Kaladin flees with Teft, seeking a hiding place on the uninhabited levels of Urithiru. The Pursuer nearly finds them, but the Sibling lights up the walls to lead Kaladin to a hidden room. Kaladin collapses.

The novel flashes back nine years.

Venli’s sister, Eshonai, explores the woods around her home. She has been told by elders not to map the lands but is determined to explore. Before returning, she discovers the presence of humans and approaches them.

Meanwhile, Venli practices songs about listener forms with her mother, Jaxlim. Venli wants there to be more to her life and wishes to accomplish great things. When she admits to her mother that she has been experimenting with spren in highstorms to discover how to regain some of the old forms, her mother convinces her to tell their leaders of her discoveries and experiments. The leaders agree that seeking new forms is worth the risk. However, the meeting is interrupted by warning drums outside the town as Eshonai overshadows Venli’s discovery with her interaction with humans.

Working with Raboniel, Navani learns that some fabrials are actually spren that manifested in the Physical Realm, helping her understand how Soulcasters—devices that allow the magical transformation of one material into another—function.