war, Shallan spots Ba-Ado-Mishram manifesting as a historical reconstruction in the vision—something the group hasn't previously observed. Despite Renarin's hesitation about deviating from their plan to stay outside and watch for Mraize and Iyatil, Shallan convinces him to send her into the vision to investigate Mishram, arguing this could provide crucial information about the Unmade's nature and the prison's location.